THE STORY OF CASTILLOA ELAS- 

 TICA ON LA ZACUALPA. 



The Department (or County) of Soconusco, 

 in the State of Chiapas, one of the twenty- 

 seven States forming the Republic of Mexico, 

 is the natural home of the Castilloa Elastica, 

 or Mexican rubber tree, as is proved by the 

 great number of wild rubber trees which grow 

 spontaneously in its forests. 



In their wild state they grow tall and lank, 

 reaching a height of over fifty feet and a diam- 

 eter of twelve to eighteen inches. 



As far as known the trees are long-lived, 

 and increase their output of latex yearly, until 

 as many as twenty-five pounds of crude rubber 

 have been taken from a tree in a single season. 



It is only within a few years that attention 

 has been called to the cultivation of this tree. 



During the years 1889 and 1890 a grove of 

 some 5,000 of these trees was planted on La 

 Zacualpa, a plantation in the above Depart- 

 ment, which trees are now on an average 

 eighteen to twenty inches in diameter and forty 

 to fifty feet in height, and are yielding about 

 two and one-half pounds of rubber to the tree. 

 They stand about 400 to the acre and are in 

 prime condition. 



These are the trees referred to by Mr. O. 

 F. Cook, on page 76, Bulletin 49, issued by 



