Show Milkweed Mill weed Pickers ers Wanted anted W Silk Sill Is Needed ee e eThis for W War ar arThis This fall school children c can m help directly in winning the war and savIng savIng saving sav sav- ing lives by picking milkweed pods for the light buoyant floss that must go into the making r of life jackets tend Dna aviators aVIatorS' suu suits Because the Japanese cut off the nations nation's kapok fiber supply from Cram the Dutch East Indies the armed servIces services ices ces are asking for every pound of milkweed floss that can possibly be collected this coming September and October By the first week of school most teachers and pupils in the northeastern quarter of the United States will have instructions on picking drying and shipping pods and information on obtaining bags free of charge The Boy Scouts Girl Scouts 4 H 4 H club leaders county n. n agricultural agents war boards and local soil conservation service offices of- of rices will also be furnished with full information This section of the country is getting most of the at attention attention attention at- at for it is here that most milkweed milkweed milkweed milk milk- weed grows The heaviest known stands are found in the northwestern corner of Michigan's lower peninsula peninsula peninsula penin penin- sula around Petoskey Every county county county coun coun- ty however from Maine to Virginia Virginia Virginia Vir Vir- ginia and from Missouri to Minnesota Minnesota Minne Minne- sota as well as many counties in other st states tes have some plants It is m. Wn W v A t tj fr LO j fI M-A- M MATo To An air force man demonstrates the buoyancy of the Mae Mac West est life jacket which is stuffed with fiber from milkweed pods These life jackets are standard equipment in inthe inthe inthe the navy and merchant marine Fliers who range over the ocean soldiers and marines engaged in amphibious warfare and all other servicemen who face danger of death by drowning depend on these life llie jackets to keep them afloat until help comes up to the boys and girls of every community to harvest all milkweed pods in their neighborhood so that not a single life will be lost for lack of buoyant life jackets I Buying of pods will be handled at Petoskey Mich by the Milkweed Floss division of War Hemp Industries Industries Industries Indus Indus- tries Inc a private corporation The Commodity Credit corporation of the U. U S. S department of agriculture agriculture agriculture ture assisted by the U. U S. S soil conservation service will direct the program The Petoskey office will send trucks out to pick up bags of pods in other sections At least pods must be collected collected collected col col- col- col to supply one pound of floss pound Fifty-pound open mesh onion bags were supplied pickers during last years year's harvest each bag holding a I bushel or from to pods and the open mesh permitting rapid drying dry dry- ing The high moisture content of milkweed pods presents a serious hazard of heating and spoiling unless unless unless un un- less handled properly I Scout troops schools H 4 clubs or other organizations may be designated designated designated as the authorized buying agent and advanced money by War Var Hemp Industries Inc to pay for forthe forthe forthe the pods as soon as picked and to handle them for ultimate collection by a representative of War Hemp Industries Inc The organization authorized would be allowed a small fee per bag for keeping the necessary records For this drying service last year an additional 5 cents cents' per bag was paid besides the 15 cents for picking The same rates will probably prevail this fall After the pods are picked they must be handled handed properly in order to make the highest quality of floss It is very important that the bags be hung on a fence clearing the ground by at least 12 inches to get the full benefit of sun and wind within with with- in 24 hours after picking A ballpark ballpark ball ball- park school or fairgrounds fence or orsome orsome orsome I some other convenient and adequate adequate adequate ade ade- quate location may be chosen Someone Someone Someone Some Some- one must be on duty to check out empty bags and receive pay for and hang up full bags of pods every evening and Saturday during the col co- collection collection col- col lection season Also it is necessary necessary necessary sary to rehan any bags which fall f l pi w t. t L 4 r y With their bags full of milkweed pods Belmont county Ohio children gather on the steps of their school after a day of picking Many 1 communities communities com com- last year combined a picnic with the pod harvesting down retie any that have been opened and especially after wet weather to shake each bag to fluff it up and help drying Dew rain or snow do not hurt the pods if the bags are hung up properly After two to six weeks the thoroughly dried bags are put indoors to await pickup The floss of the milkweed plant plantis is a very elusive substance As the plant approaches seasonal maturity the leaves drop the stem gradually ceases to function and while the pods cling tenaciously to the stem they lose moisture and shrivel until they split and release floss and seed All children are urged to watch for the purplish flowers and fat green pods of milkweed pias making notes on locations where they are to be found and on the areas where they are most dant Then in early Fall when the seed within the pods begin to turn brown the picking can get under underway underway underway way immediately in those marked locations Picking starts about the middle of September Knowledge of the natural distribution of milkweed milkweed milkweed milk milk- weed within the United States indicates indicates indicates indi indi- cates that it is possible to obtain from one to two million pounds of floss annually f t |