558 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[June 1, 1920. 



early American administration that operation is possible only on 

 a small scale — too small for either success or to interest capital. 



Although the progressive Filipino realizes the economic features 

 involved, his constructive efforts to remedy a situation to which 

 he was never a party, have so far been unsuccessful. He still 

 persists, however, and it is believed that his efforts will shortly 

 be crowned with success. 



RUBBER FACTS. 



The main essentials for a successful rubber plantation are: 



(a) A cheap, abundant and dependable labor supply. 



<b) Large areas of well-drained soil in a proved rubber country. 



•fc) Care in seed selection and the tree elimination with age. 



■(d) An annual, well-distributed rainfall of over 60 inches with 

 freedom from morning rains. 



(e) A temperature above 70 degrees F. and a relatively high 

 humidity. 



■(f) Freedom from winds. 



■(g) Tree protection against deer, wild boar and other bark 

 attacks. 



■(h) Good land and sea transportation for export and import. 



■(i) Favorable land leases or titles, taxes, and governmental at- 

 titude. 



(j) Efficient management. 



The answer to these essential needs is: 



That the labor is not at present adequate for a large acreage 

 development in either supply or wage. For a large acreage— 

 40,000 hectares— 

 the immediate 

 call for the hard 

 work would be 

 for 10,000 to 20,- 

 000 laborers. To 

 secure this num- 

 ber in the Philip- 

 pines quickly, if 

 it were possible, 

 would result in 

 curtailment of 

 production in 

 other necessary 

 lines, a c c o m- 

 panied by a raise 

 in wages that 

 would make 

 competition with 

 Dutch Far East 

 colonies still 

 more unfavor- 

 able. The pres- 

 ent increase in 

 Philippine popu- 

 lation does not 

 keep pace with 

 their develop- 

 ment, and, until the laws are amended to permit entry of abundant 

 cheap labor, and this condition is remedied, a rubber plantation 

 under present Far Eastern competitive conditions will not be suc- 

 cessful. 



Relative to large areas needed it is only necessary to state 

 that the use of rubber is in its infancy. The United States uses 

 about 75 per cent of the world's rubber, almost all of which comes 

 through New York and London markets. The ma.ximum pro- 

 ducing age of a plantation is reached somewhere between its 

 tenth and fifteenth year — the original 100 or 120 trees an acre 

 ■originally planted being reduced by elimination as the trees and 

 root systems expand. Although the individual tree under proper 

 treatment produces more late.x with each year of age, this in- 

 crease per acre after the tenth year remains almost constant, due 

 to trees eliminated. The 1920 requirements for one large rubber 

 factory are 120.000,000 pounds of rubber, which is the maximum 



Three Year Old Rubber, Basil.'VN, Showixg P.\tani Bean Cover 



output of approximately 100,000 hectares of land. Therefore, 

 one sees the uselessness of talking in 2,500-acre (present maximum 

 acreage possible to obtain under law) developments, which, un- 

 der the maximum possible production would give operation to 

 this factory less than four days a year. 



In Java, in instances where rubber trees have been watched, 

 recorded and rated like pedigreed cows for quantity and quality 

 of latex produced, the result of seed selection and budding of tested 

 poor producing young trees with cuttings from high producing 

 trees, the result on an acre of trees over ten years of age is 500 

 pounds of rubber per acre per year. This, therefore, should be an 

 important consideration in a new development. 



The rainfall, temperature, humidity and freedom from wind 

 conditions pertaining to the southern Philippines is more favorable 

 in certain sections than others. 



The protection of trees against destruction by animals, fire, or 

 other causes during development is easily furnished by fencing 

 and proper maintenance. 



The transportation facilities on land and sea are construction 

 features only. Local conditions are extremely favorable in this 

 respect. 



The land leases and titles for areas over 1,000 hectares (2,500 

 acres) cannot be obtained except by purchase of old church or 

 Spanish concessions, none of which are in this section. 



The taxes are 

 very favorable 

 while the gov- 

 ernment's a 1 1 i- 

 tude has always 

 been kindly and 

 helpful. There 

 is no reason to 

 believe that it 

 will ever be 

 otherwise. 



Efficient man- 

 agement is very 

 important here as 

 elsewhere in the 

 tropics. The se- 

 lection of repre- 

 sentatives who 

 know local con- 

 d i t i n s as to 

 laws, officials, la- 

 bor and customs 

 is essential. 



ESTIMATE TO 



DEVELOP 1,000 



HECTARES (2,500 



ACRES). 



In this estimate 

 of cost to develop 

 a 1000-hectare (2500 acres) rubber (Hevca brasilicn^s) planta- 

 tion in the Philippines the experience of the Dutch Netherlands 

 and English colonies in the Far East as well as that of going con- 

 cerns in the Philippines has been considered. It is recommended 

 from possible fungus considerations, as well as initial development 

 cost, that heavy jungle areas be avoided and that cogan (a tall 

 hbrous grass) land be selected and that, to keep down weeds, to 

 make for the most economical maintenance, Patani bean (an 

 evergreen with fertilizing and fire resisting qualities which is dis- 

 liked by wild animals) be planted. 



To make this estimate on a business basis it will be assumed 

 that the rubber selling value will be $0.40 a pound (present price 

 is over $0.60 a pound) ; that the plantation will be fully cleared 

 and planted in two years and that a less than maximum acre 

 year production will result. The following estimates are the 

 result of careful consideration based on practical knowledge. 



