Mohave County miner and our mineral wealth., 1919-11-22
SCIENTIFIC USE FOUND FOR COMMON SHRUB
 OF ARIZONA DESERTS

Large commercial value has been found in the ocatillo, "coachman's whip" or condlewood, scientifically known as fouquieria splendens, plant of columnar green stalks, with fam ing red flowers found on tens of thou sands of Arizona acres, generally where foothills break upon the rocky detrital deposits that lead down to the plains. The plant has had no prac- tical use in the past, save as fencing by Mexicans, the resultant hedge most beautiful in the time of Towering. It is of slow growth, the average matur- ed plant probably having a life of 40 years, till it's growth is such that it is blown over by the wind, for it's roots are small. Some plants have been found even 16 feet in height.
 The first utilization of the ocatillo now is in progress at Salome, sta tion on the Arizona & California rail- road, 90 miles northwest of Phoenix, in district notable for the growth of the desert shrub. For year the Ocatillo Products company has been experimenting on processes for the eX- tracting of gum of the plant. Though a relative degree of success was se- cured by the solvent method, by the use of distillate or gasoline, this plan has been rejected and distillation has been adopted as most effective and most economical.
 However, odd it may appear, resort has been taken to a distillation fur mace originally designed for the handling of Ignite coals. Such a graduate oven or retort now is being completed at Salome by it's inventor, s. M. Darling, of the United States bureau of mines, who has experiment. ed enough to be sure of his ground. The material, chopped into half inch pieces, is subjected to a heat of 14OO degrees, Fahrenheit, and the volatile matter collected as formed. Behind IS left only charcoal, this of notable purity, especially we'll suited for med ical uses.
 The distilled material precipitated has many elements of value. Most important is heavy gum, a veritable rubber, that already has been tested for many uses. It vulcanizes as does rubber, but hangs to fabric better. Tn Los Angeles it has been used for automobile tires and found marvel ously good, though rather too expen- sive for that purpose. Success was attained in Indianapolis, in it's use for weatherproofing army equipment, It being found rather better than rub Der. It makes an excellent insula- tion material. Especial high value attaches to its use in waterproofing concrete, such as needed in the mak- ing of concrete ships. This use is not new, however, for South American Indians use similar gum for rnak. ing tight the reed "balsas' in which they navigate the Ondean lakes.
 Beside the gum, distillation yields good percentage of wood alcohol, creasote and several wood acids.
 Among several especial chemicals separated is retane, new consump- ton cure.
 MT. Darling believes that value also will be found in the creosote bush, Larrea Mexicana, usually misnamed "greasewood." This plant is the com honest of all Arizona desert shrubs. It has dark green, waxy, agreeably aromatic leaves and undoubtedly con tains oils of commercial use.
 The ocatillo enterprise is headed by D. M. Becktal, of Los Angeles, with him being associated w. M. Jones and C. l. Murphy of Indianapolis.