The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1915-02-26
LIEUT.. FRISSELL
TELLS HOW CHINA
BARRED OPIUM
Oriental in Efforts To Cross
Poppy With Cucumber
Produced Rubber.
WANTED VEGETABLE TO
TAKE PLACE OF PIPE
Experiments, Army Officer Says,
Will Rev0Iutionize Rubber
Industry Over World.

According to information impaired
by Lieut.. Patrick Frissell, who has
lately returned from a three years
stay in China, the recent stringent
laws regulating the manufacture of
opium in that country have created
new developments in the production
and manufacture of rubber, that
promise to revolutionize the industry
througout the entire world.
Lieut.. Frissell in speaking Of his
observations, to a Tribune representa-
tive, said:
when the Chinese government III
it's effort to reduce the consumption
of opium among its subjects, placed
limit on the annual acreage of opium
poppy for the individual farmer, a
plan of deception was conceived in the
mind of chinese Burbank, who sue
cessfully crossed the poppy with the
cucumber, hoping to give the hybrid
creating the qualities of both plants
com Dined in it's production. The Gu
cumber proved to be of an unusually
fine variety, but the wax or sap, lack
ed the anaesthetic qualities desired and
when exposed to the atmosphere
quickly assumed gummy consistency
tougher and even more elastic than
the purest Of India rubber. The plant
was a rapid-growing, creeping va
riety, and can be trained to pursue any
direction or shape desired in its de-
veiopment.
"The exterior of the vine is of q
most sensitive texture and when even
slightly abrazed, there exudes a sap
which rapidly gums when exposed to
the atmosphere.
when this peculiar quality was
first discovered, the resOurceful
chinaman continued his scientific ex-
periments He took the canvas lining
of an. old Rubber boot and each day
trained the growing vine to encircle
the casing until it was completely en-
vcloped. He then proceeded to brulsc
causing the gummy substance to oOze
out and solidify over the exterior of
the canvas form. The experiment was
a complete success and the boot was
of seamless construction and COM
posed of the highest quality of rubber.
"The following season the shrewd
Chinaman planted a number of acres
to the new crop, and in return harvest
ed twenty cases per acre of pure rub
boots, twenty-four pairs to the case,
which he marketed for So in gold per
pair.
Last season he sold the seeds to
his neighbors and the production of
this valuable plant was general
throughout the poppy growing regions
of China.
"Ponchos or rubber blankets for sew
eral companies of French soldiers sta
toned in China, were contracted for
by the French government and grown
by Chinese farmers. This was accom-
plished by spreading canvas blankets
of the required size on the ground and
after training the vines to cover them
thoroughly, proceed with the abrazing
process, causing the gum to form over
the entire cloth surface.
Automobile tires, of almost indie
structible quality have been grown in
the same manner.
''The natural color of the cum is a
light brown but can be tinted any
permanent shade desired by applying
the color when the bruising process is
performed.
"The rubber can be vulcanized and
put through the same hardening pro
cesses as India rubber.
MANY small articles sucn as combs,
collars and cuffs are grown, and bear
the test of endurance against time and
strain much better than the India rub
Der or celluloid."
Lieutenant Frissell on his return
brought with him a raincoat and some
collars produced by the system de-
veloped by the ingenious Chinaman,
and he says that he considers the coat
superior to any rubber goods he has
ever seen. and that the collars are
more elastic and pliable than celluloid
and in every way more desirable.
He said that before leaving China
an American company had tons of the
hybrid seed for immediate shipment to
the United State, and that their in
tention was to plant large area in
the irrigating sections of Colorado to
the Chinese rubber plant this season.
L,-