Evening star., 1924-10-22
AMERICAN FOODS
FILL WORLD NEEDS
United States Buying Back
Many Products Which
Originated Here.
Special Dispatch TO The Star

Special Dispatch TO The Star
NEW YORK. October 22.-celebra-
tion of the 432nd anniversary of the
discovery of America reminds the
Trade Record of the National City
Bank of the contributions which the
dtstinctively American" food plants
supply to meet the constantly in
crcasing food demands of the popula-
ton of the globe. These distinctively
American food plants have been
adopted by all parts of the world.
Potato World Wide.
Take the potato for example, of
which man made the acquaintance in
his early exploration of South and
Central America; IL has been adopted
by all sections of the temperate zone
world, Europe as whole. North and
South Africa, northern Asia, especially
Siberia, and Japan, Australia and New
Zealand The figures of our Agricul-
tural Department show that of the
nearly 5000, 100000 bushels grown in
the world in the pre-ward year 1912
over 1000, 100000 were produced in
Europe, nearly 1000, 100000 in Ger
many alone, while the total produc-
tion in the Americas. its birthplace.
was in that year less than 1000, ,000,-
900 bushels. that of the United States
less than 500,000.000 bushels. The
sweet potato, also Il native of tropical
America, is now grown in many parts
of the world and especially the Pa
cific Islands and the. eastern frontage
of Asia.
Corn Spreads All Over World.
Corn, another distinctively Amer
lean product, has made friends in all
parts of the world, especially as a
food for meat animals, and while
the United States still grows more
than one-half of the world annual
crop of four and one-half billion
bushels, Europe's production in the
five years preceding the World War
averaged about 500.000,000 bushels
per annum Asia nearly 100.000,000,
North and South Africa, 100000.
Argentina ranks second to the United
States as corn grower. her crop
averaging about 250.000,0o0 bushels
a year against the usual 3.oOO.Ooo,ooo
of the United States. Rumania is
apparently the biggest corn producer
of Europe, its outturn, according to
official figures. in the postwar period
averaging about 100,0O0,OO0 bushels
a year, the chief food value of the
corn being its power to produce meat
for human food.
Tomato Wins Friends.
The tomato, also an American
plant. has made friends in other parts
Of the world and is produced in great
quantities especially in southern
Europe. though no figures on relative
production or value are available
Other food products distinctively OF
American origin now widely dis
tributed the world over include the
pineapple, the cassava, from which
the tapioca of commerce is produced
peanuts and the cacao bean utilized
in the production of chocolate, clearly
of American origin but now largely
produced in other tropical areas, es
peCially the west coast of Africa.
The cocoanut as now utilized for food
purposes is also believed to be of
American origin, as the Bureau of
Plant Industry of the Department of
Agriculture in communication to
the Trade Record on this subject says
that the cocoanut belongs to a dis
tinct family of palms represented by
about 200 species in tropical Amer
lea and only two species in Africa,
and these very similar to American
types.
Plants Also Spread.
Passing from food products to
other American plants now utilized
for industrial purposes, the most i'm
portant which have been adopted in
other parts of the world are the india
rubber tree and the tobacco plant,
both of which are apparently of
American origin. Tobacco, of which
man made his acquaintance in Amer
ica is now grown largely I'm Europe,
India, China, Japan, the Dutch East
indies and North and South Africa,
though nearly one-half of the world S
crop of 1000, 100000 pounds per annum
is still grown in the United States
with a farm value of nearly a half
million dollars per annum.
Probably the most travelled
American plant is the india rubber
tree, originating in South America,
especially the Amazon Valley, but
adopted in recent years by the tropi-
cal countries on the opposite side OF
the globe, notably India, Ceylon, the
Malayan Peninsula and the Dutch
East Indies, which now with their
rubber plantations turn out far more
Of rubber than the entire American
area from which they were stocked.
Buy Back "American" Products.
Curiously, adds the Trade Record,
our imports of these products of
distinctively American" origin now
amount to over $250.000.000 a year
value, coming in very large share
from the other continents, notably
india rubber from the opposite side
of the globe, cacao largely from West
Africa, tobacco from southern Eu-
rope and the Dutch East Indies, and
Islands and in lesser quantities from
Of hn