273 



ence of tropical planting cultivated a tree that flourished like this 

 rubber tree. Every plant with its striking foliage and abounding 

 vigour grevir with great rapidity. In the course of a year the 

 plants attained a height of from six to eight and ten feet. In three 

 years the stems were five to six inches in diameter 



"I remember having collected one lb. of rubber from a wild seed- 

 ling which was about five years old. Under the elaborate cultural 

 treatment to which the other species of rubber are now subjected, 

 there can be no doubt that when 50 to 60 feet high, in less than 

 10 years, not less than one pound per tree will result. And in a 

 few years subsequent thereto, double and treble this quantity per 

 annum. 



" I have the pleasure to express my conviction that in certain 

 parts of the temperate climate of the parish of Manchester, with 

 its abundant humidity, and its peculiarly constituted soil, the 

 virgen rubber could be cultivated with great success. Sites should 

 be selected near the foot of the gentle rolling hills characteristic 

 of the district — a district capable of being turned to more impor- 

 tant account than any other in the island. Though this tree grows 

 freely on high ridges in its native habitat, far greater returns are 

 yielded by trees at the base of such ridges. There are thousands 

 of acres of land obtainable above an elevation of 2,700 feet emi- 

 nently fitted for this culture in Manchester. 



" I have elsewhere pointed out that plants cultivated near the 

 equator at high altitudes (coffee for instance) are cultivated in 

 Jamaica under precisely similar climatic conditions at about 2,000 

 feet less altitude. Hence the altitude at which the virgen rubber 

 flourishes in Colombia from 4,500 to 7,500 feet, is equalized here 

 at an altitude of 2,000 feet less. 



" As the virgen rubber is a gigantic tree, care must be taken to 

 plant it wide apart. The permanent distance might be 24 feet 

 asunder. In 10 or 12 years the trees would cover the ground. 

 Subsec|uently the trees would not expand materially, inasmuch as 

 tapping the trees would interrupt growth. Regular crops, I feel 

 sure, would result from the trees when eight years old, and of 

 course annually afterwards." 



The rubber produced by another species of Sapium, native of 

 Brazil, is used for adulterating Hevea rubber, and even in some 

 cases to replace it altogether. It seems that the great demand has 

 led to the practice for some years past. 



Dr. Huber, the author of the report, questions if the practice, 

 which he says has passed unnoticed for twenty years, can be 

 described as fraudulent. He considers that if the union makes no 

 difference to the manufacturer, then no harm is done ; and, on the 

 other hand, the knowledge is gained that the sources of supply are 

 greater than was formerly known, as the tree in question is plenti- 

 ful, and exists over a very wide area, and is known in the State 

 of Amazonas by the name of 'Taparu,' and in the neighbourhood 

 of Para as ' Murupita,' ' Seringa-Rana,' Sic."— (Agricultural News, 

 1905, p. 271). 



