14 



Approaching the Rubber Zone. 



To those arm<ihair rubber exrperts wtose knowledge is 

 confined lo synojises of what others have done in the 

 itropics, and who have actually wishedl their friends to 

 'believe in the successful cultivation of tropical species in 

 Bub-temperate zones, I would' commendl the course 

 through whiich the writer is now passing. We arrived 

 at Aden after 'having spenit a few perspiring nighits in the 

 Red Sea. The change in climate has been very instruc- 

 tive. If you want tO' make a city rubber, experlt realise 

 the differences 'between the hot damip air in the tropics 

 and that in middle Europe, and thereby impress him with 

 a knowledge of the climatic oondiitionsi under which Para 

 rubber trees can be, and: are really suooessfuilly grown, 

 send him to a sun-burnt, barren landi. He will feel con- 

 vinced that he is approadhing the rubber zone even 

 though he may designiate his imaginary destination other- 

 wise. He will be assuredly impresised' with the fact that 

 there ds a marked' difference between the climate in 

 Sicily and that in the true rubber zone. He will thence- 

 forth pay more attention Ito questions of rainfall, tem- 

 perature and humidity — factors he previously ignored in 

 his otherwise saitisfaotory prospectuses. I have very dis- 

 tinct recoUeations of ome illuminaiting prospectus in which 

 the profitable cultivation of Hevea brasiliensis was fore- 

 casted Jn an area over 25 diegreesi from the equator, 

 ■where the rainfall was ajbout 30 inches and the air " keen, 

 dry, with occasional frosts." Even to-day there is de- 

 plorable laxity displayed in many documents appertaining^ 

 to the cultivation of rubber-yielding sipecies in African 

 and American territories ; many rubber investors dO' not 

 appear to know that for each species there is a limited 

 range of climatic factors under which each plant can be 

 grown. Even lin the small but productive island of Cey- 

 lon there are very many disltriots where it would be im- 

 possible to profitably cultivate any of the rubber plants 

 now known to the sicientific and commercial worlds ; yet 

 Para, Ceara, Castilloa, Rambong, Funtumia, Hancornia 

 and other rubber trees are known, and vines of Landol- 

 phia, Cliitandra, Forsteronia, Cryptostegia, Urceola, 

 Parameria and others capable of yielding, in their lown 

 and similar districts, paying quantities of rubber, abound 



