The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1937-04-22
south LOOKS :
TO SCIENCE IN
INDUSTRIES
Chemistry and Self Help to
End Bondage Of One
Crop System Il

ATLANTA, Ga, April % (UPl
The agricultural South last night
looked to the chemist To lift it
from the bondage Of Onc-crop
system. to supply thousands with
employment in new industries and
to increase annual income by
$1,000. 100000.
Chcmurgic councils outlined a
broad, sclf-hclp program for the
South. with three major ohjcc-
tivcs: -,
|. To advance the industrial
use of southern fatm products
through applied science and at
prices profitable to the producer.
.. To encourage the production
i'm this country Of new crops and
crop products now imported from
abroad.
3. To preserve the American
market for the American farmer.
Thomas c. Low. Atlanta indus
trial chemist. visualizing the ma
chine age as "a thing Of the past, y
said chemistry is making possible
southern establishment Of new pa
per mills. starch mills. power al
cohol plants and plants for pro-
cessing tung oil.
DR.. C.. c. Noncannon of the u.
S. Department Of Commerce. said
tremendous strides are being made
in tung oil production, an essen
tial ingredient Of paints. used in
the paint. varnish. linolcum and
electrical industries.
CONSUMPTION Of the oil in 1886
was 1l9. 100000 pounds. of VIII ch
ll7.000,000 pounds were import
cd from China.
Concannon said the Chinese had
used the oil for 5000 years in
glazinm pottery. making their IA
nous lacqucrs and in their lamps.
Junks were patcrproofcd with the
oil, and, in tho paste form. tung
oil was used for caulking boats.
Southern farmers were urged
to plant 100000 acres Of tung
oil trees which mature in four
years and arc Immediately avail
able for industry. The trees arc
especially adaptable to the south
crn coastal region.
Meanwhile. rise in new pulp
mills in the South was expected
to make the United States indie
pendent in production Of kraft
paper from pine trees.
This new industry. for which
more than dozen new plants arc
planned for the South. utilities
kraft or sulfate pulp for manu-
featuring heavy paper for contain
crs and wrapping paper.
Chemists pointed out that tho
tremendous expansion involves
kraft paper alone, while southern
newspaper publishers arc working
on program for production of
ncwsprint from southern pine.
The program called for 100 pa.
per mills, kraft, ncwsprint and
otherwise which would employ
thousands. Industrialists believed
southern mill of 4,500 tons an
nual production could produce
newsprint for $3l.70 per ton as
against the present 2l-ycar low
of Sal.
Two industries bcckoncd to
other parts Of the South where
production Of wood pulp and tung
oil would he impractical. These
were manufacture Of starchcs and
alcohols. &,
That fcrmcnting starch and
sugar crops as corn. sweet rota-
toes, and sorghum could produce
q superior motor fuel alcohol,
and alcohols used in other indus
tries, has successfully been dem,
onstrated at plants in Kansas and
Texas. The program called Tor
400 such plants in the South,
using land now suited to ordinary
crops. .
Chemists saw in the starch OF
grains and in the sweet juices OF
canes a raw material of greater
potential value than they ever had
as odds.
DR.. II. f. Barnard of Dearborn,
Mich. said these juices would be