Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-25
BY FRANK THORNE.

BY FRANK THORNE.
y HEN Edison started his quest for
rubber yielding plant that
JAN could be grown In the United
States his world-combng fin
gers reached, among other
places, to Madagascar.
Like all tropical lands, this great Island on
the eastern coast of Africa has q number OF
rubber plants in its strange and fantastic hora,
and one of these, a vine belonging to the milk
weed family, came home to Mr.. EdisonS Florida
farm for tryout. Although this experiment
started several years ago. before the now famous
1oldenrod plantation scheme was undertaken.
no announcement has so far been made OF Its
outcome. Presumably the plants are stu under
cultivation, but have not yet shown such prom
ise as to justify the great inventor in ceasing
his search
But the American consulS, automobile sales
men and other volunteers who helped Edison IN
his search completely missed q much better
rubber plant in Madagascar than the plant
which they sent home, and 1t has remained for
a young man in the United States Department
OF Agriculture DR.. Charles r. Swingle to find it.
As q result of q two-man expedition to South
eEn Madagascar, in which French scientist,
Prof. Henri Humbert of the University Of Al
giers was the other participant. DR.. Swingle has
brought back to America living specimens Of o
tree SO rich in rubber that strips Of pure gum
can be pulled out of cuts made through its bark
few hours before. Swingles new trees arc
now growing in the greenhouses Of the Depart
uent of Agriculture in Washington, and q few
Of them on experimental grounds In Florida.
Arizona and Southern California.
The tree is not naturally q fast grower. SO
that it will be several years before 1t Is known
definitely how much can be expected Of 1t in
this country. But its record in It's native land
- most excellent. Too good, In fact: It's discov-
cry In 1891 caused o veritable rubber rush"
and almost brought about the extinction Of the
species through reckless exploitation by the
whites and the crude gathering methods en-
ployed by the natives.
giving it q scientific name, the plant had be-
come so great q rarity that when Dr.. Swingle
and his French colleague sought 1t . generation
later they had great trouble IN locating 1t.
though they knew exactly what they were hunt
ing for, and ut least approximately where to
seek 1t.
DR. SWINGLE and Prof. Humbert had the
backing of the United States Department
of Agriculture, the Arnold Arboretum Of
Harvard University, the University Of Algiers
and the Madagascar government. for the tree
had been known to science for nearly 40 years,
and dried speciments of it were In some Of the
leading European museums.
But they did not know whether the merciless
collecting methods Of the rubber rush" that
took hold of Madagascar In the '9os had left
any of the trees alive in what had once been
their native wildS. Reports were c0nn1cttng,
and some botanists were quite convinced that
the species was as dead a. the dod0. In fact
DR.. Hur'- the recognized authority on the
plants C.. Madagascar. had previously made
tWo trips to the island without seeing single
living specimen.
When DR.. Swingle joined his French col
league ut Marseille he found the situation
somewhat comically complicated at the outset.
Prof. Humbert, he discovered, did not speak
English. and DR.. Swingle's French was exceed
ingiy limited. However, by piecing out their
vocabularies with German and Spanish and an
occasional scrap Of Latin, they got along. After
they arrived In Madagascar they both learned
. little Of the native Malagash language, and
that helped
Their voyage via the Suez Canal. the Red
0ea and along the east coast OF Africa through
the Indian Ocean, was routine DR.. Swingle
says, but at Majunga, the port on the north
east coast where they landed, they just missed
the small steamer for Tulear. the town near the
southern end Of the island that was 10 be their
base. And there wasn't another boat for six
weeks. 49,.
Go they had to change their plans and proceed
overland. The first three days were un-
comfortable ones ON small, crowded river
boats, pushing precariously through waters
infested with crocodileS. Then they came to
the terminus of one Of the excellent roads which
the French have strung through the island and
made the rest Of the trip to Tulear by motor
bus. private automobile and narrow-gauge
hallway.
Arrived at Tulear. they hired the one motor
truck available to get them to . small village
~~--N>V~.