in one pcan that it and its railroad station, are known as El 
ule. is tree also yields rubber in the West Indian Islands. 
It is a near le of the Ficus, yielding the East Indian rubber, 
to which its product bears considerable resemblance. On the 
large tree, some authors state up to six feet in diameter, and lives 
to a great age. Owing to the destructive methods of collecting 
its latex, the exportation of Mexican rubber declined from 
160,000 in 1882-3 to $47,000 ten years later, and the government 
was faced with an almost certainty of the practical extermination 
of the tree. It therefore not only established rules for the 
method of collection, but offered a handsome subsidy for the 
planting of the trees. This is one of the most satisfactory of 
rubber trees for cultivation. It grows well up to an altitude of 
1,500 feet and requires a well-distributed rainfall of at least 
100 inches, and good drainage. The seeds must be planted very 
soon after collection, as they do not long retain their vitality. At 
one year old the tree is about three feet high, and collection can 
commence when it is from five to seven years of age. Although a 
number of trees can often be found in proximity, the species can 
by no means be classed as gregarious. The milk, after collection, 
must be coagulated artificially. This is mostly eats Hee by 
boiling in water, which causes the rubber to separate as a super- 
ficial crust, which is dried and hardened by rolling. The same 
result is sometimes obtained by merely mixing the milk with 
water and rae it to stand. Sea water acts much better than 
fresh water. Sometimes the coagulation is accomplished 
means of adding citric or sulphuric acid. The yield of rubber 
is nearly one half of the weight of the latex, and the rubber is of 
only medium quality. 
The second variety of rubber to be considered is produced in a 
region where all the conditions are opposed to those of the Cas- 
tilla region, namely, the high and dry table-land of the north- 
western district. Owing to the high degree of radiation, this 
region is subject to great variation of temperature by day and 
night, respectively, yet it can be regarded as a hot district. Dur- 
