Evening star., 1936-05-11
j. s. PRODUCTION
OF RUBBER LIKELY
Price Increase Would Spur
Industry, Says Federal
BotaniSt.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
A small, white-haired scientist
leaned back in his chair, looked over
the top of steel-rimmed half-glasses
and said he believed production OF
rubber from native plants would be
undertaken in the United States If the
pric reached 80 or 35 cents pound.
DR.. O. F.. Cook botaniSt at the Ag-
riculture Department, was the speaker.
Rubber is now selling at from IA to
Is cents a pound
DR.. Cook has been botanist with
the Agriculture Department more
than 35 years. and during most OF
this time he has been studying posi-
bilities for production of rubber from
native American plants. To his care
was consigned the rubber-from-g gold
enrod research work begun by the
late Thomas A. Edison.
= Edison Research Work.
A few years before his death. Edi-
son became interested in the produc-
ton of rubber from domestic plants.
He launched an extensive research
work, and found rubber in consider
able quantities in goldenrod. His
work was turned over to the Agricul-
ture Department after his death and
has been expanded. Edison was
working in Florida Today, under di-
rection of DR.. Cook, Agriculture De-
partment botanists are studying gol-
denrod near Savannah, Ca and
Glenn Dale, Md, to determine which
species of the plant produces the most
rubber. which can be grown in vari-
Gus parts of the country, and which
A produces the best rubber.
DR.. Cook, his face bronzed and lined
from his earlier years In the nelo'
explained that rubber has been found
in several native American plants but
that experimentation has been most
advanced in extraction Of the gum
from guayule, a shrub growing wild
In Northern Mexico and parts OF
Texas.
For about 20 years, DR.. Cook said,
a private company has been expert
menting with the extraction OF RUBBER
from guayule and has been cultlVat-
ing the plant in California and Arl-
Eona.
Experimental paintings on a prac-
tical scale in several localities in Arl-
, zona and California have convinced
department experts that the plant
can be grown in large quantities il
remunerative prices are assured
Processes for extracting and refining
guayule rubber have been applied ex-
tensively to the natural product IN
Mexico.
In Goldenrod Leaves.
Rubber is found in the stems OF the
guayule plant, DR.. Cook said, while
= that in goldenrod is in the leaves
This presents a problem in the case
of goldenrod, since the leaves fall of
and the rubber disappears when the
leaves have dried.
Brazilian rubber trees have been
grown successfully in Florida, but 1t
was indicated that in event OF an
emergency, shutting this country on
from foreign supplies of rubber, the
product probably could be obtained
most easily from guayule and golden
rod
Goldenrods are natives to all parts
of the country, but considerable diff
Guilty has been encountered in culti-
waiting the plant.
Rubber in guayule plants was dis
covered when cattle in Mexico and
the Southwest died from eating the
shrubs. Examination of the dead cat
tie disclosed large balls of rubber In
the stomachs, accumulated from
chewing the plants. Indians, DR..
Cook said, used to chew the plants
and use the accumulated rubber to
amake balls for games they played.