March i, 1907. 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



175 



sliriib have already been 



Mexico, and who traveled thousands of miles through these 

 mountainous districts specifically to discover if the plant grew 

 there. 



AV.VILAUI.E sriTI-Y. 



For several reasons it is most difficult to •determine exactly 

 how much of the shrub there is available for manufacture, 

 in the first place, it has been so confused with mariola that 

 honest investigators who believed that they had located a territory 

 on which grew say 10,000 tons, found later thst there was actually 

 anywhere from 500 to 600 tons only. 



Then, again, the heads of the extraction companies, in giving 

 figures as to amounts of shrub in sight, invariably set their own 

 supply as very large, but cannot bring themselves to think that 

 the other fellow has any considerable amount. 



Again, there are areas not yet definitely known. The state of 

 Sonora, for example, contains the shrub, but until the Yaqui In- 

 dians are conquered no one is likely to profit by it. Then, too, 

 there is considerable in Texas. How much, few, if any, know 

 and they don't tell. Report has it further that Lower California is 

 rich in the shrub, but that is seriously doubted by the experts, be- 

 cause the climatic and topographical conditions do not appear to 

 be favorable. 



However, Otto Kattcrfeldt. who ought to know, claims that 

 there are about 489,000 tons that can be profitably worked. Dr. 

 Endlich thinks there are 375,000 tons. From my own figures, 

 gathered with much care, I should put 300,000 tons as a conserva- 

 tive figure. 



From 20,000 to 30,000 tons of the 

 ground up — so it is estimated. Of 

 the shrub that can be profitably 

 gathered there is only about 20,000 

 tons still uncontracted for, and that 

 is held at so high a figure that 

 no extractors are at present in- 

 terested. 



REPRODUCTION AND 

 CtTLTIVATION. 



One of the early suggestions that 

 related to guayule was that it might 

 be cultivated on a large scale, both 

 in the United States and Mexico, 

 and indeed, in arid lands all over 

 the world. For this reason the 

 growth of the shrub in its native 

 habitat has been very carefully 

 studied. One thing that is noted 

 almost at once is that it grows very 

 unevenly — in some places in thick 

 clusters, said to be where cattle and 

 goats have lain, in other places in 

 straggling clumps quite a distance 

 from each other. The seed is ex- 

 ceedingly small and apparently 

 germinates reluctantly and the 

 young plant grows very slowly. 

 This, no doubt, is due in part to the 

 lack of water, and were the cal- 

 careous foothills situated where ir- 

 rigation were possible it might be 

 forced. It is very strongly asserted 

 in Mexico, however, that the forcing 

 of the plant, while producing a rapid 

 growth, does not build bark that 

 contains any particular percentage 

 of rubber. 



Quite close to the Madero fac- 

 tory at Parras is a patch of land 



in which guayule seeds were planted more than a year ago. They 

 sprouted, but to-day the plants barely show above the surface of 

 the ground. It is possible that this was not a fair test, as no 

 guayule grows quite in that locality anyhow, and the soil is per- 

 haps not adapted for it. Investigators have asked many questions 

 of natives and the miners who have denuded fields of guayule and 

 used the shrub in smelting, but so far the figures are of little 

 value, some claiming that the plant renewed itself and again 

 clothed the fields as thickly as before in 25 years, others saying 15 

 years, and some bring it down to 5 or 6. One of the keenest ob- 

 servers of guayule believes that in S years' time any guayule area 

 will again be ready for gathering, and he adduces what seems to 

 be good proof for his position. 



Guayule transplanted to other climates has not so far been 

 successful. For example, the experiment of the Berlin botanical 

 gardens came to nothing, while the seed sent to German Fast 

 .Africa sprouted, but the plants had a very sickly look and did not 

 appear thrifty. While I was in Mexico a scientist from one of the 

 government agricultural experiment stations in Texas was in the 

 uplands gathering guayule plants with the idea of trying an ex- 

 periment of grafting them on the roots of the Texas guayule, and 

 thus increasing the rubber product of the latter plant. 



By the way, the story is that even the genuine guayule divides 

 itself into two grades — the shrub that "cuts white," having but 6 

 per cent, nf rubber in it. while the black has from ID to II 

 per cent. 



EXTRACTING GUAYULE RUBBER. 



There have already been published lengthy descriptions of 



MAP OF THE MEXICAN GUAYULE DISTRICT. 



The heavily dotted line bounds the ar-.a riclust in cuayulc shrubs, 

 guayule factories are located are indicated by a heavy X. They are : 

 Gomez Palacio, V'iesca, 



ToBREOW, Parkas, 



JiMULCO, SALTILLO, 



Cedral, Cuatros Cie.necas, 



The towns at which 

 Sam Lois Potosi, 



OCAMPO, 



Va.spegas, 

 Las Delicias, 



