DEVIL SHOE STRING
MAY BE VALUABLE
Experiment* Being Tried By
Whitmire On Plant Here
—Is Good Elsewhere
Cracca Virginians L., known to]
lurmers of this section as devil s;
shoe string, catgut plant, rabbit bean, ;
white sweet pea, wild sweet pea, and |
other names is a North American i
weed found in abundance in Transyl-1
vania county which is a potential,
source of rotenone and other related
insecticides and which is attracting;
attention in the scientific world to
day because of this value, according
to H. E. Whitmire, who this fall will
enter the manufacture of an insecti
cide from this plant.
Mr. Whitmire for ten years has
been connected with the research de
partment of the Ralston Purina com
pany of St. Louis, Mo., and his work
has led him into a careful study of
the possibilities of this plant. The
United States Department of Agri
culture has printed one of his works
on the plant, “Private Communica
tion." Mr. Whitmire is a native of
Transylvania county, being the son of
Mr. and Mrs. E. J. Whitmire of
Cherryfield. , ,
‘•Devil’s shoestring is a perennial
herb 12 to 24 inches high with pub
estv foliage, and 11 to 21 eliptic
leal lots,” according to a .United
Stat Department of Agriculture
bulk.in by R. C. Roark.
T flowers resemble sweet
pea and are pale yellow with pink
or purplish wings and keels. The
pods are 1 to 2 inches long. The root
isthe only part of the plant that has
been found to possess activity os a
fish poison or as an insecticide. It is
a hard substance having a faint spicy
odor and a faintly sweet and slightly
astringent taste. ,
Mr. Whitmire by careful study and
research has extracted from the root
an insecticide and fungicide which he
plans to commercialize for the con
trol of aphids, leaf hoppers, codling j
moth, San Jose scale, pear slugs, bean
beetles, cabbage worms, red spider.,
white fly and leaf tyer. He has found
that the powder of this insect will kill
the insects as well or better than
other insecticides and at the same
time will not harm animals or human
teings directly or indirectly. This, he
believes, will tend to prevent many
deaths which occur every year among
individuals who eat vegetables which
have been sprayed with harmful m
^ Although this plant grows in
almost any well drained soil, the bul
letin says that apparently only the
roots from sandy soil contain consti
tuents of insecticidal value. Not all
plants growing in sand are toxic, in
fact most are worthless «
that are found in clay, and both toxi
and non-toxic plants have been found
in the same type of sandy soil. Whit
mire, on the contrary, reports that
plants growing in clayey soil may
have insecticidal value.
Whitmire has extracted as muvi. »
one per cent rotenone from a speci-,
men of devil’s shoestring and if fur
ther testing reveals a good percentage
of this insecticide he plans to have
great amounts of the weed grown in
this county and properly cultivated
and fed so as to increase this value.
Tin- insecticidal value of the
devil’s shoestring was discovered by,
V A l.ittle, who was led to =tudy the
plant because its action cn fish is
similar to that of derns, a widely
used plant insecticide. The plant was,
used bv Indians for a fish poison, the
poison not harming the value of the
fish for human consumption. It is
ab believed that it was used by the
Indians fur a medicine; as a purga
tive and vermifuge. The Cherokee
Indian- of the Great Smoky moun
tains of Tennessee and North Caro
lina prepared an ointment from the
leaves of this plant to strengthen the
hair of the squaws and to tougnen the
sinew- of ball players.
The plant has been found only
where competition with other vege
tation is not too keen, such as railway
right-of-ways that are periodically
burned over. Although the plant may
be propagated from either the roots
or the seeds, the roots produce larger
lants in a given time but at greater
oat. At least two years are required
o produce a satisfactory root ays
em. Under cultivation the devil s
shoestring grows more luxuriantly
than when wild, and marked varia
tion! appear indicating different var
ieties or strains. , . .
Whitmire has found the plant in
various sections of Transylvania
county and is making a study of the
local situation at the present 'time,
tie has a process of his own by which
ne tests the plants for insecticide and
rotenone values.
