Pueblo chieftain., 1921-01-17
BEST PRODUCTS
OF The WORLD
in Am ERICA.

It is not generally realized how much
agriculture owes to other countries.
1t has been comparatively only few
years since alfalfa was regarded as
an agricultural joke. Out in Kansas.
which state long since Justly acquired
the reputation of being the labora-
tory in which political. economic, so
cial and agricultural theories were
tested, a former state commissioner OF
agriculture, Mr.. F. d. Coburn. urged
farmers to plant alfalfa. Ills persis
tence during the early period of his
campaign subjected him to all sorts
of ridicule. He persevered. Now al
falfa is one of the leading and most
profitable crops in practically every
Western state, and Kansas has the
honor of being the greatest alfalfa
growing state in the union. Yet al
falfa is not native of America. The
variety generally grown was intro
duced into the Western states from
central Asia. where 1T has long been
a forage crop. Another variety Of al
falfa largely grown in the Southwest,
where it has proved most productive
and valuable. was brought to this
country from Peru and is known as
Peruvian alfalfa.
The National Republican goes on to
say:
Alfalfa is only one of many staple
crops now grown in this country for
which the United States is indebted
to other countries and climes. The
great rice industry of Louisiana and
Texas was imported from Japan. Cane
from which sorghum is produced was
imported from the Orient The navel
orange, which comprises the bulk of
the California orange industry. valued
at about sixteen million dollars a year,
was imported from Brazil. The wes-
tern farmer now annually grows over
W. nf Dur r,yyv,
wheat, which was imported only few
years ago from Russia Tho famous
high grade long-staple cotton which
is produced in such quantities In the
irrigated districts of the Southwest
(the 1919 crop being valued at twenty
million dollars) WAS imported from
Egypt where it has long been grown
in the irrigated Nile valley. The pro-
duction of dates in California, Arizona.
and other Southwestern states. is al
ready an extensive and profitable aE-
ricultural industry, which was intro
duced from the East.
Sudan grass was introduced into this
country in 1909 from Egypt fcterita
was introduced in 1906 from Egypt
Last year American farmers produced
over twenty-six million dollars worth
or these two products. Tho soy bean
was introduced from China In fact,
tho majority of our forage crops have
been imported from foreign countries.
Bluegrass, redtop. timothy and white
clover came originally from Europe;
lespedeza came from Asia; carpet
grass from the West Indies: daiIis
grass from Argentine. bur clover,
wild oats. wild barley and alfilaria
came from tho Mediterranean coun-
tries.
1t may be said that the search for
new crops has only just commenced
Agricultural experts believe with the
wonderful diversity of climate and soil
in the United States this country can
grow almost every sort of food and
forage plant which grows anywhere
in tho world. This being true, the
time may not bo far distant when the
United States will cease altogether the
importations of any kind OF fruits,
vegetables and any other food products
for either man or animal.