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* THE SUN, NEWBERRY, S. C„ MAY 7, 1943 South American Jungles Throb With New Rubber Boom; Scientific Methods Are Used to Protect Native Harvesters IMPROVED UNIFORM INTERNATIONAL S UNDAY I chool Lesson By HAROLD L. LUNDQUIST, D. D. Of The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago. (Released by Western Newspaper Union,) Old Industry Revived in Neighboring Tropics; Transportation Biggest Problem as Countries Lack Rails and Roads; U. S. Grows Rubber in Miami. In this crucial year of 1943, Latin America will have contrib uted more than 50,000 tons of natural rubber to the United States war industry stockpile, according to estimates compiled from official sources. In 1944, natural rubber production south of the Rio Grande will have doubled, or perhaps exceed 100,000 tons. At the same time U. S. horticulturists announced success in growing the Hevea rubber tree in the experimental station at Miami, Fla. Fourteen Ameiican republics, besides British Guiana and Trin idad, have signed agreements with the United States, calling for a substantial increase in the cultivation arid collection of natural rubber. These nations are Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nic aragua, Panama, Peru and Venezuela. In Brazil alone, about 50,000 workers have been recruited for the purpose of extracting the milky sap from wild rubber trees. In order to get natural rubber out^ of trackless jungles and remote places, new transportation systems making use of donkeys, canoes, steamboats, airplanes, human car riers, etc., have been organized. Medical stations along the routes have lessened, but not eliminated, the hazards which threaten every man who works in the jungles. The natural rubber needed by United States tanks, airplanes, jeeps, artillery, etc., must be ex tracted from wild and cultivated trees scattered over an area en compassing hundreds of thousands of square miles. In order to protect rubber har vesters against fevers, animals, and insects, the Latin American coun tries, aided by United States govern ment health officials, have created modern sanitary centers, where pre ventive medicine is taught and treat ment given to rubber collectors and their families. Once Rubber Center. Brazil forests, of course, yield most of this hemisphere’s present supply of natural rubber. There, in the Amazon valley, natives first found the gummy substance that plays such an important part in modern war. Before seedlings of “Hevea Braziliensis’’ had been ex ported from Brazil and exploited commercially in the Dutch East In dies and the British Malay Straits Settlements, the Brazilian industry enjoyed a heyday. In order to mar ket their natural rubber, Brazilian promoters had built the costliest railroad in the world. When rubber was a Brazilian monopoly, it fetched as high as three dollars per pound. However, not even in its balmy days did Brazil produce as much rubber (42,400 tons) as it is con tributing in 1943 to a United Na tions victory. According to the co ordinator of Brazilian economy, Joao Alberto Lins de Barros, Brazil in 1943 will produce 45,000 tons of natural rubber; and 1944’s estimates call for 75,000 tons. The future holds even greater promise for rubber from South America’s largest country. That is because commercial plantations, similar to those in the Orient, are well on their way to production, and it is anticipated that by 1945 these plantations will yield more rubber than the millions of wild rubber trees in the Amazon valley produce at present. Some Brazilian rubber is trans ported by airplane from jungle de pots to the Atlantic port of Belem, whence it is shipped northward. With the exception of eight or ten thousand tons which Brazil requires for domestic industry, the entire production is exported to the United States. Among South American rubber- producing nations, Ecuador ranks second. The figures of 1942 pro duction have not been announced, but in 1941, when Brazil produced 17,500 tons, Ecuador yielded 1,500 tons. Indians Want Beads. The Yumbo Indians, a source of rubber workers in the Ecuadorian forest, are not attracted by money in any form. On the other hand, they covet colored beads and ma chetes. v The Ecuadorean Develop ment corporation understands native tastes and is now supplying the Yumbos with trinkets and useful ar ticles, like scissors, razors, salt, mir rors, and even rifles. Colombian forests are already yielding two tons of rubber daily, all trans-shipped by the same air planes which supply the workers with their needs. In Colombia, rubber exploitation is supervised by a committee made up of representatives of the Colom bian government, the United States embassy, and the Rubber Reserve corporation. A service of floating hospitals and dispensaries has been