72 



on this, with careful watering, atmospheric moisture and shade, 

 than on any soil in which they may be grown. 



The majority of our native ferns will succeed well in a mixture 

 of peat and loam which should contain a fair amount of old brick 

 and lime rubble broken up to about the size of beans, to ensure 

 porosity. Charcoal may also be used for the same purpose. 



DISCOVERY OF MANICOBA RUBBER FORESTS.* 



During the past few months discovery has been made that there 

 are in the interior of this state vast forests of trees from which 

 can be produced a high grade of rubber known to the trade as 

 " manigoba," or " Ceara."t The area is said to be very large, but 

 cannot be defined, as the region has not been fully explored. The 

 attention called to the first discovery, has led to further explora- 

 tion, with the result that from time to time comes notice of other 

 sections where like trees occur in profusion. 



The output of manigoba rubber has rapidly increased during the 

 last few years and bids fair to be so large an item in the exports 

 of this district as to warrant specific report. 



The tree which furnishes the product from which manigoba 

 rubber is made is known, in most sections, as " mandioca brava," 

 which means "wild mandioc." It is so named because of the 

 marked resemblance of the young trees to the mandioc,;J: which 

 forms the most common crop of all sections. It in reality belongs 

 to the same family, but unlike the other, produces latex and seed. 

 During prolonged droughts the people have dug up its roots and 

 ground and prepared them as in mandioc, though with greater 

 labour and less benefit, because of the smaller amount of nourish- 

 ment contained in the finished product, and the work necessary 

 to wash out the greater amount of poison. 



It is native to many parts of Brazil, and when planted will grow 

 on the interior plains and highlands as well as close to the sea. 

 It has been observed to grow from near the equator to the south- 

 ern limits of Brazil, except in those sections which, because of 

 their altitude, have frosts or rapid and marked changes in tempe- 

 rature. It is very susceptible to frost, being either killed or in- 

 jured thereby when bananas and other tropical plants would be 

 unhurt. In its wild state it has been known for some time in 

 Ceara and Piauhy, and from those states has come the greater 

 part of the maniyoba rubber of commerce, but it is now believed to 

 exist in even greater abundance in Bahia. It is also cultivated in 

 many sections, large plantations having been set out during the 

 last few years in Sergipe, Bahia, and other states. 



* Report by United States Consul Furniss, Bahia, Brazil, 

 t Manihot Glaziovii. X *•«•> Cassava. 



