Science: Weed Oil

Three motor cars lately jounced and bounced along the dusty pot-holed road into Samarkand, Russian Turkestan, ancient seat of Khans, golden city of Western poets. They had come from Harbin, Manchuria, some 4,000 miles. Their chauffeurs were moderately excited because none of them had had to regrease his car. At Harbin they had been supplied with the invention of one Alexander Muhacheff, Russian engineer; an oil extracted from the seeds of a weed that grows wild over vast areas of Manchuria. Despatches last week from Peking stated that some Japanese gentlemen had interested themselves in Engineer Muhaeheff's new lubricant, which is...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!