On the cacao estates in the Rivas district rubber trees have 

 been planted as shade. In Costa Rica rubber has not proved a 

 success as shade for cacao. In this latter country rubber is culti- 

 vated near the coasts and on the Nicaragua frontier. Several 

 varieties of Castilla are grown, but the plantations are not yet in 

 bearing, so that definite results as to the yield of these forms are 

 still uncertain. In 1905 about 160,000 pounds wild Castilla rubber 

 was exported from this country. 



Planting in Mexico. 



One of the first attempts to cultivate rubber in Mexico was 

 made by the Hon. Matias Romero, who in 1872 planted 100,000 

 trees near Suchiate River in Soconusco, on the Guatemalan border. 

 The owner had to abandon the place for political reasons and the 

 plantation was gradually destroyed by native rubber collectors and 

 by fire, so that at present there is hardly any trace left. On the 

 identical spot of the old plantation a new one has been started in 

 recent years by a relative of Senor Romero. When I visited 

 the place, about a year ago, it was in a thriving condition. Some 

 thirty years ago Don Eugenio Sanchez on the Teapa river in the 

 State of Tabasco planted the first rubber trees. After that the 

 Pratt and Alfar:o families planted rubber, and about 22 years ago 

 most of the farmers in the Teapa and Pichucalco valleys com- 

 menced to plant extensively. For the past twelve years there has 

 been a steady increase of the planted area. In the Rio Seco 

 Valley, Don August Litzoff has now about 100,000 trees, two to 

 nine years old. 



On the upper Grijalva, above Huimanguillo, there is a line 

 of farms for about 30 miles ; most of these are tapping 10 year old 

 trees. Seiior Abalos, of Huimangillo, cropped an average of 14. 

 ounces rubber from his 10 year old trees last year. 



All this was done on a comparatively small scale, however, 

 the plantations being in Mexican hands not consisting of more 

 than a few thousands or tens of thousands of trees. About 18 

 years ago a number of rubber trees were set out as shade for cacao 

 on La Zacualpa, in Soconusco, by the then owner Senor Palaez. 

 Of these there are some 1,000 trees left, and they have been regu- 

 larly tapped for many years, the trees now presenting a very 

 scarred appearance as a result of the primitive method of tapping 

 employed by the native huleros. 



Less than ten years ago American capital was attracted 

 towards rubber planting in Mexico. As a result of this movement 

 we have to-day approximately 100 plantations, entirely or partly 

 devoted to rubber. I have in my possession letters and data 

 showing that the whole area under rubber in Mexico to-day (De- 

 cember I, 1906) is at least 82,620 acres. I think it is safe to say 

 90,000 acres. Next year's planting, at a low estimate, will be 

 10,000 acres. In this total I have not included what "has been" 

 planted, but is no more. And I do not believe the entire area 

 mentioned above can be counted upon to become producing. 



