The Wilmington morning star. [volume], February 17, 1946, SECTION-D, Image 41

About The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990

Image provided by: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library, Chapel Hill, NC

                
CURE FOR MORONS:
EAT N. C. HERBS
Marsh Lands, Writer Says,
Home Of Brain Build
ing Plants
By E. CARL SINK
You don’t have to be a moron,
Q1J know. It is possible that a
short trip to the marsh lands of
•he eastern North Carolina shores
V.;U make you into an intellectual
giant.
For down there on the rims of
the inland marshes, there is a little
nlant which grows in profusion in
,he"sandy clay pocosin perimeters
and whose leaves, dried and steep
ed render a tea which has the
r, markable property of stimulating
the intellect. According to B. M.
Wells, Ph- D-> author of the most
readable book on North Carolina
flora, “Natural Gardens Of North
Carolina.”
.■Of special Interest near the
sounds is the "intelligence plant,”
” rather insignificant little herb
with a leaf shaped like a thumb
nail and about twice as large. The
sages on India are reported to
teach that this sosmopolitan little
plant has the remarkable property
of stimulating the intellect—that
tca made from the dry leaves will
niake morons Into masters and, It
is to be supposed, college failures
into Phi Beta Kappas.
What Plant Is This?
It could be thought, of course,
that the professor was having his
little joke •. ith those members of
his Classy Wild inuoutu me mgin o
sleep behind the benches and mi
croscupes of Botany IV. But he was
not, as the further evidence shows,
and one wonders just what other
mvsteries are contained in the
geological and botanical empire
of North Carolina, which in the
lush exploring century between
1750 and 1850, was called by auth
orities all over the world “the
Wonderful paradise of Caroline
where grows everything the New
Land Grows.”
The Indians, for example, had
their own "intelligence plant”, al
though they used it in a most cur
ious way to display intelligence, in
the beautiful yaupon (Ilex vomitor
ia) shrub which thrives and.' geauti
fies the Outer Banks under grow
ing conditions no other plant could
survive. It is a true holly, with
bounteous clusters of red berries
and small, shiny, box-like leaves.
Cure-All
It is the only species of Ameri
can holly which Is used for making
tea—and a very satisfying hot
drink it is which can be made
from the dried young leaves. Some
Outer Bankers will tell you that
yaupon tea is good for “anything
Indians we e well aware of Its val
ue. But they were not content to
use moderately. Instead, at their
feast times they would make so
strong a concoction that it would
induce immediate vomiting, which
would allow eating and eating
again and again,—which may be
construed as intelligent application
of natural resources if one’s stom
ach is strong and other pleasures
limited.
Of Carrot Family
If you are a stickler for facts,
Wells’ intelligence plant is a mem
ber of the carrot family, Umbelli
ferae, is related to the common
marsh penny-worts, and is called
botanists Centella asiatica. The
leaves have a very peculiar flav
or* one that is unlike any ordinary
food flavor. It is widely distribu
ted in tropical and sub-tropicai
borders.
As to its powers, Professor Wells
is quoted :“A woman novelisl
whose name has been lost who
wrote me from Los Angeles ask
ing if this specimen grew on oui
coast. She stated that her supply
from India had become exhausted
and, since she was in the middle
of her latest book, she found 11
very necessary to obtain a new
supply so as to keep up the quality
of her writing. We directed her tc
the vicinity of New Bern where
she was able to harvest many
bushels of the plant which I sup
pose, she dried and kept on hand
much as one does tea so that she
could keep herself mentally alert."
Bacon drippings are good used
for making spoon bread, eorr
bread and meat pie toppers.
-Vic* -•-*
OVERALL BUSINESS
PICTURE IS BRIGHT
Despite Grave Problems,
Productive, Profitable
Year Foreseen
FORRES H. GRAVES.
Editorial Director,
Cambridge Associates
Productive, generally profit
able, stormy and problem-filled —
such is a reasonable prognosis for
business and industry in the first
full peacetime year since the end
v/i n uiiu tioi iii
Production, particularly in the
latter half of the year, will be
high, probably fifty per cent or
more above the 1935-39 average.
The paradox of a high employ
ment level and an unemployment
roll swelling to five millions or
more is expected. Careful analysis
will be necessary to understand
the meaning of unemployment fi
gures as many young people,
elderly workers, housewives, and
similar groups which are not
normally part of the labor force
are replaced by returning veterans
and former war plant employees.
Reconversion problem Number
