Evening star., 1932-01-10
containers for fruits and other COM

containers for fruits and other COM
modities.
All textile extensions are important
! and contributary, but the consumption
OF cotton Is not likely to keep abreast
| Of the 10000 000-bale American pro-
duction until the chemists busy them
selves with the molecular mechanics
of cotton and learn how to utilize this
raw material in new manufactures.
/ The Photographic and motion picture
! industries are using some thousands Of
bales annually in their celluloid films.
! Short cotton linters are base
material for certain varieties of varnish.
! artificial leather and artificial silk
And rayon," DR.. Little reminded us,
was selling for S. cents a pound in
November, when cotton was bringing
less than 7 cents pound"
New Value for Pine Forests.
Nor need the South pin its faith
wholly to cotton. DR.. Little told me
of remarkable new developments of
the paper making industry there, CIV
ing a new value to the Southern pine
forests which old-time papermakers
pronounced UNIT as q raw material for
/, paper. Recent studies show that 1t is
possible in Louisiana to grow trees Of
the requisite size for paper manufac-
ture in s to 10 years, whereas rs to
80 years are required in the North to
bring spruce tree to pulp-wood size.
This provides the assurance" said
DR.. Little, that when necessity arises
perpetual supply of loblolly pine,
grown IS crop. will be available
ALREADY there are sc paper and pulp
mills in the Southern States with an
annual capacity OF more than 1,250 900
tons OF paper and boards. Most of the
output Is kraft paper. but recent re-
search has demonstrated that excellent
newsprint can be made from yellow
pine and gumwood"
A whole book might be written on
the hidden wealth Of agricultural
waste. Years ago cottonseed were an
ubiquitous nuisance throughout the
cotton States, for every plantation pro-
duced more seed than 1t could plant.
Chemists began to experiment-and
added $3.50 100000 year to the value
Of the American cotton crop by finding
uses for these seeds in the manufacture
OF oils, artificial butter and cattle food.
In at least one section of the West
cornstalks, which used to be burned
now sell for real money because Ger
tain chemists found way to process
them into wallboards. Somewhat the
same development on q much larger
scale has come in Louisiana, where
the refuse of sugar cane Is converted
into artificial humber.
Substitute for Paper.
Hawaiian sugar growers" related
DR.. Little used roofing paper to
cover their planted rows, keep down
weeds and quicken the growth of
cane. During the World War their
supplies OF paper were cut off, and in
this emergency they turned to chem
lists to find a substitute. We devel-
oped means of making the mulch
paper out OF the bagasse or fibrous
residue Of the crushed cane"
A late report from Hawaii tells of
the recent synthesis Of fertilizer
from the waste molasses of the sugar
making process. This achievement,
the result Of IT years research. will
greatly reduce the Hawaiian importa-
lion Of chemical fertilizer, and at the
same time will utilize thousands of
tons heretofore rated as waste.
Opportunities for similar savings
and transmutations into useful goods
are numerous, and await the systematic
exploration OF the researchers. A sys-
tenn Of farm relief founded on this
policy would have an entirely differ
ent basis from any hitherto tried under
government auspices. 1t would aim not
to peg the price for the benefit of the
farmer, but to multiply the uses of
agricultural output for the advantage
Of the public. Its success would mean
more demand for products of the farm
more factories to utilize these products,
more employment both on the farm and
in the factory.