Al'RIL I, 1905.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER >/VORLD 



233 



GATHERING "CASTILLOA" RUBBER IN PANAMA. 



IT NDER the heading" Exploring for Castilloa Rubber in 

 J Panama " the Editor of The India Rubbkr World 

 recently wrote a series of letters detailing the exami- 

 nation of 800 square miles of territory in the republic 

 of Panama. This tract has since been acquired by an American 

 syndicate who have started in to develop the property. The 

 primary work done there is along the line of gathering rubbtr 

 from the wild trees, of which there are several hundred thou- 

 sand. The gathering of the rubber, and indeed the develop- 



CAMP PEARSON-CLARK oiHctl. CAMP PEARSON— COAGULATING HOUSE. INTERIOR. 



ment of the whole property, is under the immediate charge of 

 Mr. William M. Morse, one of the men who made up the orig- 

 inal expedition, and who is doing away with crude native meth- 

 ods of gathering and coagulating, and using modern, economi- 

 cal methods. As this is the first experiment on a large scale 

 for handling Castilloa along scientific lines, the following let- 

 ter from Mr. Morse is interesting : 



To THE Edttor or The Indi.^ Rubber World : The clos- 

 ing chapters of your interesting description of your last year's 

 visit to the Azuero rubber lands have just been read by me in 

 the February number. It was 

 with genuine regret — because 

 there is no more to come. In 

 this faraway corner, your month- 

 ly magazine is my greatest com- 

 fort and infallible guide. By spe- 

 cial arrangement, a messenger 

 traveling 80 miles by boat and 35 

 miles on horseback over the 

 mountains brings The India 

 Rubber World to me regularly, 

 and it is well worth the extra 

 trouble and expense. 



While you were here a year ago 

 at Rio Negro, which has been 

 named Camp Pearson in your 

 honor, you expressed a desire to 

 know the results of your sugges- 

 tions for increasing the crude 

 rubber product. That your ideas 



were sound and practical is substantially proven by a shipment 

 of 3000 pounds — one month's work— which went forward a few 

 days ago. The progress of clearing, opening trails, and re- 

 planting the thousands of little seedlings has advanced in a 

 most satisfactory manner. To-day, Camp Pearson is a little 

 village of eight substantial ranches, in the midst of a clearing 

 of 35 acres. We have 50 rubber cutters, who are tapping the 

 trees and delivering the milk to our camp, and an added force 

 of 50 men opening up the trails in the unexplored regions. 



New growths of fine Caslilloa are 

 constantly being discovered, 

 especially through the river val- 

 leys and the deep gulches. 



Near Palo Seco we found trees 

 which are 24 inches in diameter 

 and are fine vigorous specimens. 

 The records which I am keeping 

 on the product from these trees 

 will be interesting. 



The old methods of gathering 

 the rubber by the use of the ma- 

 chete and calabash and coagulat- 

 ing without straining are entirely 

 superceded by modern methods. 

 The new tapping tool that you 

 sent down is exactly what we 

 want, and I have ordered more 

 of them, and will equip all of the 

 camps with this practical device. 

 It does not injure the tree in the 

 least, and the cut heals quickly. Besides, its mark is so dis- 

 tinctive that any native using a machete on the tree would be 

 at once detected. 



By straining the latex and handling the product properly, we 

 are producing tortillas of rubber which have been sold at $1.15 

 per pound. There is no question but what in a short space of 

 time we will be producing perfectly clear, clean, " pancake " 

 rubber that will constantly increase in volume with the number 

 of men we can work. While you were at Camp Pearson, you 

 will recollect the clearing of the undergrowth from the grove 







PALO SECO— OLD CASTILLOA TREES 



SHIPPING FACILITIES AT CHITRE. 



