238 THE RUBBER INDUSTRY 



1. Those consisting of the old Liberian coffee 

 estates interplanted with Para rubber, and from which 

 the coffee-trees are now rapidly disappearing. 



2. The small area planted some twelve years ago 

 on low-lying forest lands and cultivated without catch 

 crops. 



3. The various tobacco plantations converted into 

 rubber estates. 



4. Plantations opened since 1909 on undulating 

 forest lands and cultivated without catch crops. 



5. Recently-opened estates interplanted with catch 

 crops of Robusta coffee in order to defray the cost of 

 bringing the rubber-trees to the tapping stage. 



In group No. i there is practically no capital cost, 

 although it is customary to estimate expenditure at 

 the rate 25 per acre ; the coffee has paid the expenses 

 of cultivation until the rubber-trees have become self- 

 supporting, but the result is an uneven development of 

 the trees adding greatly to the cost of collecting 

 the latex. No. 2 has given satisfactory results as 

 regards growth, but the area is so small that it does 

 not affect the aggregate production to any appreci- 

 able extent. No. 3 has proved both successful and 

 economical to bring into bearing, but these advantages 

 are counterbalanced by high prices paid for the lands. 

 No. 4 is only now beginning to give returns, but 

 promises well as to growth and is remarkably healthy 

 in appearance. No. 5 is in a satisfactory state so 

 far, but it is too soon to say what the final result of 

 interplanting with Robusta coffee will be in regard to 

 the development of the young trees, and as to whether 

 the immediate financial gain from two or three heavy 