organized to look after the rubber workers in the Colombian jungles. This is in co operation with the Institute of Intef- American Affairs in Washington which aids local authorities in the work of hygiene and sanitation. The same procedure has been followed in other countries. Last February an agreement be tween the United States and Peru provided that South American re public with an airway system for transporting rubber from the forests to river and seaports. By the end of 1944 it is expected that Haiti will be producing 10,000 tons of aatural rubber per annum, which will be marketed by SHADA (Societe Haitiano-Americaine de De- veloppement Agricole), an organiza tion set up by the governments of the United States and Haiti. One hundred thousand acres have been sown with “cryptostegia,” a rubber- producing plant that grows very rapidly. Thousands of Haitians have J Proof that progress has been made was demonstrated recently by the Bureau of Standards in Washing ton, D. C., which produced a pair of rubber heels from the latex of “Hevea Brasiliensis” trees growing in Florida. The experiment cost the department of agriculture 17 years of research and thousands of dollars but government chemists re ported the quality of the latex com pared favorably with East Indian. In this promising test-tube rubber plantation are growing more than 2,000 Hevea from Haiti, Puerto Rico, Mexico and the East Indies. It is the only rubber project on planta tion scale ever attempted outside the tropics. Some of the trees are 35 feet high and ten inches in di ameter. Tree Survives Florida Clime. For a tree whose natural habitat is in the region of the equator, the Hevea’s endurance and adaptabili ty to temperate climate has amazed scientists. Periodic measurements have shown that its early growth has been as rapid in Miami as in Haiti and Mexico. Its resistance to cold weather has been incredible, sur viving temperatures as low as 28 degrees. Like many northern trees it has been found to shed its leaves in winter, reducing frost danger and making it particularly well-suited to Florida cultivation. The entire rubber reserve has sprung from seeds, many of which were sown nearly two decades ago. After sprouting from seedbeds the young trees were transplanted into deep depressions near the water-ta ble so the tap roots could find per manent moisture. The creamy. Workers tap the Hevea rubber tree at the U. S. agricultural experi mental station at Miami, Fla. The U. S. has experimented with 2,000 species, and satisfactory results have been obtained. been engaged to attend the planta tions. “Cryptostegia’’ originated in Mad agascar and reached Haiti in 1912 as a decorative plant. Since then it has spread without assistance over many parts of the island. Combat Leaf Blight. Dr. E. W. Brandes of the U. S. department of agriculture is enthu siastic about the progress made by the Americas in combating rubber plant diseases. The South American leaf blight, he said, is being con quered by development of disease- resistant trees. These hardy trees in turn are being crossed by hand pollination with high-yielding Orien tal rubber trees further to improve yields. Victory over the leaf disease is a great forward step in the hemi sphere’s rubber expansion program, said Dr. Brandes. On one of the Ford plantations in Brazil, a million trees fell victim to its ravages, but it was observed that a few full, leafy canopies of healthy trees stood out sharply against a background of pest-ridden neighbors. This meant that the blight, carried from tree to tree by wind-blown spores, had not infected them. They were immune. Scientists then bud-grafted the im mune tops to other trunks and pro duced a high-yielding, disease-resist ant plant. The work of developing the resistant tree by the system of cross pollination is an arduous task, but it is ultimately the best solution to the problem. It is being done on a large scale in Brazil, where lies the hemisphere’s greatest potential supply of latex. Meanwhile horticulturists at the Federal Plant Introduction Garden, Miami, Fla., have been experiment ing with “home-grown” rubber trees. whi'.e latex tapped recently was a welcome sight to the botanists who had cared for them so long. Experts have found that trees grown from selected East Indian seeds in the Florida garden has pro duced a higher yield of latex in general than miscellaneous Hevea from other tropical lands. Experi ments in hand pollination have been tried with marked success to deter mine its possibilities. Two methods of tapping have been tried—the half spiral every other day, and the full spiral, every three or four days. The half spiral has proved most desirable, enabling workers to retap over the old scars every seventh year. As in most rubber trees a purer and slightly in creased flow of latex