F. L. Campbell, entomologist for
the bureau of entomology and plant
quarantine of the United States de
partment of agriculture, who special
izes in control investigations, said in
.1 recent letter to Mr. Whitmire:
"I was pleased to receive your let
ter of July 11, for 1 had been told
something about your promising
work with Cracca. Mr. Sievers may
have told you that we are now mak
ing a survey of the effectiveness of
many samples of Cracca collected in
the southeastern states. We are test
ing acetone extracts against house
fliea by a laboratory method that has |
not yet been published. It is a modi
fication of the method described in
the enclosed circular and can be
operated by one man. It enables us
to pick out the toxic specimens
rapidly."
Mr. Whitmire has tested his ex
tract, keeping an accurate count of
the number to fall dead from the
poison in so many minutes.
U«* for Cslluloio
The first chemical uses for cellulose
were those where It was combined
with nitrogen to form cellulose nitrate.
By varying the amount of nitrogen,
chemists obtained a wide variety of
products. If a large proportion of
nitrogen was used they obtained
smokeless powder. With a medium
proportion the quick-drying lacquers
for automobiles and similar products
were developed. Using only a smnll
amount of nitrogen to large amounts
of cellulose, the chemists produced
celluloid for motion picture film, toilet
articles and u multitude of molded
toya
- ■
Ancient Stock* in England
Visitors to England passing through
the village of Albury, Hertfordshire, a
few tulles from London, may see the
old village stocks where vagrants, tres
passers, poachers and ne’er-do-wells
had their ankles pinioned In a pair of
notched planks. Several could be
dealt this cruel type of Justice at one
lime.
First Cast-Iron Rails
Cast-Iron rails were first used In
1767, being made In flve-foot lengths.
Soon after a cast-iron flange was add
'd to keep the wheels on the frnek.
NOTICE OF ACTION (General)
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA,
COUNTY OF TRANSYLVANIA.
In The Superior Court.
J. G. K. McClure Jr., Plaintiff.
—Vs.—
Carolina Mountains Realty Corpora
tion, a corporation, Defendant.
All persons claiming any interest
in the property hereinafter described
will take notice that an action en
titled as above has been begun in the
Superior Court of Transylvania
County, North Carolina, for the pur
pose of foreclosing the lien of a tax
sale certificate for taxes for the
year 1930 on property in Transyl
vania County, North Carolina, de
scribed as follows;
Lying on the West Fork of the
French Broad River and Abram’s
Creek, containing 114 acres more or
less, and being same lands described
in deed from Hugh Pinnix and wife
end J. W. Summey and wife to
Carolina Mountains Realty Corpora
tion, dated Jan. 21, 1926, and record
ed in book 57, page 03, Records of
Deeds for Transylvania County.
All such persons are further noti
fied to appear, present, set up and
defend their claims in said action
within six months from the 15th day
of November, 1934, or at any time
before the ord/sr to make deed is
made, otherwise they will be for
ever barred and foreclosed of any
and all Interest or claims in or to
said property or the proceeds re
TVavel anywhere ..any day
on the SOUTHERN f°r
AfareAr every purse...!
Way Coach Tickets . . ,
On Sale Daily
Round Trip Tickets.
. . for each mile traveled . . . return limit IS days
Good in Sleeping and Parlor Can on payment
of proper charges for space occupied /SS
Round Trip Tickets .... .
... for each mile traveled... return limit 6 months
Good in Sleeping and Parlor Cars on payment
of proper charges tor space occupied
One Way Tickets.
| Good in Sleeping and Parlor Gan on payment
of prop* charges for space occupied E „ '
no surcharge:
'
HiGH CLASS TRAINS
Umm Ptdfaaen Bphat iiwlmfas Cw» iil—t
Drewin* Room ad Open Section Seeping CM
MODERN COACHES..CONVENIENT SCHEDULER
* tenure Seddactorr Sendee ea tLe Soadvm RaOwnr 9mm
Be Comfortable in the Safety of Train Travel
R. H. De BUTTS
Div. Pas. Agent,
Asheville, N. C. m
SOUTHERN RAILWAY SYSTEM
:eived from the sal® thereof.
This 18th day of October, 1984.
OTTO ALEXANDER, Clerk
Superior Court, Transylvania
County, N. C.
4t Oct. 25, Nov. 1, 8 & 15.
NOTICE
OF SALE OF REAL ESTATE
iORTH CAROLINA,
'ransylvania County.
Under and by virtue of the power l
•f sale contained in a Deed of Trust
lated January 6th, 1931, executed by
Trank Jenkins and wife, Mary C.
