The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1912-01-11
Can THE SOUTH
GROW RUBBER PLANT

The rubber plant will not grow i'm
the South and the rubber plant has
been heretofore the accepted and only
known source of that invaluable gum.
But first the bicycle and then the au-
tomObile have made an increasing de-
mand for an article whose correspond
ingly increasing scarcity could easily
be forecaSted. Scientific men have
long been working on the problem
of better supply Of an article, the
usefulness OF which in the modern
world has been limited only by the
difficulty OF getting a sufficient
supply.
Some OF these scientists believe that
they have discovered other plants
growing in the temperate zone whose
sap Will furnish an article having AL
the properties of caoutchouc. A
French chemist, by a secret process.
mas produced an article which has all
the desired properties and something
more, il is said. Made into automobile
tires and given severe trial with the
ordinary rubber tire, those made of
the new material were found to be
almost unworn where the others
showed great wear. The French au-
tomobile makers are using these tires
on their new cars. When this chem
list first exhibited samples CT this new
material to the manufacturers h.
proved his assertion that il was made
from the sap of the pine tree by treat
ing II chemically and turning II back
into rosin.
These statements are made by a
manufacturer who also told Of aa
American invention, or discovery. of a
process by which a good article of
rubber. suitable for tires, is made from
the sap OF the Usage orange, the com
mon hedge plant. This invention has
not had conclusive trial, as yet
There are some other plants, no doubt
that would furnish a sap of the Same
properties as that Of the tropical plant
from which the India rubber. or caout-
chous. or commerce is procured For
instance the common milkweed Of
the fields is said to yield a san which
coagulates soon after it flows from a
wound into something very like caout-
chouc American chemists are eudeav-
orlng TO discover the secret of the
French scientist and II Will not long
remain exclusive property.
The point OF interest in all this q.
that the Southern long leaf nine the
pest source OF rosin and turpentine in
the world. is reasonably abundant: and
II VIII not grow satisfactorily In the
North. It's sap, rich in resinous ele-
menus should yield an abundant sup
ply OF rubber under the process of the
french scientist-its sap would be as
prohtable used in making rubber as
when producing naval stores. The
SCRUB pine of the fields would be as
uSelul Tor that purpose as any. Where
80 NppCA PAM VI inG IrODlCS n
not be tapped profitably before il ia
twenty-five years Old-fifty years Is
Detter-the pine would be old enough
Tor tapping for such a process when
IL was 1--WE years old. The young pine
Tree yields proportionately more sap
IMAM an old one and, by having san
lngs growing by the side of the tanned
trees TO take their place when il be-
came advisable TO remove them, such
a pine-rubber plantation could be kent
In perpetual bearing
Inc Usage orange has wider range
than the Southern pine. but nowhere
does II grow as luXuriantly as in the
south. Here it makes large trees when
allowed to grow freely. Its spines are
an objection, but, if il should be found
prOHtaDle TO grow it for any such
purpose, the spines could be bred off
Ihere is much land in the South to be
mad cheaply where it could be grown
economically.-Flor Times Union.