OCR Text |
Show GUAYULE RUBBER NOW Made From a Mexican Shrub, It May Prove Valuable. For several :irs experiments have been going on to secure a practical method of extracting the rubber from the small guayule bush that grows so plentifully over the vast areas of the northern plains of Mexico. The rubber from I his plant Is not equal In elastic properties to tree rubber, but la said to be quite satisfactory for vulcanizing vul-canizing purposes, and Is now bringing 11.60, Mexican currency, per pound. The various processes for Its extraction Include both chemical und others that are purely machanlcal. The latter seems j to have reached the more practical stage both because l hoy deliver a cleaner pro- ! duct and because the process Itself Is cheaper. The shrub is cut down entire, close to the ground, and ground up Into lawdust and the gum separated. The bush grows again slowly and In the course of five years, ! ready to be cut again No attempt has been made as yet for its cultivation, but experiments along this line Will undoubtedly follow. In the meantime, mean-time, however, there are hundreds of acres In Mexico where it grows wild The plants are now bringing H0, Mexican money, per ton cut. and the product of rubber is pal, I t,, often run as high as 10 per cent of t!:e wclirht. Guayule lands that could formerly have been 'purehused for nominal sums as semi-desert have now trebled und quadrupled quad-rupled In value. While there is nu claim that guayule will take the place of tropical rubber from trees. It seems destined to add an Important substitute in some lines of the trade. A number of prominent men Ip Mexico are Interested In exploiting ih to w industry Modern Mexico. |