PARA-RUBBER CULTIVATION 395 



being maintained for some time. The sooner the price can 

 be brought down to 45. or 55. per lb. the better for the 

 progress of the world generally. 



Let us glance at the possible future supplies of wild rubber. 

 Tropical Africa in recent years has supplied a considerable 

 quantity of low-grade rubber, largely owing to the drastic 

 measures ruling in the Congo State. The supplies from this 

 source appear to be on the decline. The ruthless destruction 

 of the Landolphia vines will prevent these plants from furnishing 

 much rubber for some years to come. " Red " rubber ere long 

 will be a horror of the past, and the incoming of the plantation 

 variety will hasten its extinction. The exploiting of fresh 

 areas of Funtumia, and possibly of Landolphia, may make up 

 temporarily to some extent, but the amount of African wild 

 rubber is not likely to increase but rather to diminish. 



The only source of real importance is the Amazon region. 

 Statements have been made to the effect that the supply there 

 is wellnigh inexhaustible. Doubtless untapped areas exist, 

 and, further, the Hevea tree quickly regenerates itself naturally 

 from seed. Yet under existing circumstances the output from 

 the Amazons does not seem capable of much expansion. The 

 Brazilian Government, however, appears at last to be arousing 

 itself, now that it sees a formidable rival in the plantation 

 rubber of the East. A Congress is shortly to be held at 

 Manaos, the great rubber port of the Upper Amazon, to debate 

 such questions as the extent of rubber lands in unexploited 

 Brazilian territory and whether cultivation offers the best 

 means of maintaining the preponderance of Amazon rubber in 

 the markets. But Ceylon and Malaya have several years' start 

 in the wa}' of cultivation. Caoutchouc can there be turned out 

 at the cost only of 15. to is. 6d. per lb., whereas it is calculated 

 that a pound of wild Para rubber costs 2s. 6d. to collect, a sum 

 more likely to increase than decrease when less accessible 

 regions are approached. The lot of the native rubber-collector 

 is not an envious one. Unless he can exchange his hard-gotten 

 commodity to some considerable advantage to himself, he is not 

 likely to be induced to exploit less inviting districts. Further, 

 the supply of labour itself for the industry is by no means 

 large. Still there is little doubt that Brazil could considerably 

 increase its production by opening up its remoter rubber lands, 

 by granting increased facilities to the collectors, and by reducing 