One remains a solution to the
wage problem. Estimates made
before V-J Day of the time requir
ed to return various industries to
a peacetime basis have proved
vastly optimistic, chiefly because
they were based on mechanical
and technical factors and ignored
the controversy that would arise
when pay envelopes were reduced
by loss of overtime premiums.
A generally acceptable solution
has yet. to be worked out. The pat
tern will evolve when a settlement
has been reached in key indus
tries, such as the steel and auto
motive. Certainly the first half of
the year promises to be a turbu
lent one and it may be late in the
year before a reasonable degree of
peace is attained in labor-manage
ment elations.
The price puzzle can hardly be
divorced from the wage question.
If substantial wage increases are
granted to industrial workers, as
now seems invitable, there will be
increasing pressure against pres
ent price Ceilings and government
control of prices might be serious
ly jeopardized. Mcst observers,
however, feel that the Administra
tion will retain authority to re
strict the swift run-up of prices
that might occur before production
can ward off the threat of infla
tion. Price ceilings may be raised
but increases will be moderate,
perhaps more moderate than
would be fully desirable to accel
erate production as speedily as is
needed.
The best safeguard against oc
currence here of the wild inflation
which has afflicted some other na
tions is the tremendous productive
capacity of American industry, 10
effectively demonstrated during |
the war. At the moment, we are |
at the same relative point in |N
changing over to civilian produc- j j
tion as the “wooden gun” period
which so distressed us in 1941 and !
early 1942. Once the mass produc- ||
tion machinery is rolling, most of J
our present shortages could disap- j
pear as quickly as our lack of i
fighting planes, arms, ammunition
and shipping was overcome as | i
soon as factories and shipyeards
were equipped to meet war de
mands.
Consumer spending remains
high and when the final figures for
December are available the 1945
Christmas shopping peak will un
doubtedly be revealed as topping !
all previous records. In taking a
sight on the future, it is virtually
impossible to weigh accurately the 11
effects of the $130 billions estimat- i
ed as the savings of American citi
zens during the war years.
Much of this certamly will be i
held in non-spendable form, in war
bonds, insurance and untouched I
savings deposits. Even as a capi- I
tal back-log, however, it will exer
cise an influence on consumer | h
spending habits. Perhaps equally
important, in forecasting a high |
volume of sales for semi-durable
goods, is the big improvement in i
the consumer credit situation
which has been accomplished.
On the whole, however, it is easy
ro over-esumaie tne importance oi
the savings total. Disregarding the |
portion held by business firms, ex- j
perts believe that the great bulk
of wartime savings are owned by |
those in high income cla»6es and !
will remain capital rather than I
spending money. Furthermore, on- I j
ly a small percentage of savers
will be willing to part with their
reserve funds at prices which are
out of line with those they regard
as representative of fair value.
Indeed, the immediate major I j
hazard seems to be the possibility j
that prices will get out of hand as
they did after the last war and
will only be corrected by a gen
eral buyers’ strike that could bring j
on a sharp and hurtful deflation,
as in late 1920 and early 1921.
Present trends suggest, how
ever, that price deflation outside
the agricultural areas will be
gradual and not a wrenching read
justment. For farmers, the outlook ||
is loss assuring. Farm prices have !
risen far more than the general j
price level. Farm income is about j
three times the depression total n
and about twice the figures of
relatively good prewar years.
Selling prices of good farm
acreage have 'increased materially I
since the beginning of the war al- I
though not as much as farm land
did in the 1915-1920 period. A favor- |
able factor is decrease in farm |;
debt which makes the situation I
healthier than after the last war. Hs
THOMAS M. HERRITAGE, is the
Dwner of the Snow White Laundry
and Cleaners, 501 Wright street,
and its various branches in Wil
mington.
I
HOTEL CAPE FEAR
WILMINGTON'S MOST MODERN
Over 200 Rooms
EVERY ONE AN OUTSIDE ROOM
SINGLE ROOMS ★ DOUBLE ROOMS I
TWIN BED ROOMS
★ 1
^ j • Located in the Business Section
• Connecting Storage Garage
• Convenient to Beaches and I
JL- :j
• Near Railroad and Bus Stations
Amusement Places
• On V. S. Highways 17-74-76-117 1
REASONABLE RATES ||
HOTEL CAPE FEAR
ABSOLUTELY FIREPROOF
Sidney J. Rivenbark, Mgr.
-- i
NEW PLANT NOW UNDER CONSTRUCTION
for
THE MANUFACTURE OF
SEAMLESS HOSIERY
PORT CITY HOSIERY MILLS INC:
WILMINGTON, N. C. __