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THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[October 1, 1911. 



The Rubber Opportunity in Brazil/ 



THERE may be purchased in the market uf the world today 

 about forty distinct sorts of rubber. These vary in quality, 

 quantity, and price very widely. Of them all none have sucli 

 value in the manufacture of rubber goods as the product of 

 the Hevea Brasiliensis, commonly known as Para rubber, and 

 grown wild on the Amazon river and its affluents. In resihence, 

 in lasting qualities, and far more important, in its wonderful 

 assimilative qualities as a compound receiver, no other rubber 

 lias approached it in genuine and practical value. From the 

 time of Goodyear, Hancock, and other early discoverers of its 

 virtues, it has been the standard, and its continued presence 

 in the market is what has made the present expansion of the 

 trade possible. Rubber manufacturers who add to it earths, me- 

 tallic oxides, and. who amalgamate with it rubber-like gums in 

 infinite variety, sometimes fail to realize that the basic value of 

 their goods lies in the presence of the Para rubber. 



Another fact that the industrial world fails to sufficiently 

 recognize is the marvel that a region little known, sparsely 

 settled, vast in extent, covered with forests that in places are 

 impenetrable, without great banking facilities, and with no 

 scientific assistance, should have produced the most and the 

 best rubber, and should do it year after year. 



With great forests still unexplored, with a possiliility tliat 

 vast areas not contiguous to the waterways may be full of 

 mature rubber trees ready for exploitation it will be at once 

 suggested that the opening up of such fields is far better and 

 will yield richer immediate results than can any planting propo- 

 sition. The fact is that both should be developed to their 

 utmost. To satisfy the world's needs particularly during a 

 period of high prices every available rubber tree should be 

 located and tapped. It must not be forgotten, however, that 

 rubber distant from the waterways will cost more to collect 

 and transport, and often only the highest market prices will 

 warrant its gathering. That planting should go hand in hand 

 with this work admits of almost no argument. No one can 

 forecast the future prices at which fine Para will sell. .^ 

 score of happenings may cause a drop in price — a general in- 

 dustrial strike in the United States and Europe — the produc- 

 tion of some cheap plastic by synthesis that shall take the 

 place of rubber in a multitude of places w'here the resilience 

 and nerve of fine Para are not needed — these and a multitude 

 of other possibilities might put the price of rubber, gathered 

 as it is, so low as to seriously embarrass the present pro- 

 ducers. To prepare therefore for such eventualities and to 

 meet the competition of the world of planted rubber in Ceylon, 

 the Federated Malay States, Borneo, Java, Sumatra, India, 

 Africa and in the British and Dutch possessions in the West 

 Indies, rubber planting would seem to be the logical course. 

 With all of its advantages of soil, climate, rainfall, and abun- 

 dant seed supply, the Amazon country certainly should be able 

 to produce plantation rubber as quickly, cheaply and more 

 surely than any other part of the tropical world. As to the 

 advantages, if Nigri Sembilan can plant the Hevea, the tree 

 of the Amazon, and from young trees get 3 lbs. and 2 oz. oi 

 rubber at a cost per pound of less than 25 cents , why not 

 Amazonas? If Partit Buntar can gather from 17 year old trees 

 28j/< pounds in one year, why should not the tree planted on 

 the .\mazon produce 30? The practical value of half a dozen 

 successful plantations right here among rubber producers can 

 hardly be overestimated. By reason of the greater profits 



•Prize essay presented in Portuguese by the Editor of The India Rubber 

 World at the Rubber Congress at Manaos. February, 1909. It is pub- 

 lished now with the hope that it will draw fresh attention to Brazil's duty 

 and opportunity. 



shown, the gatherer of wild rubber would study plantation 

 methods and wherever they could be adopted would see to it 

 that they were. 



I should be the last one to force upon the rubber 

 gatherer any complicated tool or new process designed 

 to do away with the present cutting instrument and coagulation 

 by smoking. They are both simple and have given to the world 

 the best rubber that it has. A great industry must be changed 

 over slowly, and for wild rubber there is nothing at present 

 that can be safely recommended as adapted to the laborers and 

 the conditions. With successful plantations competing with 

 the rest of the world, however, new methods are sure to be 

 evolved which will eventuate in a larger and better production. 

 If all of the wild rubber trees in Brazil were gathered together 

 into plantations as they are in the Middle East the annual pro- 

 duction could certainly be doubled, and the product be 90 per 

 cent, fine and 10 per cent, coarse and even better. Just as 

 eternal vigilance is the price of liberty in citizenship, so im- 

 mediate and intelligent planting is the price of supremacy in 

 rubber production. 



Today this State is in an enviable position in this one par- 

 ticular. The rest of the world has done all of the experiment- 

 ing. Twenty years ago few knew anything with certainty. 

 Millions were spent in planting Caslilloa on rocky hillsides or 

 in shallow earth pockets, in expecting the maniliot to do well 

 in rich soil with abundant rainfall — in shade planting, sun 

 planting, weeding, etc. Today so thoroughly is the subject 

 known that not only does one know that the Hevea Brasiliensis 

 is the best tree to plant, but every phase of it — seed selection, 

 soil, culture, and preparation are all a matter of scientific 

 record. As for tapping and smoking Amazonas knows her 

 share of how to do that from long and profitable practise. 



It should not be forgotten, however, that with large plantings 

 of Hex'ea, or anything else will come new problems. There will 

 be new tree diseases that the wild trees have never suffered 

 from, new insect pests, of which the old rubber producer nevei 

 knew. For that reason the State should have advice in the 

 person of at least one practical scientific rubber planting ex- 

 pert. Later when comes the rush for lands for planting there 

 should be experiment gardens, entomologists, mycologists, etc., 

 who will guard the vested interests from the vengeance of jealous 

 nature. 



The Hevea Brasiliensis is one of the most wonderful trees 

 in the world as regards its adaptiveness. Given moisture, heat 

 and a fair amount of plant food, and it grows cheerfully and 

 lustily anywhere. It, however, shows its best growth in rich 

 alluvial soil. It never flourishes w'here the water stands about 

 its roots for a long period. Inundations it does not mind if 

 the soil be of such a nature that the water soaks in slowly and 

 then flows away again before oversaturation has taken place. 

 As long as there is plenty of rainfall and abundant moisture 

 in the air, the tree will grow in any fairly rich soil. It is 

 better of course to plant it on ground that will not be inundated, 

 as it is safer. It is better also if possible to clear without burn- 

 ing, as the fire destroys much of the best of the plant food. Cer- 

 tainly the plantations should be located near the waterways for 

 easy transportation, and near the villages and cities to get 

 laborers. 



With a greatly stimulated industry through planting will 

 come, slowdy at first, colonization by individual planters if tliey 

 have certain government aid. Once the business is established 

 and the great Indian coolie producing countries are assured 

 that their laborers are to be well cared for, thousands can be 



