DecKMiiER I, 1904.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



89 



RUBBER PLANTING AND EXPLOITATION. 



KXTENT OF KUBUBK PLANTING IN CEYLON. 



A YEAR ago there was summarized in these pages a sta- 

 tistical showing, from that standard publication, the 

 "Ceylon Handbook and Directory, 1903-04," of the 

 extent of rubber planting in Ceylon. The total acre, 

 age then reported was 1 1,630, of which it was stated that more 

 than half had been planted within two years. It was also stated 

 that " more than half the acreage referred to represents the 

 planting of rubber among tea." There is now at hand the issue 

 of the " Ceylon Handbook " for 1904-05, from which it appears 

 that the total planting of rubber has increased to 36,235 acres, 

 of which no less than 10,034 acres are devoted to rubber alone, 

 the remaining area representing tea and other estates inter- 

 planted with rubber, with tiie idea that the latter ultimately 

 will form the only growth on the land. 



No estimate can be given of the number of rubber plants 

 now under cultivation. Last year the best information pointed 

 to the existence of 3,500,000 to 4,000,000 trees on plantations. 

 Assuming all the exclusively rubber fields to contain 200 trees 

 to the acre — and this appears to be the minimum — we have up- 

 wards of 2,000,000 trees, to say nothing of the 26,201 acres on 

 which rubber has been planted, at widely varying distances, 

 among other crops. With three times the total acreage re- 

 ported a year ago, it would seem a reasonable assumption that 

 the number of trees has at least been doubled. The following 

 details have been co.npiled from the last " Ceylon Handbook " : 



RUBBER TLANTING IN CEVLON, JUNE 30, I904. 



DISTRICTS. 



Alagala 



Ambagamuwa 



Dolosbage 



Durabara 



Galagedara 



Galle & Udagama 



llantane 



Ilaputale 



Kalutara 



Kegalla & Polgahawela 



Kelani Valley , 



Kurunegala 



Kuruwita 



Maskeliya 



Matale East & Laggala 



Matale North. 



Malale South 



Matale West 



Monaragala 



Nilambe 



Passara 



Low Country Minor Districts 

 All Other 



Total 



ACREAGE. 



aln Galla district. 51n Ke^alU district, cln addition to 74cx> Rubber trees 

 not otnerwise specified. 



A comparison of the above table with one presented in these 

 pages in November, 1903, shows an increase in the total acreage 

 in rubber in Kalutara from 2357 to 6909, in the Kelani valley 

 from 4100 to 10,149; in the Matale districts from 481 to 5868 ; 

 and soon. Last year TAe Tropical Ai^>iculturtst,vih'\ch issues 

 the " Ceylon Handbook," presented figures to indicate that the 



planting of rubber in the Straits Settlements was little, if any 



less in extent than in Ceylon. From reports that have reached 



The iNniA Rubber VVoklu from various sources meanwhile, 



there is reason to believe that the increase in rubber planting 



in the Straits during the year probably has been as great as in 



Ceylon. ;^=A visitor to The India Rubber World offices as 



these lines are being written is of the opinion that at least 



20.000,000 rubber plants are now under cultivation in Ceylon 



and the Straits Settlements (including the Federated Malay 



States). 



MEXICAN MUTUAL PLANTERS CO. 



[PlanL-ition " La Junta," Sanborn poslofTice. state of Vera Cruz, Mexico Of- 

 hces : 907 Journal buildint;, Chicago, Ithnois, See Thh I.n-'ia Riiiiier WoBi.n, 



May I, igo4— paj^e 27?-] 



An informal meeting of investors in this company, with an 

 attendance of about 125, was held in Chicago on September 27, 

 when Mr. James C. Harvey, the plantation manager, who hap- 

 pened to be in the city, addressed them on the progress made 

 on the plantation to date, and gave a statement of the results 

 hoped for, and of the reasons therefor, all of which is reported, 

 to have been very satisfactory to his audience. Mr. Harvey 

 had with him some specimens of rubber obtained by tapping 

 108 five year old rubber trees on his private plantation, near 

 La Junta, and he supplied details regarding the yield per tree 

 and estimated cost of production, according to which the yield 

 of more mature trees ought to aflFord a satisfactory profit. 



THE NORTH AMERICA RUBBER CULTURE CO. 



[Plantation "Columbia," near Santa Lucrecia, canton of Jachilan, state of 

 Oaxaca, Mexico. Office: New York Life building, Kansas City, Missouri.] 



A RECENT bulletin issued to the investors in this company 

 reported that the 27oacres of old planting of rubber (work was 

 begun two years ago) made a good showing, and that 150 acres 

 additional had been planted this year. The present plans re- 

 late to the plmting of 120 acres next year and 180 acres each in 

 1906 and 1907. The organization of the company remains the 

 same as stated in an article on its plans in The India Rubber 

 World, August i, 1901 (page 321). 



TABASCO plantation CO. 



[Plantations in the states of Vera Cruz and Tabasco, Mexico. Ottices: No. 918 

 Lumber ExchanRe, Minneapolis, Minnesota.] 



This company has been named in The India Rubber 

 World hitherto [April i, 1903 — page 325] in connection with 

 its work in the development of the " San Miguel " rubber plan- 

 tation, in Tabasco. The company has since acquired " La Oax- 

 aqueiia" plantation, in Vera Cruz — mentioned in The India 

 Rubber World, July i, 1900 (page 287) as being developed by 

 La Oaxaquefia Plantation Co. For the present the energies of 

 the company will be devoted to the further development of 

 " La Oaxaquefia," under the management of Mr. George E. 

 Davis, who has been identified with that estate from the begin- 

 ning. The secretary of the company writestoTHE India Rub- 

 ber W(5RLD, referring to both estates: 



We have planted about 800 acres of rubber trees, and intend to plant 

 several thousand more, planting as many trees each year as circum- 

 stances will permit. We are developing a large sugar plantation at Oax- 

 aqueiia, as we have between 7000 and 8000 acres of very tine sugarcane 

 land and have cleared there 4300 acres of land. We are now planting 

 sugarcane for nurseries, etc., and have in about 300 acres. We have 

 employed the Honolulu Iron Works Co . of Honolulu, to engineer and 

 construct our sugar factory, which will have an ultimate capacity of 2500 

 tons of cane per day. W'e do not know that you are interested in this 

 branch of our enterprise, but as it is all one thing with us, we deem it 



