The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1880-11-27
The American Rubber Plant.

Readers will remember an account
among general news items some weeks
ago of a public experiment made in New
York to test material which. it was
claimed, rendered articles waterproof
II now appears that the substance is o
prepartion of the outer peel of the milk
weed. The inventor, rejecting on the
expensiveness of rubber and the adulter-
alton to which it is subject, had bethought
himself of the milkweed as capable Of
furnishing q substitute. A description of
the varied uses OF the plant is given in
the subjoined interview between the
discoverer and reporter which appeared
in the Graphic:
1.-THE more I thought of this vast in
dustry, the more convinced became that
o substitute might be found among the
trees or plants indigenous to America,
which could then supply the market OF
the world. One plant suggested it
self to me repeatedly, that was the COM
mon milkweed (of the genus Asclepias)
which I firmly believe to be the india
rubber tree of North America, and the
source of supply in the future"
How did You carry out your expert
ment?"
81 planted twelve acres in farm out
West, and before got through with my
experiments I made up my mind that the
plant would be to the West what the
palm has been to the East. To begin
with, found that by such slight cultiva.
ton as single top dressing, the plant
grew to the height of six and seven feet
and an inch and a half in diameter. I
had mistaken idea that the rubber lay
In the sap or juice, and it was difficult to
convince myself at first that the gum
was stored in the cells ON the outside of
the stalk, plainly to be seen through
magnifying glass, and as regular and
even as the honeycomb of beehive.
When discovered this natural labora-
tory it did not take long to find pro-
cess to separate it from ths plant. This
done, with my experience in the gaseous
treatment of hydro carbons, succeeded
in converting it into o substance, which
is similar to rubber in appearance, of
superior ightness and possessing the
same qualities. I also found that it
could be yulcanized or hardened; or
used in its pliable state for dental pur-
poses it is the best thing have SEEM
"What would be the cost of manufac-
turing this new rubber"
1.-THE outside cost, including labor,
etc., would make it twenty cents pound,
and the expense of importation saved. It
needs little care, only one top dressing,
and can be gathered at the owners will.
It would pay better in proportion to the
time and labor consumed than any other
farm product. One acre of land will
yield three tons of milkweed, or 300
pounds of gum. An interesting fact
noticed was the great similarity of the
plant in fibre, leaf, ETC., to the India
rubber tree proper"
"How long have you been experiment.
ing with the milkweed?'
"Since 1865, and during that period ]
have discovered q use for every portion
of it. AS said, in the course of my ex-
periments I hit upon this water repel-
liant, which stopped to perfect, seeing
its value and knowing that thousands OF
dollars had been spent by rubber firms
in endeavors to procure an invisible,
'unsmellable,' water-repellant. In
the course of tests / found,
that by gathering the pods before
they opened / had two treasures-the
seeds, from which can be extracted a
lubricating oil finer than linseed, besides
acting as liniment, being an excellent
cAtHattlc, &Alle IIOm Tic AoSS AnSluo u
material very much like Irish poplin
could be woven. The experiment with
the floss was tried in Europe during our
civil war when q substitute for cotton
was needed; but as the milkweed had to
be exported and the war came to close,
the experiment didnot end in practical
results.
'And what can be dome with the refuse
of the plant?" was asked, but hardly in
earnest.
"Why, use it for fuel; it gives out ex-
sctly the same heat as wood, and makes q
pleasant CRATE fire. while the root has
long been utilized for medicinal pur-
poses, concluded the inventor, who has
already taken out eight patents on this
plant, which henceforth demands more
than common respect from the lovers of
the useful.