Coat of a IRubber plantation* 393 



advances that are being daily made in the manufacture of agricultural 

 implements. 



To prevent the tree from dying in consequence of the incisions re- 

 ferred to, it is indispensable to observe two things carefully: first, the 

 incision must not go beyond the bark, for if the woody part is injured, 

 the tree may die; second, such incision should not isolate the lower 

 from the upper portion of the bark, as, in that case, the sap being un- 

 able to ascend to the upper part of the tree, this also would cause its 

 death. It is also necessary that the tapping be not too frequent. 



There are some who think that to yield a greater quantity of sap, 

 the tree requires several incisions, or a single one in spiral form around 

 its entire length; while others express the opinion, better founded, 

 perhaps, that a single incision made in the lower part is sufficient, as 

 the force of gravity causes all the sap to run down without much injury 

 to the tree. 



It is well to be careful, after all the sap is taken out, to heal the 

 wounds made by the incisions, by covering them with wax, woollen 

 stuffs, or clay. 



VI. 

 PROBABLE COST OF A PLANTATION OF RUBBER-TREES. 1 



It seems proper, before concluding this paper, and with the object 

 of furnishing the greatest amount of information relating to the prac- 

 tical points concerning rubber, to present an estimate of the probable 

 cost of a plantation. It must be remarked, that the following data are 

 based upon the present cost of agricultural operations in Soconusco, 

 and were given to me by Senor Don Sebastian Escobar, of Tapachula 

 an experienced agriculturist, as I have already stated, and thoroughly 

 acquainted with everything pertaining to agriculture in that district. 



The cost would vary according to the proximity of the trees, and 

 also, according to whether the soil has been prepared exclusively for 

 planting rubber-trees, and not for anything else, such as cotton, as 

 has been already indicated. Supposing that the plantation is to con- 

 tain ten thousand trees, and that they are placed at a distance of three 

 yards from each other, applying the measurement used in Soconusco, 

 it will result that a cuerda, the unit of the standard agrarian measure of 

 that district, forming a square of twenty-five yards on each side, or an 



1 1 have to repeat here what I said in the introduction of this book, namely, that 

 conditions have changed in Soconusco so much since this paper was written, especially 

 in the price of land, labor, taxes, etc., that the estimate of expenses contained in this 

 chapter, while correct at the time it was written, would be now four or five times 

 larger, and that were I to write this paper again, I would make much more con- 

 servative the estimate of the rubber produced, which so far was only guesswork. 



