1906 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



231 



thousand of these seedlings were dis- 

 tributed to farmers in the vicinity of 

 Zamboanga, and the remainder placed 

 in seed-beds to await a favorable sea- 

 son for planting. 



It is the intention of the Provincial 

 Government to distribute a number of 

 these seedlings among principal towns 

 of the island, in order to ascertain 

 which section of the country is best 

 suited to rubber growing. A planta- 

 tion will also be established on the 

 Government Farm at an elevation of 

 25 feet above sea level, with sample 

 plots in the surrounding mountains at 

 different altitudes up to 1,200 feet. 



Ceara Rubber, (Manihot glasiovii). 



As far as is known to the writer, 

 there are only two rubber plantations 

 of any size in the Philippine Islands, 

 and these are located on the Island of 

 Basilan, Moro Province. These plan- 

 tations are situated at 200 and 250 feet 

 elevation, and contain 2,500 and 1,000 

 trees respectively. The soil of both of 

 these areas is well drained, rich, heavy 

 loam, with a small amount of volcanic 

 gravel intermixed. 



The following figures on the annual 

 rainfall of the island were furnished 

 by the Weather Bureau sub-station at 

 Port Isabela, Basilan: 



Inches. 



Year 1903, total rainfall, 65.30 

 1904, total rainfall, 74.25 

 [905, total rainfall, 42.43 



The Ceara seed, after having been 

 en route for eight months, were filed 

 and planted directly to stake. At the 

 lower elevation 2,500 out of 3,000 seed 

 germinated, while at 500 feet some- 

 thing over 1,000 plants were obtained 

 from 1,500 seed. 



The following measurements made 

 by the writer, will be of interest to all 

 rubber growers, and as far as is known 

 compare favorably with the growth of 

 other trees of the same species and 

 age, planted in the East : 



Ceara rubber, elevation 500 feet; 

 planted 15x15 feet; age, 7 months 5 

 days ; number of trees measured, 43 ; 

 average height, 12 feet 5 inches; max- 

 imum height, 17 feet; elevation, 200 

 feet; planted, 15x15 feet; age, 5 

 months 15 days; number of trees 

 measured, 65; average height, 9 feet 

 inches ; maximum height 1 t, feet. 



Castilloa Rubber, (Castilloa elastica) 



A small Castilloa plantation, con- 

 taining some 400 seedling trees irreg- 

 ularly spaced, has recently been set out 

 on the Island of Basilan at an eleva- 

 tion of about 50 feet above sea level. 

 The soil on this situation is a rich, 

 heavy loam which has been washed 

 down from the surrounding moun- 

 tains, and contains but a small amount 

 of gravel. 



The measurement of 45 plants in the 

 seed-bed, which are slightly larger 

 than those set out in the plantation, 

 gave the following results : 



Castilloa rubber, age, 4 months 25 

 days ; number of seedlings measured, 

 45; average height, 17 inches; max- 

 imum height 29 inches. 



After watching the growth of Para 

 and Castilloa seedlings in nursery 

 beds, and Ceara trees in plantation, it 

 is the foresters opinion that all of these 

 species are well suited to the climatic 

 and soil conditions as found in the 

 Island of Mindanao. 



Rambong (Fiscus elastica), the 

 other great rubber producing species 

 under cultivation, has been planted 

 singly in private grounds in many 

 towns in the islands. All seem to 

 thrive well. 



Which of these four species will give 

 the greatest returns per acre in the 

 islands is a question which time alone 

 can solve. Almost every large ranch 

 owner in the eastern part of the Island 

 of Mindanao will plant more or less 

 rubber this year. Plans are being 

 made to try all the principal kinds of 

 rubber trees, and it is hoped that the 

 species best adapted to the Philippines 

 may be determined in the near future. 

 With the ever increasing demand 

 for rubber, the limited areas suitable 

 for its production, and the rapid ex- 

 haustion of the jungle product, it will 

 doubtless be many years before the 

 supply ever in a small measure be able 

 to meet the demand. 



In this new country we have been 

 slow in starting to plant rubber, but 

 the first step in the right direction has 

 been taken, and the day may not be 

 far distant when the Philippine Islands 

 will be reckoned as an important fac- 

 tor among the rubber producing coun- 

 tries of the world. 



