456 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



IJcNE 1. 1913, 



on the right margin of the San Francisco river, growing in the whicli Dr. Uuinn calls the Maiiihot Brava which gives no 

 mountains and rocky places. ruljl)cr at all, but wliich is easily confused with the good 



Houses and Store ox 



Manihot Pl.\xt.\tion Eight Days from 

 Bahia. 



The Manilwt Piatihyensis originated in the state of Piauhy, and 

 although small in size is most important as a producer of rub- 

 ber. It resem- 

 bles the Hepta- 

 phylla, with a 

 height of seven 

 to sixteen feet 

 and a diameter 

 of four to six 

 inches. The 

 trunk, smooth 

 and light gray 

 in color, divides 

 into two or three 

 branches form- 

 ing a full spread 

 ing top. T h t 

 leaves are usuall> 

 divided in fivi 

 and sometime- 

 seven parti- 

 They are digitatt 

 in form with thi 

 points rounded, a 

 peculiarity of the 

 Piauhyensis. The 

 seeds are similar 



to the Hepta- 

 pliylla. This tree, 



found in the 



state of Piauhy 



along the divid- 

 ing line of the 



state of Bahia, 



and between 8° 



and 10° south 



latitude, and as 



far to the north 



as Itamaraty or 



San Pedro. It 



grows principally 



on the small 



mountain slope? 



and ridges. 

 Like the Ilevea 



the M a ii i .'i o I 



shows one type 



Manihot Heptaphylla—SiKE Months Old. 



.Vrt)n7i()/.j— that is, those that do produce rubber. 



Mauiliols have more than once been suggested as adapted to 



cultivation in the 

 United States, 

 particularly i n 

 parts of Florida 

 and Texas. In- 

 d e e d, at one 

 time one of the 

 Southern experi- 

 ment stations 

 started their cul- 

 tivation. The 

 matter was not 

 carried far, how- 

 ever, and no con- 

 clusions reached. 

 That they could 

 be grown in the 

 Philippines and 

 Porto Rico, as 

 they are in the 

 Hawaiian I s 1- 

 inds, there is no 

 doubt. 



So many dif- 

 ferent figures 

 ■were given as to 

 the yields of 

 Manihots that I 

 was at a loss to 

 wholly reconcile 

 the great differ- 

 ences that were 

 but too apparent. 

 Of course in 

 some cases my 

 informants had 

 taken the prod- 

 uct of certain 

 trees that were 

 abundant p r o- 

 ducers, and based 

 their estimates 

 upon them. In 

 others they were 

 frankly optimistic 



Tapping Manihot Piauhyensis, Resacca Estate, Minas, 



