Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-24
TRYING OUT PLANTS
Test of imported Products in
American Soil.
ADDING TO FOOD SUPPLY
Department of Agriculture Finds
Substitute for Cranberries.
DAsHEEN IN PLACE OF POTATO
Valuable Grasses Discovered Also,
and Toothsome Fruit of
the Salad Variety.
DASHEEN IN PLACE OF POTATO

Several new and valuable plants have
recently been developed in this country
from among the immense number annu
ally imported and tried out by the
Department of Agriculture. 1t is never
possible to tell when a new plant Is Sc
cured whether it will do well in it's new
surroundings and whether, IL it does. 1t
will prove of real value. The new plants
have to be tried out, and this method
has to wait from a year to several years
before being considered at all conclusive
Four of the plants that the department
has been working with for a long time
have given returns almost simultaneous
ly. They are the carrissa grandifiora,
southern substitute for the cranberry;
the Chinese wood oil nut the avocado
and the Rhodes grass from South Africa.
This last Is considered one of the most
valuable finds of recent years. and, being
a grass, ii was possible to mature and
test it quickly.
One of the drawbacks of Florida and
much of the gulf state territory from the
earliest settlements was the lack OF
suitable forage grass. OF course. there
was grass and lot of other vegetation
that would serve for forage, out grass
that could be cut for hay would not
grow. owing to the great heat and much
dry weather.
Grass From Rhodesia, Waist High.
This grass from Rhodesia that is known
as Rhodes grass. grows waist high and
has been found to be excellently adapted
to Florida and all the southern edge OF
the gulf states where grass and alfalfa
would not thrive. 1t can be cut two or
three times a year and has yielded as
much as four tons to the acre. And the
cattle like it. One of the experts OF the
department. who has been over the triai
plots. said he had seen one pasture where
a COW had gone through and eaten the
Rhodes grass down close and neglected
the Bermuda grass and other natlre
grasses altogether.
Another plant that promises well for
the south is the carrissa, which Is the
southern substitute for the cranberry. 1t
is tall shrub. utterly unlike the cram
berry in general appearance. but 1t fruits
heavily and the berries are said to be
satisfactory substitute for the cranberry
1t is considered a valuable acquisition.
The Chinese wood Gil tree has been in
process of trying out for several years
1t is a regular tree and takes time to de-
velop. but when a grove is once in bear
ing it produces a steady income at small
expense. The tree has been tried out in
Florida. South Carolina and Alabama
One tree in Alabama that is now seven
years old grew crop of nuts the past
season that produced something over four
pounds of oil.
Oil Valued at rs Cents a Gallon.
This oil is worth seventy-five cents a
gallon and at that rate grove Of them
ought to produce at the rate of from $50
to $50 per acre. The oil is about as diff
ficuit to extract as cottonseed oil. The
%bo oil to ;<,,to
linseed oil in paint 1t has been used by
the Chinese for centuries and is said to
be decidedly superior to lnseed OIL the
price Of which has been increasing and
the production falling off in this country.
The department has been working hard
for several years with the avocado, pop
ularly known in this latitude as the ALI
gator pear. for lack of some other name.
This is not a pear at all and bears little
resemblance to one, except In shape. 1t
is salad fruit and Is said to be taking
hold immensely in this country. though
the price of the imported tropical fruit is
still too high for it to be widely pOpu-
lar The department is growing it by
contract arrangement with some growers
in Florida and southern California, and
the reports are most encouraging. No
figures as to its value per acre are given
out, because some of the returns have
prophesy and many people might be
drawn into a hopeless venture trying to
establish a vegetable gold mine. How
ever. it can be said that the prospect is
good
Substitute for the Potato.
OF course, most of the people in Wash
ington already know of the 'dasheen."
This is the southern swamp land substi-
tute for the potato that was tested at
banquet of the National Geographic
Society little ovsr year ago. 1t was
pronounced very good at the time, having
all the qualities of the Irish potato with
suggestion of a meat flavor unusual in
vegetable.
The dasheen is growing i'm the gulf
states and is reported from all quarters
to be one of the most desirable importa-
tons ever tried.
AnTR EGG OYTTTS u0cpITAI