Jenkins, which Deed of Trust is re
corded in boek 28, at page 113 in the
office of the Register of Deeds of ■
Transylvania County, default having
>een made in the payments of the
ndebtedness thereby secured, and
uore than five days notice having
been given the debtor, and the holder
>f the note evidencing said debt hav
ing directed the undersigned trustee
to sell lands described in said Deed
>f Trust, on Saturday, the 24th day
of November, 1934, at noon at the
■ourt house in Brevard, North Caro
ina, I will offer for sale and sell to
he highest bidders for cash the fol
'owing described property:
Lying in Cathey’s Creek Town
ship. Lands owned by the late J. E.
Duckworth at the time of his death.
The interest of the parties of the
first part being one-half of an undi
vided 1-16 interest purchased by
A. E. Hampton and Frank Jenkins,
ond the undivided 1-16 interest for
merly owned by Spann Duckworth.
Sale made to satisfy said debt and
costs and expenses of sale.
This the 24th day of October, 1984,
B. L. GASH, Trustee, j
4t Oct. 26, Nov. 1, 8 A 16._
NOTICE
Of Sale of Real Estate
NORTH CAROLINA,
Transylvania County.
Under and by virtue of the power
of sale contained in a Deed of Trust
dated September 14, 1929, executed
by A. E. Hampton and wife, Lina D.
Hampton, which Deed of Trust is
recorded in book 24, at page 294, in
the office of the Register of Deeds of
Transylvania County, default having
been made in the payments of the
indebtedness thereby secured, and
more than five days notice having
been given the debtor, and the holder
of the note evidencing said debt hav
ing directed the undersigned trustee
to sell lands described in Deed of
Trust, on Saturday, the 24th day of
November, 1934, at noon at the court
house in Brevard, North Carolina, I
will offer for sale and sell to the
highest bidders for cash, the follow
ing described property;
Lying in Cathey’s Creek Town
ship, lands owned by the late J. E.
Duckworth at the time of his death.
The interest of the parties of the
first part being one-naif of an undi
vided 1-16 interest and 1-16 of an
undivided 1-16 interest, known as the
4t Oct 26, Nov. _
......I, i
NOTICE OF SALE
Under and by virtu* of the pow«r
of sale contained in a Deed in Truct
executed on the 1st day of Attgust(
1980 by and between Hinton . Me*\
Leod, and wife, Frances A. McLeod,!
to W. E. Breese, Trustee,
which said Deed in Trust is duly
recorded in the office of the Regis
ter of Deeds of Transylvania County,
N. C., in Book bfo. 28, page 61 and
i indexed in said office and to which
, said index and record reference is
hereby made and the same made a
part hereof for the purpose of de
scription, and default having been
mace in the payment of both prin
cipal and interest on the notes
secured by the said Deed in Trust
and legnl demand having been made
for the payment, of same by tfe
holder of said notes, and all other
legal notices having been duly given,
the undersigned Trustee will, on
Monday, November 19th, 1934, at
12:00 o’clock M. offer for sale at
Public Auction, and sell to the high
est bidder FOR CASH at the Court
House door in the town of Brevard.
County of Transylvania, State of
North Carolina, the following pieces,
- -———
m~follows: -
FIRST TRACT:
Being si! that tract of tend folly
described in a deed from C. L.
Glacener and wife, J e s ■ i e L.
Glasener to J. H. Tinsley and wife,
Berths Tinsley, said deed bearing
date of September 19th, 1919, and
which deed is registered in Book No.
41 at page 211, et sea. of the Deed
Records of Transylvania County, and
which Deed records are hereby refu
nd to and made a part hereof for
the purposes of a description of said
tract of land.
SECOND TRACT:
All of that tract of land adjoining
the above described tract, and fully
described in a deed from D. L.
English, and wife, Maude S. English
to J. H. Tinsley, by deed bearing
dat« of August 21st, 1923, and which
deed is duly registered in Book No.
28 at page 31 of the Deed Records of
Transylvania County, N. C., and
which daed and record are hereby
referred to and made a part hereof
for the purposes of description of
said tract of land.
Said sale being made for the pur
pose of satisfying said debt, interest,
! cost and expenses of said sale,
i Tbie is the 18th day of October,
11984.
W. E. BREESE, Trustee.
>4t county Oct. 18, 25. Nov. 1, 8.
extend crGti t to t ^ 6 ^ j