July 1, 1912.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



471 



Trinidad and Its Rubber. 



By the Editor of ■■The htdia Rubber World." 



Physical Aspects of Trinidad — CoiKiuest and Settlement — Production of Cocoa 

 — Rubber Planting — Professor Carmody — The Hevea Confusa — Its Peculiarities 

 and Probable Origin — The Danger of Hybridization. 



TRINIDAD on the map, that is on any ordinary map, looks 

 like a tiny square blot of ink close to the coast of Vene- 

 zuela. It opens out, however, as one approaches it as a 

 very sizable island. It is actually 55 miles long and 40 miles 

 broad, and is one of the most picturesque of all the islands of 

 the tropical Atlantic. Its forest-crowned mountains, flower- 

 bedecked valleys and broad savannas, densely covered with 

 tropical growths, its rushing brooks and rivers, land-locked 

 harbor, and its heterogeneous mixture of races, as well as its 



succession bodies of French agriculturists, importations of 

 African slaves, Portuguese refugees, and in 1797 the actual 

 capture of the island by the English. With British rule came the 



Map of Trinidad. 



romantic history, lend to it a charm intensified day by day as the 

 visitor becomes better and better acquainted. Of course, it was 

 discovered by Columbus, and named by him, and equally, of 

 course the native Indians, the Arouacks and the Chaimas, dis- 

 appeared. Columbus had done well if instead of imposing so 

 pious a name he had allowed it to remain "Irere" — Land of the 



Pr(if. p. CARMonv, F. I. C, F. C. S. i 



East Indian coolie, and fully one-third of the population today 

 is made up of that tractable, continent and peaceable type. 



Trinidad is hot, with a mean temperature of about 78 degs. 

 The island has excellent roads, some 400 miles being good for 

 automobiles. In addition there are 1,100 miles of roads, trails 

 and bridle paths that give access to all parts of the island. There 

 are also about 90 miles of good railroad. It is therefore easy 

 to visit the Pitch Lake, the oilfields, the mineral springs and enjoy 

 some beautiful drives through wonderfully picturesque mountain 

 valleys. 



Trinidad is a great center for tropical products. Her most 

 abundant crop is cocoa, of which she produces one-fourth of the 

 world's annual supply ; nor are her planters asleep concerning 



Entrance to Gulf at Paria. 



Humming Birds — as the natives called it. The island was owned 

 by the Spanish until that picturesque adventurer Sir Walter 

 Raleigh took it away from them — at least in part. Then came in 



Custom House and Landing, Trinidad. 



rubber. There are a few quite sizable plantings, and hundreds 

 that run from half a dozen trees up to several thousand. The 

 tree most interesting to them all is the Hevca BrasUicnsis, but 



