10 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[October 1, 19l3. 



Rubber Importers as Planters. 



IT was only a few years ago that the most sceptical of all the 

 rubber men, as to any possible future for plantation rubber, 

 were the rubber importers. They were far more positive and 

 petulant in their scorn for all whn planted than were the nianu- 



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Mr. I. Hexry Hirsch, Pl.\nt.\tiun "Serk.x." 



facturers. Gradually, however, they changed ; and it is probable 

 that most of them today think that they always had faith in 



rubber planting. And that is the comfortable way in which to 

 view progress. There was one lirm of importers, however, that 

 believed enough to start its own plantation, and to administer it 

 manfully. Plantation "Serra" in the State of Bahia, Brazil, is 

 owned by the New York house, A. Hirsch & Co., well known as 

 rubber importers. They have turned away from Castilloa, 

 from Ilcvea and even Ficus, and gone in for Manihot, planting 

 on a very large scale. One of the sons, Mr. I. Henry Hirsch, 

 is in active charge of the plantation. The illustrations show 

 the manager and a body of his field hands. 



Incidentally it might be well to recall that American manu- 

 facturers have not in the past half appreciated the value of Ceara 

 rubber. On the other hand there are scores of large European 

 manufacturers — the Michelin's for example — who have been able 

 to get better results in many lines of goods with Ceara rubber 

 than with Para even. It is therefore of the greatest interest to 

 the trade that a firm like Hirsch & Co. has gone into such 

 planting. It will undoubtedly aid not only in the production of 

 more and better Ceara rubber, but in showing American manu- 

 facturers the true value of this excellent gum. 



MH. WILLIS MISQUOTED. 



In the Bolctin da Superintendcncia da Borracha, No. 1, pub- 

 lished May 30, the statement is made that Mr. John C. Willis, 

 the director of the Botanical Gardens in Rio Janeiro, had been 

 experimenting with the Manicoba tree and that this rubber gave 

 as good results as Hcvea. This is a misquotation, as Mr. Willis 

 says there is only one Manicoba in the botanical gardens and 

 that this has never been tapped. The experiments that he has 

 been making have been confined exclusively to the Hevca tree. 



Ce.\r.\ Rubber G.\therers on Pl.\nt.\tiox "Serra.' 



