May I, i'j07.1 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



2.V> 



"Castilloa Hlastica" at Kl Aljibes. 



ICircumlercncc 12 to 14 feet; height about 80 feet. The other trcis sh.iwn 

 are small seedlings. I 



but more about that later. Mr. Baker had taken so much in- 

 terest in the question of rubber culture, and with the limited 

 money and time that the department could afford him had gone 

 so far into it, that I spent my time chiefly in getting a general 

 idea, not only of what exotic rubber plants would do there, but 

 what possibility there was of native producers hitherto unknown 

 to the rubber trade. For example, he showed me a plant, or 

 rather a large shrub, whicii is known as the "caimitillo," and 

 is bolanically the Chrysophyllum olivifore. This fruits about 

 September, bearing a sort of plum that, with a little crushing 

 of the pulpy interior, becomes a gum somewhat like chicle. In 

 parts of the island hundreds of tons of this fruit go to waste 

 every year. Tliere are also thousands of acres of land covered 

 with shrubs and vines near the coast, some of which no doubt 

 would be numbered among the lesser rubber producers. Of 

 course, as there has been nn forestry dcpartnicnt up to the pre:- 



nt time there is a lack of exact knowledge on the subject. 



The revolution that the country had just gone through had 



■ i work at the experiment station back considerably. Indeed, 



luring its progress none of the .■\nicricans knew whether they 



.'. ould be able to remain there at all. \ large body of in- 



irgents camped close to the station, but did not disturb it very 



inch. They did help themselves to a few horses and pigs, and 



ntcred the main office, cut the telephone away with a machete, 



I'lok it outside and smashed if, but they did not trouble the 



thousands of dollars worth of valuable instruments, nor did 



ihty attempt in any way to interfere with those in charge. To 



be sure, a detachment of men headed by an officer rode up to 



Trofcssor Cook's house one day and demanded his raincoat. 



I lie owner, however, declared that the coat was useless to them, 



as it was not a raincoat but a snowcoat, and they went away 



satisfied. 



1 spent so much time at the experiment station that I missed 

 my train back to Havana. I then arranged to drive in through 

 the country in a one horse zoilure, and had the time of my 



"Castilloa Elastica" at El Alj 



[t'hnnce seedlings from the large trees shown in tli 



irES. 



lown in the t-ther pictures.] 



"Castilloa Elastica" at El Aljibes. 



[Ciieiimference 1.1 feet. Planted probably in 1854. Surrounded by smaller 

 Castiiloas.'i 



Ilk-. .\ly driver was an alert little Cuban and knew the name of 

 every tree and every ranch, who treated me to green giiavas and 

 other edibles, and his faculty of making himself understood 

 when his Spanish was too nmch for me, was really remarkable. 

 The roads wxre fine, and the estates, nearly one-half of which 

 were owned by Americans, were very extensive, and my guide's 

 fund of good nature seemed inexhaustible until an automobile 

 passed us. Then a look of black wrath spread over his features 

 and he said "Mucho malo! Mucho malo!" 



I have always found that if at the be.einning I went to the 

 fountain head of information on any particular topic, I was able 

 M do :; thousand fold more work and also have some time for 

 sightseeing. I therefore got my friend Kummel, of whom more 

 anon, to show me the way to the Hacienda building, to the office 

 of the "Secretaria de Agricultura. Industria y Comcrcio." There 



