166 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



I February r, 1910. 



'PHILADELPHIA'! PLANTATION— EIGHT YEAR OLD RUBBER. 



ailments are attended i" by a native expert. The administration 

 staff occupies a hands, une and comfortable two-storied bungalow, 

 situated at some distance from the labor quarters and surrounded 

 by a well-kept garden. 



The estate is connected with the town of Escuintla by a private 

 telephone line, over which telegrams are transmitted direct from 

 the local federal telegraph office. Wires also run to several out- 

 lying camps on the plantation and to the railway station, which 

 latter is reached by a wide, level, and well-drained carriage road. 



Rubber has been' shipped from "La Zacualpa" since 1901, the 

 first lots having 'been obtained from the old trees planted by 

 Senor Pelaez and from wild trees on the property. The oiiqiul 

 from the cultivated trees has steadily increased year by year. 

 Thus, in 1007, 40,000 pounds were shipped ; in 1908, 60,000 pounds ; 

 while the 1909 crop was expected to reach 80,000 pounds. 



The estate of "Dona Maria," situated 12 kilometers from 

 Escuintla, has about 1.700 acres planted to rubber, the age of the 

 oldest being eight years. The first 

 planting was made, as at "La Za- 

 cualpa," in shade. Under the man- 

 agement of Mr. F. A. Quinby, the 

 property has been successfully 

 brought to a producing stage, some 

 5 tons of rubber, of excellent qual- 

 ity, having been shipped in 1908. 

 The output for 1009 probably was 

 10 tons. 



The adjoining plantation of "La 

 Amistad," of Mr. V. Smith, has 

 about 150 acres under rubber, a 

 good proportion of which is also 

 of tappable age. 



The "El Dorado" plantation i- 

 located some 40 kilometers to the 

 southeast of Tapachula. close to 

 the Guatemalan border, and was 

 opened up only two years ago. At 

 the present time there are under 

 cultivation 500 acres, to contain 

 eventually, after allowing for suc- 

 cessive thinnings, 300 trees per acre 

 The extremely fertile alluvial soil 

 •of the district, combined with an 

 ample rainfall, has produced trees 

 of very fine growth. Much havoc 



pendent upon the re 



was wrought during the first year 

 by "tusas," or gophers (Geomys 

 I'm ^iriits), notwithstanding the per- 

 petual warfare waged against this 

 destructive rodent by means of traps 

 and poison; but with a liberal sur- 

 of plants to draw upon at each 

 stake, losses thus incurred were 

 ptly made good, so that the 

 stand maintained is considerably in 

 excess of that called for. 



The layout and methods of culti- 

 adopted on this property are 

 generally similar to those in vogue 

 at "La Zacualpa." Under the terms 

 of the development contract, the 

 plantation is to be turned over to 

 the owners in 1912 as a going con- 

 cern. The enterprise is somewhat 

 in the nature of an experiment on 

 the part of the Land company of 

 Chiapas, and the extension of opera- 

 tions in this direction will be de- 

 ults of the present venture. 



Department of Tonal'a. 



In the department of Tonala, near Mapastepec, three planta- 

 tions are undergoing development: "El Roblito," of the Roblito 

 Rubber Plantation Co., of Oakland, California, with 5,500 acres 

 of land and 325 acres planted; "El Rosario." owned by the St. 

 Paul Tropical Development Co., of St. Paul. Minnesota, with 

 7,500 acres of land and 600 acres planted ; and "La Aurora," of 

 (he Chiapas Land and Stock Co.. of Los Angeles, California, with 

 5,000 acres of land and some 200 or 300 acres planted. ' All of 

 these plantings were made in iga8 and are in good condition. 



On "El Roblito" the stakes were set at 5 feet apart, leaving 

 10 feet between the lines, the permanent stand to be 10 x 10 feet, 

 making approximately 445 trees to the acre. On "E! Rosario" 

 the distance adopted was 7 by 14 feet. 



[to be continued.] 



w&m . ■ 411 



CHIVAL" ESTATE, ORIZABA RUBBER PLANTATION CO. 

 [Four year old Castilloa rubber, at El Salto.] 



