SOUTHERN HORIZONS 



the old rule-o'- thumb operations of the varnish kettle. 

 Synthetic resins began to appear. Imports of tung oil 

 were climbing, and as its virtues came to be appre- 

 ciated, the vices of the Chinese product uncertain 

 quality and fluctuating price became painfully appar- 

 ent. 



Some people began to think that Dr. Fairchild had 

 something after all when he introduced the tung tree, 

 and Dr. Ronalds soon had plenty of rivals. Spurred by 

 business motives, two hundred paint makers chipped 

 in $1,000 each for a demonstration planting of two 

 hundred and twenty-five acres. L. P. Moore of the Benj. 

 Moore paints became a real enthusiast. He backed a 

 grove and the first tung-oil pressing mill, a costly but 

 enlightening experience. At this point three real trail 

 blazers set out their first baby tung trees. 



Harry W. Bennett met the tung tree in its native 

 China. He and his brothers sold their Wheats worth 

 cracker to the National Biscuit Company for three mil- 

 lion. After putting through such a deal, one needs a 

 vacation: Harry took a journey 'round the world. He 

 was not deliberately hunting a hobby, but he found one. 

 He returned a confirmed tung enthusiast at sixty-five. 

 Today at seventy-nine, he is whipping up interest 

 among fellow growers to organize a cooperative through 

 which they can pool their fertilizer orders; establish 

 trade standards and stabilize prices; carry forward sci- 

 entific research in tree breeding and cultivation and 



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