is found to ward the lower trunk. Technicians do the tapping here. Two grooves are cut into the tree with a regulation tapping knife—an oblique cut to start the flow of la tex and a vertical channel cut tc guide it to the spout which empties into a glass receptacle held to the tree by a wire holder. In the well- equipped laboratory of the Introduc tion Garden the chemist coagulates the latex with ascetic acid. It is then rolled, washed and dried, and the samples sent to Washington for study. Operation of the station at Miami has been generally overshadowed by other steps taken to relieve the rub ber shortage in the United States. Much publicity has been given to the effort to bring the guayule shrub into cultivation in the Southwest. A variety of chemical compositions have been exploited for their rub bery characteristics. And, of course, there is the government’s vast syn thetic rubber program, utilizing oil and grain. Gardener Should Only Cultivate to Kill Weeds Some of the grief in gardening can be escaped if the gardener realizes that cultivation is needed only to kill weeds, break soil crusts, and to permit water to enter the soil. If the garden is cultivated or hoed often enough to kill the weeds, the other two factors will be automati cally accomplished. The weeding job can be done with less labor if cultivation begins when the weeds are small. The ground should be disturbed little near the plant rows, but the cultivation may go deeper between rows where tramping is likely to pack the soil. Pulling a garden rake lightly across plant rows will help eliminate weeds but some hand work will be required to get all of them. The frequency of cultivation re quired is determined by the rate of weed growth. In periods of frequent rains and in warm weather, more cultivation is needed. No result oth er than exercise is obtained from stirring dry, weedless soil. Cultiva tion should not begin too soon after a rain because moisture will evapo rate faster, and lack of water often is a limiting factor in plant growth. Any one of several types of hoes is satisfactory for garden work, and, sometimes it is an advantage to have more than one type. Heavy hoes are best for chopping weeds out of heavy soil, and the pointed hoes are better adapted for opening fur rows for planting seed. Lesson for May 9 Lesson subjects and Scripture texts se lected and copyrighted by International Council of Religious Education; used by permission. PETER AND JOHN LEADERS IN THE EARLY CHURCH LESSON TEXT—Acts 2:37-41; 3:1-8: 4:13; 18-31. GOLDEN TEXT—Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesys.— Acts 4:13. Does the Church have a message for our dayT Sometimes one won ders a bit, but a little thought indi cates that if it does not, it is not because Christianity has failed, but because Christian people-have failed to declare the eternal and powerful truth of God. The primary respon sibility for any such failure must rest upon the leaders of the Church. It is instructive to see the qualities which made the leaders of the early Church effective for the Lord. In our lesson we find Peter and John doing three things. I. Declaring God’s Word (Acts 2: 37-41). Peter had just finished the first sermon preached in the Church, which was delivered at Pentecost. The declaration of God’s truth in the power of the Holy Spirit brought conviction of sin. It always does, although the outward indication of its working may not be as marked as it was on that day. Three thou sand souls were under conviction and asking what to do to be saved. What an opportunity for the preacher and his fellow worker, John. How did they meet it? By faithfully declaring the need of re pentance and faith, and then of fel lowship with others in the Church. One mark of a real leader for God will always be that he preaches and teaches the message of God without adulteration, without modification, and with plainness and simplicity. The kind of leadership which is often magnified in the Church today and which is largely made up of personal magnetism, “pep” and fast talk, is not real leadership at all. Test your leaders by their faithful and intelligent declaration of God’s Word. , II. Conveying God’s Power (Acts 3:1-8). ■/‘Channels only”—that is the func tion of the worker for Christ, the leader in His Church. As Mary Maxwell well put it: Channels only, blessed Master. But with all Thy wondrous power Flowing through us. Thou canst use us Every day and every hour. Silver and gold was a scaice com modity with Peter and John, as it has been with many, yes most, of God’s servants through the centu ries. But they, did have the blessed privilege of being channels through which the healing, cleansing, re deeming power of God could flow— and that was infinitely better. The lame man had long since given up hope of anything