The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-16
BIZ DEMAND FOR
 IRISH POTATOES Great Quantities Sent To
 United States IS THRIFTY Farmers Have Now Undertaken Gull tivation of Tobacco, Cultivating 1900 Acres-Need Better
 Transportation System
IS THRIFTY
Fly AUSTIN F. MAGuIRE

Dublin. April 15.-(Special. )-Irish po- tatoes are being shipped to America by the thousands of barrels. Never before in the history of this country has there been such a demand for Irish produce from the United States. If it keeps up, a new impetus will be given 10 the in- dustry and ambition or the Irish farmer,
 Reports coming back from America say that the potatoes rom Ireland are giving full satisfaction In the big ho- tels and restaurants and renewal orders are coming over by mall and cable.
 In 1879, when rack renting landlord ism was at it's height, and it's worst. the ship Constellation of the American navy, commanded by Captain Carter was sent to Ireland loaded with pro- visions for the starving people of the west whom the capacious landlords wers casting out on the roadside to die, as in 1S47
 Today ships of commerce are going from Ireland to America freighted with the produce of Irish soil, which at last is slowly but surely coming into it's own in the markets of the world.
 Not many years will have elapsed be- lViC VIII nave dDOiitI Stdplt ll- dustry besides agriculture. In no few CT than five counties experiments are being made, and with success, in the cultivation of tobacco.
 Some years ago farmer in County Meath, whose ideas and ambitions were above the average of his class, com menced to grow tobacco. His little plantings proved successful and now he is going into the cultivation of the leaf Dr 1nf la is. ,t,1 Fol lowed by other go ahead farmers and now not only in Meath, but in Louth, Kilkenny, Wexford, Tipperary and Linn crick, patches of land are being devoted to the cultivation of tobacco.
 The total area under such cultivation is 1900 acres. Seventy-nine acres of these are for pipe tobacco, 2S cigarette and 13 tobacco for cigars.
 It was only recently that people be- gan to find out that at one time to- bacco was grown extensively in Ireland. but the iron heel of James l and his successors stamped out the industry.
 The pioneer in the revival of tobacco in Ireland Is Colonel Everard of Rendlestown in the County of Meath
 Like most other new ideas the revival has had the usual run of prejudice to overcome, the hardships to undergo. To- iacco is very sensitive to climatic and
 
 at the start was plant breed Ing. After much labor he succeeded in from two varieties a cross which was found 10 yield certain desir- able virtues and this gives promise Of It's taking kindly to both soil and cli- mate. Should 1t prove yieldful Ireland may become the nursery of a natural industry, which is now supposed to be wholly confined to such countries as Cuba and Sumatra, the Philippine Islands and the United States, China and Brazil
 There is now an Irish Tobacco Grow CTS association It's m-.nbers are hope ful of being able to see before long at least 1000 acres devoted in Ireland to the cultivation of tobacco.
 Colonel Everard says: Nearly every kind of tobacco can be grown in Ireland The tobacco manufacturers have only 10 tell us what they can find use for and we can produce 1t.
 An idea of the possibilities of tobacco in Ireland as an increaser of the national wealth may be gained from the fact that one acre produced 1500 pounds of tobacco two years
 Among the interesting experiments is one to determine the possibilities of growing tobacco especially for nicotine, which is in constantly increasing de- mand as an insecticide.
 Such incidents as the shipment from Ireland of great quantities of potatoes and of the possibilities Of tobacco cul- ture. bring again to the front the handi- cap under which Ireland staggers com because of her complica ted system or rather, want of system.
 When Ireland has her own parliament and is able to straighten out those matters for herself, she will make short work of the maze of independent raii- roads which burden the country. each with its own schedule and directory and all leading to confusion and to trade strangling conditions of the most de- spairing kind.
 royal commission reported recently that there Is but one complete cure for the tangled state of affairs-the nation- of the railroads And physical conditions in Ireland are favorable to the change,