Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-07-19
by ROBERT ID. POTTER,
Science Editor, The American Weekly

A PLANT most Americans never heard
"a of may be the way out for hard
v pressed civilians who see their rubber
tires wearing thinner and thinner. Rubber
from Russian dandelions, with the almost
unpronounceable name Of Kok-sagyz is "A
reality in Russia and has been for the past
five years.
Even back in 1889 Russia had two and
half million acres of this dandelion in cultiva-
ton and obtained a yield OF from $50 TO 200
pounds of rubber per acre.
Add that all up do a bit Of arithmetic
and YOU win see that the Y. S. S. r. secured
from 200 900 to 100000 tons Of rubber from
this plant.
There are many growing plants that
produce rubber beside the rubber trees of
the Malay States and the Far East But the
trick is TO get this rubber out, and make it
pay.
Thomas Edison tried 10 tap goldenrod as
a rubber source but the low yield of only
3 TO SCI by weight had him licked.
The Mexican bush guayule does lot
better as a rubber source, and gives from
10 TO 2OCc Of rubber But il takes four years
10 get rubber crop from guayule. Even so
extensive paintings are now being made.
In contrast the Russian dandelon yields
27Cl rubber,
And you can get your first crop in two
years and every year thereafter
The yield OF $50 10 200 pounds Of rubber
per acre is what is done in Russia. In Amer
lea where fertilizers are more abundanty
available the yields might be. higher still
At the recent meeting of the National
Farm Chcmurgic Council in Chicago the
leading advocate Of the Russian dandelion.
the Russan-bon American chemist, Dr. Paul
Kolachov, explained for The American Weekly
just how the United States could solve its
rubber shortage and bring a profitable crop 10
American farmers at the same time
Or Kolachov who came 10 the United
States In 1929 is now an American citizen
He reads Russian like the native that he used
TO be He has explored the entire scientific
literature on rubber from dandeons. SO well
has he worked out his plan and presented it
before Congressional hearings that the U. s.
state Department is arranging for shipment OF
seeds for experimental paintings in America
Already an airplane shipment Of about 100
pounds Of seeds has arrived in the United
States and is being distributed 20 some 20
agricultural experiment stations in the North
ern States, Canada and Alaska. An addi-
tonal 400 pounds is on the way.
II this testing period can be speeded during
the rest of this Summer and Fall, there is no
good reason why whole shipload of seed
cannot come to the United States next Winter
Certainly there is cargo space in some of
the hundreds of vessels which carrying
arms and military supplies TO Russia and
returning with virtually empty bottoms
With only an experimental shipment Of
10 tons of dandelion seeds s 900 acres Of the
rubber bearing plant could be cultivated Since
each acre give $50 pounds of rubber this
means 1900 900 pounds of rubber in years
time.
Also, this same 5000 acres would produce
100000 pounds of seed.
Planting these seeds over 800 900 acres in
the Spring would see, by next Fall, the pro-
duction of 900 pounds of rubber. After
that the sky would be the limit and the pro-
gram could be carried as far as the nation
decided to push it.
With 100000 acres in cultivation the
United States could obtain about 600 900
tons of rubber year to supplement its vast
synthetic rubber production.
The price? DR.. Kolachov has gone into
cost estimates and figures that in America
the rubber would be obtained for about 80
cents pound. This compares favoraby with
the 30 cents a pound for synthetic rubber
from petroleum. which has been forecast
when this industry gels rolling this year.
And tho price compares favorahly. too
with the IS cents pound for rubber from
Malaga before Pearl Harbor.