better than the few coins he could beg at the temple gate. He was like many in our hard and practical age who see only the values that money can give, and thus miss the real blessing of God. God has for men today, as He had for this beggar, that which is far better than gold—deliverance from sin and liberation from the limita tions of spirit which make them con tent with the paltry alms of men. Peter and John were ready to be used of God because they were men who were not too busy to pray (v. 1). Knowing the compassion of God they sought out the one in need, and by faith put the unlimited power of God to work on his behalf. God healed this man’s body, but what is more important, He healed his spirit (v. 8). We need that kind of healing for the weak-kneed, lame- ankled, spirit-darkened individuals in our communities and our churches. We will have it only as our leaders are men and women who are cleansed—ready to be chan nels for the conveying of God’s pow er to a needy world. HI. Doing God’s Will (Acts 4:13, 18-21). The way of life of God’s leaders is not an easy one, but it is a simple one. They do God’s will—nothing less, nothing more, and nothing else. Wiat could be more delightful? Peter and John had spoken the truth and declared salvation to be only in the name of Jesus (v. 12} Certain easy talkers within the Church who tell us that we must not be narrow but broad enough to see salvation in all religions, had bet ter read that verse again. Because they had preached Christ, and for no other reason, they were imprisoned, then released on condi tion that they would not mention Him again? What a splendid op portunity for a smooth and comfort able compromise! They could preach but just leave out Christ. Did they do it? No! (vv. 19, 20). Obedience to God was paramount with them, and it must be with every genuinely Christian leader in the Church. Nothing else will do, nor will it have the blessing and ap proval of God. Versatile Suit V ERSATILE costume . . . with jacket, a good-looking casual suit ready for everything . . . without jacket, first rate for ev ery active sport. • • • Barbara Bell Pattern No. 1775-B, de signed for sizes 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20. Corresponding bust measurements 28, 30, OUSEHOLD HITS® Butter will spread more smooth ly and go further if a little hot milk is creamed with it. • • • Use a stiff wire brush to re move crumbs and other particles from the burners of a gas or elec tric stove. • • • To remove a stain left by ad hesive tape, apply kerosene, then wash the spot with warm suds. » • • A paper plate glued to the bot tom of a paint can will catch all drippings from the can and serves as a rest for the paint brush be sides. • • • An old pair of curling irons makes an excellent gripper to use in dyeing garments. You can grip the material firmly and swish it about in the dye bath and it will not slip off as it sometimes does when a stick or something of that sort is used. • * • Worn bath towels may be cut in squares or circles for wash cloths. Either crochet an edge around them or bind with wash able cotton tape. • • • When washing a coat sweater or cardigan, sew up the buttonholes to prevent stretching. • • • A variety of play materials is essential for a child’s all-around development. Toys are needed for vigorous physical activity, for ma nipulative and creative play, and for dramatic play. 32, 34, 36 and 38. Size 12 (30) ensemble requires 4>,4 yards 39-inch material. Due to an unusually large demand and current war conditions, slightly more time is required in filling orders for a few of the most popular pattern numbers. Send your order to: SEWING CIRCLE PATTERN DEPT. 530 South WeUs St. Chicago. Room 1958 Enclose 20 cents in coins for each pattern desired. Pattern No Size Name Address Perhaps It's Best to Tell j Other Side of Story First “Yes,” said the lawyer to the grocer, who had come to consult him, “undoubtedly you’ve got the best case that I’ve ever heard.” i “Thanks,” said his client, quick ly grabbing his hat and making for the door. “Here, what’s the rush,” asked the astonished lawyer. “Where are you going?” “I’m going to settle this case out of court and that right away!” the other informed him. “But I told you it’s the best case I ever heard.” “Maybe so,” said his client, “but not for me. I’ve told you the other fellow’s story.” , TAME Give It that wen groomed look. Add lustre. Keep your UNRULY hair lying flat. Always use lie, r% Morollne Hair Tonic. Large H AIK bottle 25c. Sold everywhere. City on Seven Hills Newton, Mass., is a city built on seven hills, as was ancient Rome. FOR QUICK RELIEF CA.RBOIL A Soothing Q A I If F ANTISEPTIC W W Ki Used by thousands with satisfactory re sults for 40 years—six valuable ingredi ents. 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