The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-08-18
CAUTION TO PROSPECTIvE DRUG
 OWNERS,

SfaCI1ON 1O f1tOSFE('ClvE DRUG
 OWNERS.
 Interruption of importations ot many drugs, spices and oils made rom plants has resulted in certain cases in abnormally high prices fo, the raw materials and the products derived from them. As a result many people are looking into the DOS. sibility of profit in growing these crops in the United States. Man, letters are received each week at the U. s. Department of Agriculture ask. ing how to raise this or that drue plant.
 In almost every case, the drus plant specialists reply that if i, doubtful whether the inexperienced grower can grow these plants suc. cessfuliy, or. if he succeeds, will find a satisfactory market for his cron The raising of such plants, they poin, out, IS distinct speciality and call, TOT exact knowledge and skill com. parable to that needed by the f1oris, who, to satisfy his market, not only must raise flowers but must produce blooms at certain seasons and will unusual characteristics Of even greater importance, however is tbe ract that the total amount of drug plants that can be consumed in this country In any year is very small compared with our consumption of any of the staple crops. Overpro. auction in the case of drugs is more serious than in the case of staple crops because staple crops such as corn and grain if not sold can be used at home, for food or for feeding stock or chickens. The drug plant, how ever, is profitless to the grower un- less drug manufacturer will buy fl for use in medicine.
 It Is entirely possible, for example to grow belladonna from which is de- rived atropine and other alkaloids very valuable in medicine. The total amount of belladonna plants the en- tire country uses. however, could all pc grown on few hundred acres. Because of the present Interruption in the supply of belladonna, a few do- nestle growers have made a profit re- gently from this crop. A slight ex- pansion of the industry would quickly increase the supply beyond the de- mand and this. together with impor- tation, when resumed. might soon glut the local market and leave little or no profit to the raiser, unless an export market were developed.
 Digitalis. although one of the most important and valuable of heart ton ics. as crop has relatively small monetary value. The drug plant specialists who have been developing this plant and testing possibilities of it's culture in this country have done so. not merely with the idea of fos- tering an industry. but because this plant is so important in saving hu- man lives that should all supplies be cut off 9 serioun calamity would re- suit. For the same reason the speci- alists have been working with many other drug plants. It was believed that the drug specialists should be ready to raise these plants in this country if for any reason the foreign supply should be entirely cut off.
 For years, therefore, the Depart ment has been producing many of these plants iexperimentally. but when the supply of certain of these drugs failed or their prices reached prohibitive figures, a few skilled growers. with the advice of the De- partment, were able to raise small quantities. of some of the more im- portant drugs needed in the present Thymol, widely used for antiseptic purposes, is a drug manu- grown in India
 4 hA frfo nffny, of imports the ;price leaped from $2 to $17 a pound. The Department, how ever, had been experimenting with a common weed known as horsemint. which grows readily in the south. and yields this substance. This horse mint was brought into cultivation. its quality improved. and a simple process for manufacturing thymol from 1t developed. with the result last year that there was pro- duced commercially a small quantity of this drug. The industry. how ever, can not be widely extended be- cause the total consumption, as indi- cated by previous reports. is only about 17.000 pounds year. an amount which can be produced prob- ably on less than 1000 acres.
 Lemon grass, producing lemon grass oil used widely by soap and perfume makers. can be grown in Florida on land not suitable for cit- rus fruits At most. however, only about $10o.o0o worth of this oil is used per year in this country. and even if none were imported. onIv 2 1000 or 5000 acres of the grass could be raised without over-production.
 Red pepper. used both as drug and