Question

A kudzu 'farm' in Chattanooga, Tennessee

Kudzu was introduced from Japan into the United States at the Japanese pavilion in the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. In the 1930s and 1940s, the vine was rebranded as a way for farmers to stop soil erosion. Workers were paid $8 per acre to sow topsoil with the invasive vine.

Many historians believe it was the persuasive power of a popular radio host and Atlanta Constitution columnist named Channing Cope that finally got those seedlings in the ground. Cope wasn’t just an advocate. He was, as cultural geographer Derek Alderman suggests, an evangelist. Cope spoke of kudzu in religious terms: Kudzu, he proclaimed on his Depression-era broadcasts, would make barren Southern farms “live again.” There were hundreds of thousands of acres in the South “waiting for the healing touch of the miracle vine.”

The city of Chattanooga, Tennessee, has undertaken a trial program using goats and llamas to graze on the plant.

Kudzu can grow up to 60 feet per season, or about one foot per day.

Here is an interesting source stating kudzu is not that bad:
[smithsonianmag.com]

#Constitution #evangelist #religious #cultural #miracle #USA

AstralSmoke 8

Answer 1

So invasive down here in SW FL. I worked as a park ranger for FL DEP and we did a lot of removal of mon-indigenous plants and this stuff grew in Mountain sized areas

Answer 2

Japanese revenge after Hireshimo (sp) and Nagasagi (sp) .

Answer 3

Oh yes, I remember from my days in Alabama. It does its best to cover and smother everything it can reach.

Answer 4

Excellent. The thing about kudzu is you can't really grasp it's impact until you've driven through a region that has been swallowed by it. Houses, trees, electrical poles. Anything in it's path. It's like a giant monster that's swallowing the earth.

Answer 5

That would have been during the dust bowl era , when droughts caused the soil to be so dry , the topsoil blew away . Sounded good then , a Royal constant fight now .


Author	Author:
Type of abuse	I think this violates the community guidelines. Chat or rant, adult content, spam, insulting other members I think this is illegal. Harm to minors, violence or threats, harassment or privacy invasion, impersonation or misrepresentation, fraud or phishing, etc.
Additional Details If Needed

Post a comment Author doesn't reply Reply Author doesn't reply Add Photo

Enjoy being online again!

5 comments

Recent Visitors 39

Photos 5,418 More

Members 1,540Top

Moderator

Related GroupsMore

Share this post with your group