The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-06-16
TREES FROM JUNCLEs
Herman Gottlieb's Plan For
Their Culture In America.
VALUABLE FOREST STRANGERS,

Rare Specimens to BE Introduced
Into Southern California by Way
Of Experiment-Pnlms, Rubber and
Ivory Wood Trees Species to Re
Observation-Disclosures Agent Cares
For Them.
Herman Gottlieb of the Smithsonian
institution. District of Columbia, ar
rived in southern California recently,
bound on Il 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 eXperimenter 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: "The
breadfruit tree-I think that was what
first attracted my attention to the trop-
ical forests of the world and their
wonderful possibilities. / 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 it up to drive the bakers
out Of business. Oh, no.! | believe that
breadfruit, like the green persimmon,
is an acquired taste, and l 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. l believe that there
are species Of the rubber tree which
could be made to thrive in a 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 a few
years. M q
"Then there are several species Of
the fibrous palm. which I have investi-
gated, and these | think could be made
to work themselves advantageously
into the textile industry. Flo instance,
there is a species call cotton waste
because its real name is too difficult
to pronounce-which would work a
marvel in the rope making business.
Its fiber is almost exactly like that of
hemp. except that it is considerably
finer and much stronger for it's size.
and it sheds itself exactly as a 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 1t
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 WOW in the same manner as
hemp, and. unlike hemp, it requires no
rotting or special chemical treatment
to fit it for use. -.
SIN 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. l believe that many others can.
For instance. there is a ivory wood
growing OH the A%byssinian mountains
which ought to sell easily for So a foot
in the lumber market. Its texture il
the rich. creamy color of old ivory. ii
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. 81
> far as l have been able to estimate
are exactly those which prevail in thu
n southern Atlantic states of this repub
t lie.
81 hope l am not classable with tn
freaks and cranks for my hopes ant
plans. and. please. don't say that
: have yet discovered anything. l an
only experimenting with a view t
finding something that may possibl.
be done. have found in Californi;
n the ideal semitropic where l hope tina
many Of these valuable specimens o
vegetation may be successfully trans
planted and grown on land now Q
little use to any one. If this can b
done il will not interfere with any o