Kudzu, brought to this country from Asia as an ornamental, was developed near here in the early part of the Twentieth Century and introduced more widely as a soil-saving, high-protein forage plant by Mr. and Mrs. C.E. Pleas. This fast-growing, deep-rooted leguminous vine was widely grown in the United States as a drought-resisting, erosion-controlling plant that compares with alfalfa in pasture and hay-making values.