Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-05-23
TREES FROM JUNGLES
Herman Gottlieb's Plan For
Their Culture In America.
VALUABLE FOREST STRANGERS.


Observation-Disclosures Agent Cares
For Them.
! Herman Gottlieb of the Smithsonian
institution, District of Columbia, ar
rived in southern California recently,
bound ON a peculiar mission. He has
permission from the government to do
extensive experimenting in the forest
reserve section and on other public
lands with trees which are strangers
to the United States. His is an i'm
portant mission, expected to result in
the introduction of valuable forest
strangers here.
The experimental from the SmithSo-
MAN institution has travelled all over
the world during the last few years
and has visited and studied the forests
of nearly all the tropical countries.
Herr Gottlieb, when seen at the An
gelus the other evening, says the Los
Angeles Times, was. busily discussing
the problems of natural history with
local enthusiasts, but stopped readily
enough to explain. Said he: 1.-The
breadfruit tree-I think that was what
first attracted my attention 10 the trop-
ical forests of the world and their
wonderful possibilities. l thought that
if a poor, barbarous nation could live
and get clothes and food and some
times wonderful tools and weapons out
of the dank depths of these jungle for
ests what might not the civilized man
do.
Don't think that l anticipated bring
ing home a breadfruit tree to America
and setting 1t up to drive the bakers
out of business. Oh, no! l believe that
breadfruit, like the green persimmOn,
is an acquired taste, and 1 never in
tend to extend my experiments in that
direction. There are other things be-
sides breadfruit there, however. things
that one doesn't eat or drink, but
which believe would have great value
in our industries.
For instance, I believe that there
are species OK the rubber tree which
could be made to thrive in mild eli
mate. And rubber as cultivated in the
hot climates is getting to be a pretty
scarce and serious proposition for the
commercial nations. If there is no way
discovered to conserve and increase the
rubber supply they will have to smear
our overshoes with varnish in q few
years.
"Then there are several species of
the fibrous palm, which have investi-
gated, and these think could be made
to work themselves advantageously
into the textile industry. For instance,
there is n species 1 call cotton waste
because its real name is too difficult
to pronOunce-which would work a
marvel in the rope making business.
It's fiber is almost exactly like that of
hemp, except that it is considerably
finer and much stronger for its size,
and it sheds itself exactly as mass of
cotton waste will constantly drop its
protruding strands. The production of
this vegetable wonder is enormous,
and as it grows like a mass of rushes
in a creek it is of no expense after it
once gets a start. The natives OF south
ern Asia, the place of its nativity, use
it in making all their ropes, some of
which, as large around as a mans fin
ger, will almost hold an elephant. 1t
could be woven in the same manner as
hemp, and, unlike hemp. 1t requires no
rotting or special chemical treatment
to fit it for use.
"In the production of rare and valu-
able woods the United States ought to
excel. Many of the tropical species can
never be successfully grown here, and,
again, believe that many others can.
For instance, there is an ivory wood
growing on the Abyssinian mountains
which ought to sell easily for 81 foot
in the lumber market. Its texture is
the rich, creamy color of old ivory, it
poliSheS to perfection, contains a Won
derful grain, lasts forever and is al
most as hard as the South American
ironwoOd.
'"This species only grows in Abys-
sinia, but the climate is temperate,
and the conditions of air and soil, so
far as 1 have been able to estimate
are exactly those which prevail in the
southern Atlantic states of this repub-
lie.
81 hope 1 am not classable with the
freaks and cranks for my hopes and
plans. and, please, don't say that
have yet discovered anything 1 am
only experimenting with a view to
finding something that may possibly
be done. 1 have found in California
the ideal semitropic where hope that
many of these valuable specimens of
planted and grown on land now of
little use to any one. If this can be
done it will not interfere with any of
the present industries, yet will be a
wonderful help to commerce. Into
these experiments, which 1 will con-
duct this year through southern Cali
fornia and the entire west, 1 shall put
the experience of lifetime and the
ardent hope of many years"
With him Herr Gottlieb has numer-
Gus trunks full of seeds and cuttings
he has taken and which he will plant
and leave to the tender care of Uncle
Sans hired men. He expects to finish
the work on his present trip about the
LIST. Of August Next year or. the year