54 THE RUBBER TREE BOOK 



estate, planting it up with Hevea rubber and bringing the 

 rubber to bearing. 



The worst was yet to come! The wily natives, knowing 

 well that a purchase of these Ficus elastica trees was in con- 

 templation, had, in the interval, slashed the trees nearly to 

 death in order to get the last ounce of rubber out of them. 

 Thus, when the directors of the unfortunate company had at 

 last acquired the trees, it was only to find that it was vain to 

 expect any yields of rubber from them until, after the lapse 

 of some years, the trees should have recovered themselves. 



In Java very little land is now obtainable direct from 

 Government, and that only at high elevations. Estates there- 

 fore have to be acquired by purchase from private owners or 

 from other companies. Rentals vary more than in Sumatra. 

 In many districts one shilling per acre is paid, but in long- 

 settled, populous districts, such as Malang, up to five shillings 

 per acre and even more is sometimes paid. 



