Charlevoix county herald., 1912-03-23

FY " NCLE SAM has found time TO
E look into the agricultural pos
aibiiities Of the canal zone.
a. and he proposes to turn the
five-mile strip OF land OH each
side OF the canal into one big vegeta-
bic garden. He intends TO see that
the thousands OF vessels from all over
the world passing through the canal
viii be able 10 replenish their stock
Of fresh meats and vegetables when
they reach the lsthmus without the
loss of minute in travelling time. At
present vessels leaving New York
for trip down the coast any great
distance must stop at one or two
places for fresh meat ana vegetables
before reaching their final destination.
Uncle Sam had his explorers ey-
anime every foot of ground within the
ten-mile limit of the zone. from the
Pacific 20 the Atlantic, including "A
portion OF Costa Rica OF enc side,
and Panama Oh the other. The in
vestigation has now reached the stage
where it can bc safely asserted there
are exceedingly bright prospects for
the building up OF a lucrative agricul-
tural and stock raising Industry along
the Panama canal
In addition 10 the great quantities
of fresh meats and vegetables required
for steamers passing through the
canal it must be remembered there
will always be a great number OF canal
employees living along the line Of the
canal. The majority OF these en-
ployes will undoubtedly be married,
with families and children. and all
these mouths will require vegetables
TO fill them. Also number Of minor
industries may be built up along the
canal which will require its quota OF
human beings. who Will also require
feeding. But aside from these minor
considerations are the vast number OF
ships expected 10 pass through the
waterway-some authorities claiming
the traffic will be so heavy as TO be
one continuous line of ships from one
end OF the canal 10 the other during
the entire "a hours.
About a year ago the investigation
was started BY the Bureau OF Soils
and the Bureau OF Plant Industry
working together. Hugh II. Bennett
and William \. Taylor, two OF Uncle
Sans scientific explorers in the de-
rartment, were the men detailed to
make the investigation. In speaking
of the farming on the canal and its
ia 3, lx,,.
said:
Though the Isthmus OF Panama
has been for four centuries the most
important portage OF the western hem
isphere the lands through which sue
cessive routes Of travel have passed
velopment. Mans impress on the
country. except in the immediate vi
cinity Of the Panama railroad-com-
pleted in 1S5l-and the canal route,
which lies close to the railroad
through most OF its length, is chiefly
apparent through the destruction OF
practically all the more valuable tim
ber trees that made up the original
forest"
Hugh II. Bennett, who assisted in
the investigation, said the most prom
ising line OF attack upon agricultural
problems of the canal zone will be TO
develop q permanent mixed tropical
agriculture with a distinct horticul-
tural trend, in which hand labor OF
tropical origin will he the main de
pendence for tillagc. In this way exist
ing and prospective conditions would
favor the production of high-priced
products requiring regular and fre-
quent transportation service, such as
will doubtless be available promptly
after the opening OF the canal for
use.
"Ono important feature continued
Mr.. Bennett. "wll be the early work
ing out of method OF mixed cropping
i'm which soil maintaining and improv-
ing leguminous intercrops can be con-
tnuously used to replace the wild and
intractable native vegetation of the
present shack-farm agriculture.
agricultural operations in the
canal zone are now confined mainly TO
the meager efforts OF the native and
West Indian population and are re-
stricted to patch farming. The pro-
duction of local staple products, prin-
cipally tropical vegetables and fruits.
rice and corn, is little in excess OF
actual food requirements of the op-
orators. The greater number OF these
farms, although occupying the smooth
er slopes of the larger valleys and
never distant more than five miles in
a direct line from the canal. are iso-
lated and inaccessible, owing to the
broken topography and absence or
good highways. They are reached
only by narrow, winding trails. at no
time nassable for vehicles and often