The Wyandotte herald. (Wyandotte, Mich.) 1879-1943, 1939-03-03
Try to Conquer
+ Vests Deserts
Mhree-Year Test to Be Mad
/ Of Feasibility of
r. Certain Crops. :

PHOENIX.-An attempt is to bs
made to conquer the arid deserts a
the West, long a symbol Of waste,
by making them yield products nee.
essary for human welfare. :
AS a result DR.. ]. J. Thornbet,
professor of botany at the UniveS'
sity of Arizona, will know in three
years if If is possible to bring the
desert under control and make it ,
boon to humanity. DR.. Thornbet
said the university will begin next
spring to cultivate desert plants
with the object of developing them
70 point where they can be RAISED
In commercial quantities for thesf
products-which include medicines,
rubber and fiber.
II feel quite sure the desert is
going to be of economic value 70
man instead Of waste" DR.. ThorRs
Der said, but it will take at least
three years before we know hoes
successful the experiments viii bet
Rubber Plant Prominent.
The scientist said that if il 5
found that plants can be grown cons
mercially the acreage needed fGT
The Gaayle plant alone will be ''tre.
mendous." The Guayle plant pro
duces rubber.
"The experimentation will be- dorSe
on the university farm at Tucsoh
although work on the milk-weG:
plant, also a rubber producer, may
have to be carried to Yuma, wheft
1t is not so cold in the winter"
A sample box of a number of tx
plants was sent to Secretary of AZ
riculture Henry A. Wallace In WaSA
ington and the government was ia
.terested enough to send two invesg
gators to look into the possibilitis,
OF establishing a laboratory for fuE.
Their experiments. The governmea
report has not yet been made avaa
able.
) First work of the experiment WI
consist of growing seven plants, seF
eral of which are believed TO haSt
medicinal properties. =
The canaigre plant, which has i
high percentage of tanin, is used +
the tanning of fine leather, althouG
1t is too expensive for cheaper leatSi
ers.
The yucca plant, with its fbroli
leaves, may prove to be very vals
able if the fiber quality stands II
under the intense cultivation, Il
Thornber said.
Try Seeds and Cuttings.
The third plant to be cultivatG
Is the guayule, which is abundan
In southern Arizona.
1--WE intend to plant both seed
and cuttings from these plants ana
experiment on their cultivation" In
said. They are becoming incress
ingly important as possiHS
source of rubber supply for til
country. When first discovered, #
plant contained only about or 5 p
cent rubber in its stalk, but ncs
after cultivation and care, plant
can be produced that contain % /
25 per cent rubber.
Zone of our important jobs will b
20 determine if Indian wheat, who's
seed is identical insofar as medi3
nal properties are concerned to PSI
Gum, can be grown in commences
quantities. We already know howt
gather it mechanically in a clea
condition and we have been &C
sured that tons Of the seed could +
used if steady source is found
Another species of milkweed, d
Thornber said, has medicinal quail ,
ties. which the Indians say countel /.
acts poison snake and insect bits. !.
One company is now experimeh
Ing to determine what chernicalsi !
the plant acts upon snake venom.
Another plant produces the jojobi !,
similar to the coffee bean. It 90 !
be used for making perfume "a.