408 



FOREST PRODUCTS 



plantations, however, were not made on any important scale until 1898 

 and it was not until 1905 that any extensive developments were made. 

 In the latter year, it is estimated that there were 16,000 acres in plan- 

 tations. The Dutch and later the French and Americans followed the 

 example of the English. Since 1905 the development of rubber planta- 

 tions has been remarkable. Many species were tried, including the 

 Ficus elastica, the Castilloas and others, but it remained for the Para 

 rubber tree (Hevea braziliensis) to be the most successful as well as the 

 first to be tried by Wickham in his experimental plantations. It is the 

 only one now used on new plantations. Over 35,000 acres of other 

 species have been planted. 



At the present time there are about 500,000 acres of rubber trees 

 under cultivation in the Dutch East Indies alone and about 250,000 acres 

 in Ceylon. The English have invested $36,000,000 in Dutch plantation 

 properties, the French about $8,000,000, the Americans $9,000,000 and 

 the Dutch about $7,000,000. 



By the end of 1907 only about i^ per cent of the world's rubber supply 

 had been produced from plantation rubber. At that time, about $1.00 

 per pound was secured for this rubber at the plantations, which was con- 

 sidered a satisfactory price. By 1910 the price had risen to $2.50 per 

 pound and a great boom was created in plantations. The present area 

 (1919) of rubber plantations of all kinds is estimated at nearly 2,000,000 

 acres and new areas are being constantly planted. The soil and climate 

 of the Far East seem to be peculiarly suited to the successful growing of 

 the Para rubber in plantations. The following table shows the dis- 

 tribution of the planted areas in the Far East: 



RUBBER PLANTATIONS IN THE FAR EAST 



