The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-03-14
Frederick Haskin's Letter
Seeking Savings Through Science.

suggestion to the southern farma,
made by the bureau after long n
vestgation crowned at last nj =,
success. The sweet potato s, -
produced by the bureau exnarfs "
pronounced very Desirable -! 3
1t only remains to arouse pBbIic T.
terest in the new COMMODITY =
Fitzgerald, Georgia, where o. ~
ments have been made. goyerp2,--.
scientists are to produce sever
thousand gallons this year and AZ q
tribute it, 10 show consumers ~.
the product is acceptable. --'
This newly developed food -.
duct is expected to increase intaysS.
in sweet potato raising. The ~. MI
potatoeS-the jumbos that are ~
large and the dwarf potatoes fbs'
are too small to be fit to marke s-A'
can be turned into syrup as a mr.
teal commercial proposition n,
bureau of chemistry SAYS.
But, though new kinds Of sv-,,
are the bureaus most engrossi-gg
interest just now, they are moi nor
maps, so novel as d new drink IT,
beverage which the bureau il ia
Veloping somewhat resembles 70,
1t is made from a plant known a.
cassina which grows luxurianfIv
in the south. Cassina is an besb
belonging to the same family A.
yerba mate of South America :,
is kind of holly with leaves small
and round like mistletoe and red
holly berries. 1t grows % feet bigh
in hedges and windbreaks on soutb-
ern farms.
The leaves of this plant are said
to have been used in the Civil u,sr
by colored people as a tea" DR.
Skinner explained But tea Il
not properly made from leaves
simply picked and marketed. Tie
leaves must be cured, and it is this
process that We are deyelopinp
Investigations are being carried an
in South Carolina and other places
and we hope to produce a new dri9k
which will meet with favor among
the tea connOisseurs of this couB-
try.
" Z Id : AAlduB SOAlt GAEEllHNE
tea from the leaves of this plant.
1t has a bouquet similar to high
grade tea with a piquant flavor Of
its own that is peculiarly agreeable
We are hoping to produce it this
year on a Semi-COmmeTciaI scale.
and we believe that il will prove
to be cheaper than tea. This does
not mean that it is to be a cheap
product that may be substituted for
tea or blended with tea. It is
new beverage that will be intro
duced on its own merits. Both tea
and coffee are altogether imported
by the country. Here is the posi-
bility, our experimental work
shows, for development Of a great
American beverage industry. for
cassina can be grown anywhere
from North Carolina down through
the south"
May Export Tea Substitute
1t is even thought possible that
cassina tea might prove profitable
export to countries using yerba
mate. Argentina, the country where
yerba mate is in highest favor,
uses 60,O00,000 pounds of it year.
All but 100000 pounds are in
ported, largely from Brazil and
Paraguay. If the cassina drink
proves acceptable it is possible that
we may export some 10 Argentina
Aside from the fact that yerba mate
has a smoky taste, Slightly remin-
iscent of CreOsOte, due 10 the leaves
being dried over a wood fire it
tastes very similar to cassina.
The bureau of chemistry is work
ing with various other technologi-
cal projects in which it sees p0s5--
bilities of helping the farmer, the
and the general pub
lie. The grease that is always pres
ent in wool when it comes from the
sheep has been made subject for
investigation in the bureau witt the
result that what was once wasted
is now being used for lanolin IN
cosmetics. and that potash
is also obtained from the wool
scouTings.
New methods of manufacturing
insecticides. commercial dehydFa-
ton of fruits and vegetables. ways
of preserving tenting and other
farm fabrics are propositions on
which the bureau is working. Al
most every product on the farm has
possibilities for greater use, but the
bureau is limited in funds. It mas
to take up the work that seems
most needed.
ut is mainly in the last hat cen
fury" DR.. Skinner concluded, ths,
q agricultural chemistry has playsd
its important part in developing
materials and we believe that IN
future chemistry is going to render
even a greater service than It mas
in the past"