THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



May 1G, 190S. 



CULTURE OF OASTILLOA RUBBER. 



The Vmr-bou/,- for 1907-8 of tho Mexican Rubber 

 Planters' Association has latel}^ been issued, and 

 contains a fidl account of the proceedintjs that tool<; 

 place at the first meeting of the association in October 

 last. Some interesting and valuable papers dealing 

 with various ])hases of the rubber industr}', that were 

 read at this meeting are also reprinted in the 3'ear- 

 book, one of the most important being that by 

 Dr. Pehr Olsson-Seffer, entitled ' The Present Condition 

 of Rubber Culture.' 



Dealing with the cultivation of the Central American 

 rubhi-r tree {C(ntillo(i elaMica), Dr. Ol.s.son-Setfer remarked, 

 tliat altlioiigh there «-as still much to learn, yet many points 

 had aheady been .settled and were beyond discussion. It was 

 known, frir instance, that C'astiUoa trees need an open, 

 porou.s .soil, well drained, Imt with .sufficient underground 

 water supply. The physical ronditiou of the soil is of more 

 importance than its chemical composition. Stagnant water, 

 or an acid condition of the soil, is naturally detrimental to 

 llir uell-being of the trees. 



I 'n thin .soil with impeiuicablc subsoil, C'astiUoa will do 

 \M-ii lor a few years, but growth ceases, anil the tree is liable 

 t'l dif liack wlien the roots reach water. 



'I'hf nuich-debated ijiiestion of shade in rubber culture 

 was then referred to. ]\lexicau planters are still undecided 

 as to the nece«.sary amount of sliadr for Castilloa trees, as 

 well a.- the best method of providing this. Later experience 

 lias not tended to confirm tlie opiiuon, popular in the eai-ly 

 days of jubber culture, that the provision of ht-avy shade 

 is essi-ntial. Under suc-li conditions, the rublier ti'ccs grow 

 tall, but thcic is no corresponding increase in the cireum- 

 fereiirc of llic trunk. Further, trees planted under .shade 

 appear to lie sickly and liable to disease. 



('astilln.i trees und(jubtedly derive adxantage from 

 a cei-l.iin amount of .shade and shelter during the dry season, 

 and bearing this in mind, many growers, in clearing ground 

 for I'ubber planting, have left a small numbei- of the original 

 trees to overshadow the ('a.-tilloa plants. This state of 

 semi-shade is likely to be specially beneficial where the soil 

 is lialile to become hard and baked on ex]iosurc to the Mm. 



II was pointed nut that the amount of shade reipuicd 

 lor [iroper de\elopnient is hot supplieil by paying fidl regard 

 to clo.se planting in .setting out the young C'astiUoa trees. 

 Such a method ensui-cs sr>il preservation, and also provides 

 the best conditions for s\'ninietrical development iif the trees. 

 As with increasing growth, the trees interfere with .■ach 

 oilier, thinuing-out o|)erations should commence. 



f'.fiicit'nt ilrainage is highly cs.sential to success in st.-ot 

 ing a rubber plantation. Kvei'y slojjc of the grouml should 

 be taken arlvaiUage of in this connexion. On plantatii>ns in 

 the Jvist the di'ains ai'c always laid down before the rubber 

 ti'ees are planted. 



Some Mexican cultivators .sow the rubber si'i'd directly 

 in the open. I 'idess this is done at a time when the soil 

 is fairly moist, complete failure of germination may result. 

 I'lantiTig in the open should preferably take place at the 

 bi'ginning of the rainy season. 



In regard to lhc> projiagiition of Ca.stilloa rid)ber trees, 

 I )r. ()|.s.son-SelVer strongly recommended ])hinting the seeds 

 lit stake, in the open, instead of raising the seedlings in 

 nurseries a inclhod which involves the labour and ex|«"nse 

 of transplaiuing, with its conSeipicnt check to the growth of 

 the seedlings. Tiansplanling also incurs the risk of a con- 

 .siderable amount of loss, rendering necessary subse(picnt 

 .su|)]. lying. rianting at stake is the method now geuerallv 



adopted by exi'crienced planters. The seeds are planted on 

 small hills, wirh about seven seeds (at a distance of 3 inches 

 fr(.m each other) to |ach hill. The hills are at a distance of 

 about 7 feet in rows 12 feet apart. 



Planting in this manner allows for a high percentage of 

 failure in germination, as well as destruction by \ari<ai.s field 

 pests. In the earlyistages of growth of the seedling.s, weed- 

 ing is frequently necessary, and at the same time weakly, 

 uns-,sha|ied, and over-crowded plants should be removed. It 

 will be found that at least 50 per cent, of the young plants 

 may be removed with advantpge during the early .stages of 

 growth. 



Dr. Olsson-Seffer- recommends that thiiunng out should 

 continue each year, until the nuudier of trees has been reduced 

 to about 800 per acre at the end of six years from .sowing. In 

 order to obtain the highest returns, it is advised that the 100 

 best trees should be selected as the permanent trees of the 

 plantation, not to be;touched before they have reached 2G to 

 28 inches in circumference at 3 feet from the ground. The 

 remaining 100 trees may at six years old be tapjied once, or 

 twice if nece.ssary after a short intermi.ssion, and then felled. 

 At the end of the seventh year therefore, there would be 100 

 trees to the acie. Such a number would mean an average 

 distance from tree to tree, each way, of about lOA feet. 



In regard to distance in planting, it is ajiparent tliat, 

 provided the trees do not directly interfere with one another 

 the closer they are planted the better. Dr. Ols.son-Seffer 

 [lointed out that growth is impaired as soon as the roots of 

 the trees touch and become intermatted. On the other hand, 

 when t'astilloa trees (are planted widely apart their growth is 

 stunted, and when the trees become older, their bark is 

 exposed to the i-.eat of the sun, and to the evajjorating influ- 

 ence of winds. The result of this is, that the bark cracks, 

 the latex vessels shri\'el, and the yield of rubber is conse- 

 cpiently reduce.l. Rearing these considerations in mind it 

 aii|iear.s obviou.s that the question of proper spacing isonew iiicli 

 requires tho exerci.se of considerable judgement, but that close 

 planting in the first place ami subseijuent careful and gradual 

 thinidng .as indicated above, is undoubtedly the best method 

 to adopt in (.'astilloa rubber culture. 



PLANT ATION Vl-:i!srs WILD PARA RUBBER. 



M. Lainy-'i'orriliion, a well-known French rubber 

 expert, i-ecently contributed an article to the Jnurnal 

 (rAi/ricaltii ir Trup'icale on the relative qualities of 

 rubber from th.e Brazilian forests, and that from the 

 eiilti\ateil plantations of tiic East. 



At present, as is pointed out, mainifacturcrs sliow 

 a ])reference tor rubficr from the wild trees. Thi.s, of 

 course, is not iluc to any natural defect in the plantation 

 in-oduct, but in the opinion of Jf. Lamy-Torrilhon, may be 

 attributed to ( 1 ) the ilon-ob.servancc on thejiart of [dantation 

 owners of the system of curing recognized as the best in 

 lirazil, and (2) the comparatively .young age of the greater 

 lunnlier of plantation trees. The first factor, it will be seen, 

 is iiu-idental, ami may be remedied without great ditliculty, 

 while tinu' will remove the second. There is no real reason 

 why plantation rubber should not be eipial in every respect to 

 the |ii-o(inct from the Brazilian forests. 



.M. i.amy-Torrilhon does not seem to be favcuraldj- 

 impressed by the wt-t block iirocess of |irepai-ation, but 

 advocates the siirulta^veons suioking and coagulation of the 

 latex. 



