JAMAICA. 



B XJ Li Ij E T I N NEW VORK 



OF THE 



BOTANICAL 



Garden. 



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Vol. IV. JULY, 1906. Part 7. 



A MEXICAN RUBBER PLANTATION.* 



We have received particulars about the fine La Zacualpa rubber 

 plantation in Mexico, of the Hidalgo Plantation Co., in an in- 

 teresting pamphlet entitled " Rubber : what it is and how it 

 grows," by the general manager of the company. This is the 

 second edition of the pamphlet, (which is illustrated from photo- 

 graphs), and in his foreword the author says : " Since the first 

 edition was issued, rubber has advanced in price, with every pros- 

 pect of its going higher, and the attention of the business world 

 is more than ever turned to this profitable industry. This book 

 is dedicated to the young people of our public and private schools, 

 with the hope that the matter it contains will be found interesting 

 as well as instructive." 



The first part deals with rubber generally, but here we only 

 quote some particulars about La Zacualpa estate, which show how 

 a big rubber estate in Mexico is run, and give information of use 

 to planters of Castilloa elastica, 



LA ZACUALPA RUBBER PLANTATION. 



La Zacualpa rubber plantation is, without doubt, the foremost 

 of its kind in Mexico, and for depth of soil, requisite rainfall, sys- 

 tematic drainage and intelligent management has not its equal in 

 the world. It is situated between the towns of Huistla and Es- 

 cuintla, about 20 miles from the Pacific Ocean, and near the Pan- 

 American railroad which is to connect Tapachula with the Te- 

 huantepec railroad at San Geronimo. This road has already 

 reached Tonala, and will be pushed through to completion under 

 a most favourable concession from the Mexican Government. The 

 planted trees are easily accessible at all points by avenues run- 

 ning for miles ; seven of these have already been named, as fol- 

 lows : Harrison avenue, Van Court avenue, Alicia avenue, Butler 

 avenue, San Carlos avenue. La Reina avenue, Santa Helena ave- 

 nue. These are crossed by streets that are numbered, and the 



• From "CeyloQ Observer." 



