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Hawaii, it is believed that tiie Ceara rubber tree should comprise the 

 lar*;er proportion of all now plantations, because of its extremely 

 rapid growth and early maturity. In laying out a rubber plantation 

 comparatively early returns are desirable. The Ceara trees will stand 

 a moderate tapping, when three years old, and may be counted on to 

 yield a considerable return in five years. The Assam rubber tree, 

 while of much slower growth, yields much more abundantly when it 

 does finally reach bearing age. A number of other varieties are 

 believed worthy of trial, as they are reported native of high eleva- 

 tions Avhere the climatic conditions are similar to those of the Hawai- 

 ian mountain slopes. The conditions in Hawaii are believed to be 

 extremely favorable for the cultivation of Ceara rubber trees, and one 

 of the newly formed companies has already planted 100,000 seeds of 

 this species and expects to have half a million trees growing within 

 two years. It is believed that with as much science, skill, and knowl- 

 edge devoted to ru))ber planting as is now given the sugar industry 

 there will be no question of ultimate success in this new industry. 



CASSAVA. 



Considerable attention has been recently given throughout tropical 

 and subtropical regions to cassava cultivation. This plant is well 

 known to the native Hawaiians as a food plant, bearing the name pia, 

 which was used by the older generation for the native arrowroot 

 {Maranta arundhiacea). While cassava is used for forage and as a 

 vegetable, its more important use is for the preparation of starch, 

 known commercial!}^ as tapioca flour. There is one small factory in 

 operation on Kauai, but the plant is not a modern one and the Inisiness 

 is conducted rather as an adjunct to cattle feeding. 



In Hawaii cassava grows as a perennial, although commercially it is 

 best to treat the crop as an annual. It thrives from sea level on the 

 Kona side of most of the islands up to 3,000 feet elevation, except in 

 ver}^ wet districts. It requires about the same soil as sweet potatoes 

 and maintains an existence for a surprisingly long time, even under 

 the most adverse conditions of neglect. A few plants are usually to 

 be seen in the gardens of native Hawaiians, who gi\e them less care 

 and attention than they bestow upon their sweet-potato crop. If the 

 production of this crop is undertaken on a commercial scale, the land 

 should be selected so that it can be given the proper cultivation. 

 Shallow plowing, G to 12 inches, is preferred to deeper cultivation, as 

 it tends to keep the roots nearer the surface and facilitates harvesting. 

 After the land is thoroughly prepared the seed, which consists of cut- 

 tings of the stalk, are planted in furrows 2 to 4 feet apart. The best 

 results obtained in Hawaii are from plantings made from November to 

 February. A field should be cultivated sufficiently to keep down the 



