The Washington herald., 1912-04-28

direct return to the farmers Of S2l,O00Oo.
The direct and indirect value of this
| immigrant has secured for II constant
fostering care from the Department Of
Agriculture until at present the sugar
beet may we'll claim citizenship upon the
single item of supplying Is per cent OF
the total amount OF sugar consumed IN
this country. That. however, is but
beginning, according TO the Department
Of Agriculture's experts. since IL Is stated
IN an official report recently published
that II but one acre in fifty Of the cream
of the beet-growing area were planted TO
beets once every four years, Il would
mean the production Of all the sugar
we now purchase from foreign countries
and would bring the farmers direct
money returns amounting to SlS0o,Oe
year.
DR.. Wiley Instrumental.
Dr. Harvey W. Wiley and Charles F.
SayIor, who were instrumental in estab-
lishing the sugar beet here, point TO II as
being one of the most important factors
f., the future development Of the pro-
ductiveness OF American soil, because
OF its value in crop rotation and the in
tensive methods OF farming which 1t
brings about wherever 1t is grown. At
present the Bureau of Plant Industry
successful outcome an experiment to
produce a race of what are termed single
germ beet balls. The seed, or beet balls,
now using in sowing the beet crop con-
tain from one to six germs. each capa-
tle of producing a plant. II is necessary
in planting the sugar beet to use six Of
these beet balls to insure the proper
stand Of crops, and II each one grows the
result is thirty-six plants, thirty-five OF
which must be ''thinned" or pulled up.
II is expected that in six to eight years
there will be available the single germ
beet ball and planting six Of these to-
gether will mean no more than six
plants II all grow. The saving which
this will bring about is estimated at IS
per acre. The estimation in which the
beet is held by the farmers was shown
not long ago when they protester before
q Congressional committee against the
destruction of the sugar beet industry
through the elimination Of the tariff on
sugar. saying that not only would they
lose an enormous amount of money d.
rectly. but much more indirectly be-
cause OF the increased yields Of oats.
rye, wheat, corn, and potatoes due TO ro-
tation with the sugar beet. ..
Oriental PersImmon PromIsInE.
A promising immigrant from Japan is
the Oriental -persimmon. one Of the chief
staples of japan, where It outranks the
orange in popularity and quantity Of pro-
duction. II grows to a size of from four
to five inches in diameter. and can be
sliced like a peach or frozen after 1t is
thoroughly ripe and eaten like sher-
bet. 1t is also dried and in that condi-
tion may be eaten nike a fig or prepared
l,xy MIA 0f fraa
has just been made in Florida and the
combind crop of the South this year will
be considerable
What perplexing problems these plant
immigrants may present before they be-
come useful citizens is strikngly illus
trated by the introduction of Smyrna
figs. Cuttings of Smyrna figs were
brought to California in 1850. but though
the trees thrived. no commercial figs
care and repeated efforts it required nine
years to produce Smyrna figs
The date palm, which 1000 years ago
grew on the banks of the Euphrates and
Tigris Rivers. and made habitable many
otherwise useless regions Of the Sahara
and Arabia. is another immigrant now
well established in this country II bids
fair to be one of the most important in
Productions ever made.
SautphOT NFOut FOrmONus
There Is potent reason for growing
camphor in addition to its production
as a source of wealth, In the fact that
practically all csmphor comes from the
Island of Formosa, belonging to Japan, |
and that canIphor is a necessary ingredi- |
ent in making smokeless powder. Should |
the yellow peril ever become real through |
a war, however, we, would be able to |
supply our powder factories with cam
phor grown in Florida, where II Is on a |
SUCCESSFUL basis.
Altogether our deaf, dumb, and blind |
plant immigrants. while little known, are |
a hard-working money making class, and |
the manner Of their coming to this coun-
try, the working OF the plant immigra- |
tion bureau. and the rate at which they !
are earning money for American citi- |
zens, furnishes,a ready explanation OF |
the activities of the government in bring |
ing to this country aliens which at first |
description might seem to be lacking in /
all the eSaanfIaIz of aae.d f.fff1o,eI,fr