Show agriculture in industry by FLORENCE C WEED tung nuts back in 1904 dr david fairchild of the government bureau of plant industry secured a quantity of tung nuts from china they were planted widely in this country in all except col cold climates and from this beginning has sprung a new industry which aims to furnish essential quick drying oil to the paint industry A bumper crop in 1910 provided pounds of tung nuts with a million dollar income to growers A narrow belt in the southern states 50 to miles wide has been found best suited to growing tung trees these come into bearing in the third year they yield nuts with woody hulls the size of small apples inside of which are from three to seven seeds machinery used in crushing the seeds is similar to that used for crushing oil from cotton seed peanuts and soybeans the residue left is pressed into cakes and returned to the grower who uses it for fertilizer during the last ten years before the outbreak of the war with japan oil valued at ten million dollars was imported from china each year much of this was of inferior grade and adulterated with other oils it has sold from 51 cents to as high as cents per pound in barrels at new york with this foreign supply auppl Y unavailable the superior american product is finding a ready market mills equipped for de hulling and crushing tung lung seed have been established in alabama florida geor mississippi and louisiana |