April i, 1903.] 



THE iNDIA RUBBER WORLD 



219 



rHH RIVAL OF "PARA" RUBBER IN THE EAST. 



I -1 HE report on Hevea Brasiliensis in the Malay peninsula, 

 by Mr. Stanley Arden. of Selangor, noticed in the last 

 issue of this journal, besides being an interesting con- 

 tribution to the history of rubber cultivation, is of real 

 value on account of the practical information it contains. The 

 report is of particular interest in that it records the assured 

 success of the introduction of the " Para rubber " tree into the 

 Far Fast, thus extending the field available for the production 

 of the world's best grade of rubber. The Amazon valley is 

 broad enough, it is tiue, to meet every requirement, but there 

 are drawbacks to the development of much of that region which 

 may lead in time to the supplying of any increased demand 

 (or Pari rubber from regions more habitable by civilized peo- 

 ple. 



This possibility early began to appeal to the interest of the 

 British in India, and Sir Clements Markham, C. 11, F. K. 1 

 has given in The India RUBBEB \V< h;i.i> ; an account of the 

 first introduction of exotic rubber species into India, under his 

 direction as a member of the government. The first results, 

 however, were not encouraging, and Mr. Gustav Mann, after an 

 official connection with the Indian forestry service of thirty- 

 three years, gave expression in The India Uuubkr Wi >i;i d1 lo 

 what became a generally accepted opinion in relation lo rubber 

 planting, as follows : 



The acclimatization of American rubber trees in Asia has not been a 

 success, and, generally speaking, I am now inclined to think that all 

 rubber plants had better be grown in the countries in which they aie in- 

 digenous, particularly so since land for cultivation in those countries is 

 available and even abundant. 



While the initial planting of Hevea in India did prove a 

 complete failure, better results were obtained from the begin- 

 nings made in Ceylon and the Malay states ; that is, the seed- 

 lings rapidly developed into vigorous trees. But, as Mr. Arden 

 says, very iittle interest was taken in rubber by planters, pre- 

 sumably on account of the high prices then ruling for collee, 

 which also afforded an earlier return than was possible in the 

 case of rubber. " But with a decline in the price of coffee, plant- 

 ers began to look for other cultivations, and during the season 

 1S96-97 the planting of rubber was taken up seriously. Since 

 then its cultivation has received great attention, and there are 

 at the present time, in the Malay peninsula alone, at least 12,- 

 000 acres planted with Hevea, representing about 1,500,000 

 trees, presumably the whole being the progeny of the trees 

 originally introduced by the government of India (in 1876)." 



The opinion has prevailed, and quite naturally, that any rub- 

 ber species would require, for its successful cultivation, the 

 conditions of sotl, climate, etc., peculiar to its native habitat. 

 The conditions found on the margins of the Brazilian water- 

 ways clearly do not exist in the Malay states, but this fact has 

 not interfered with the satisfactory growth there of tleiiea. 

 Mr. Arden says : 



From reports to hand it will appear that this tree naturally affects 

 swampy places ; but here it thrives in any locality — at low elevations, 

 and on almost any kind of soil. Swampy districts or places that are 

 periodically inundated are not essential to success, and fine specimens 

 arc to be seen growing in what generally would be supposed to be the 

 most undesirable spots. A good tree, for instance, is growing in the l'e- 

 ning botanic gardens on a dry stony bank, and although probably much 

 smaller that, if grown under better conditions, this tree has given an 



.iverage annual yield of over s 1 ,' pounds of rubber from the eleventh and 

 hfteenth years of its existence. 



Mr. Arden writes further: "There are many instances of 

 plants succeeding much better in the country of their adop- 

 tn>n,and the orange may be cited as an example : this plant, 

 although indigenous to eastern Asia, succeeds no where so 

 well as it does in southern Kurope and California." 



It appears, however, that a mistaken view may have been 

 held of the conditions of the growth of Hevea in Brazil. In 

 lact, attention lately has been called to a note by Mr. H. A. 

 Wickham, the agent who procured in Brazil the original seed 

 of Hevea planted in India.; He reported finding rubber trees 

 in high lands as well as on the river margins. " I cannot but 

 imagine," he says, " that the original locality of the tree was in 

 these uplands." The fact of their generally being found in the 

 lowlands he explained by the likelihood of the seeds being 

 carried in the rainy season down innumerable ravines and 

 gullies into the rivers, to be cast up by tides and windy squalls, 

 and readily taking root on the rich soil of alluvial islands and 

 shores of back waters. He regarded it a natural mistake 

 that travelers who passed up and down the great waterways, 

 without having penetrated into the high lands, to suppose 

 Hevea to be confined to the low and frequently flooded shores 

 and islands. But he had found the largest trees inland, and it 

 now appears^ that all the seeds collected by Mr. Wickham 

 were gained from immense trees on the tablelands. 



The growth of llevea in the Malay states is rapid, Mr. Arden 

 having measured an acre, 161 trees 3J2 years old, averaging 

 \T/t inches in girth, a yard from base, while an acre of 4 year 

 old trees averaged 22^ inches in girth. Some of the trees 

 were 30 feet high. Seven year old trees reported on by him 

 averaged 26.2 inches in girth and trees ten years old, 39 inches. 



In the experimental tapping done by Mr. 

 Arden, the implement found most satisfac- 

 tory was a sharp pruning knife, which was 

 used to form " herring bone " incisions, as 

 shown in the diagram, under which a small 

 tin cup was placed to receive the latex. Re- 

 garding coagulation by smoking, Mr. Arden 

 writes : 



Rubber prepared by this method still commands the highest price of 

 all native cured rubbers in the market, but whether the " I'aia " rubber 

 so prepared will continue to occupy the premier position when pitted 

 against rubber coagulated on more scientific principles is very doubtful. 

 There will probably be a certain amount of conservatism to break down, 

 as is generally the case when a new product makes its appearance on the 

 market, but we may rest assured that so long as rubber continues to be 

 used for the manifold purposes it is at present, that it will always com- 

 mand a remunerative figure ; and when prepared free from all foreign 

 matter, and shipped in as dry a condition as possible, the probabilities 

 are that it will eventually oust the " Para" rubber of to-day from its 

 present position, for purity and fteedom from moisture are what the 

 manufacturer most desires. 



The tins in which the latex is gathered are first supplied with 

 a little water, in order to delay coagulation. After straining 

 the collected latex, to remove bits of bark, etc., acetic acid is 

 added — a teaspoonful to a pint of latex— and the whole stirrid 

 a few seconds. The mass soon assumes the consistency of 

 thick cream, when it is poured into enamelled plates. After 



* March 15, 1894— pages 165-167. 



t February lo,li;jij;— page lis. 



| Indian Agriculturist , March 1, 1877. 



i Communication in the London Contract Journal, \M in i^oj. 



