St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1910-04-02

figure that # the plans We have under
way were scientifically carried out
they would result in raising animals
which would give annually 10000
carloads of meat for our people.
The beauty Of the African mann
nal is that ordinarily he is broWser.
He eats the kind Of stuff that the
American domestic animals would not
touch, and he thrives on it.. It has
been estimated that there are fully
$l00.000,000 worth of good food for
browsing animals in the Southern
States alone that 90 to waste annual
IL. The water hyacinths and other
vegetation IS an instance. This could
all be consumed, and there Is food
for years to come. At the same time
the animals viii be making meat. It
would be a saving TO the government
from the first. The expenditure of
$4,000 is required under the water
ways appropriation fer he keeping
down Of the water hyacinth, and then
it does no good. If hippos and water
buffalo were put in they would be
constantly consuming it and making
themselves valuable at the same time.
Then there is the tick bird that has
the same habitat as the hippo. This
bird lives on the backs Of the animals
and consumes the ticks that fasten
themselves there in the hide. This
same tick bird, / think, would be an
excellent experiment in the South
where the latest reports Of the De-
partlnent of Agriculture say the an
nual loss to- cattle from ticks is about
800, 100000 d year. The tick birds
might be imported to protect the cat
tie, and / feel sure they would do so.
T DO not think this Importation
idea can be laughed down. Il. is
merely a matter Of education, and
when the people see the value Of the
African animals as meat producers
at a time when d new supply Of meat
is al economic necessity, there viii
be NO objection. The people will see
where they can be benefited. And
why should NE not import African
animals and birds? There IS only
one American domestic animal or
bird that is Indigenous to this coun-
try, ard that is the turkey. All the
rest-the horse, the COW, the sheep,
the hog, the dog, the chicken, the
goat. etc.-haye been imported. They
do not produce enough meat for the
population, and We should take adj
vantage of an opportunity to import
African animals.
Captain Duquesne said that he had
been trying for four years to interest
wealthy Americans III the feasibility
Of importing African animals. This
is the fourth from Africa that was
made BY the hunter and between
times he was accustomed to 90 back
TO the Congo region and kill d few
elephants for their hides and ivory.
The captain IS q Boer who command
ed d company during the Boer war.
Later he was IN the Greco-Fufkish
war, the Rnsso-Japanese war and
took part III various engagements iii
German, Portuguese, French and Brit
ish Africa. He has hunted ii the
forests and velts from Orange river
to the Albert and Victoria NyanEa
aud says that unless animals like the
hippo, the white rhinoceras, The dix
dix, the coo-doo and the Gland, etc,
are Imported to this country to Be
dompsticated their species will be-
come extinct. Captain Duquesne
says also that the giraffe would be- OF
great value here IS it can feed on
leaves and fungus to d height OF 20
feet from the ground. Its hide makes
excellent leather and the flesh il
good food. he says. The water buff
falD makes about 1900 pounds Of
good meat and IFS hide IS fine leather
for shoes. Congressman Broussard
has already introduced i bill ID Con-
gress outlining his plans.