INTRODUCTION - 
Brazil, with its vast and immeasurable virgin forests in the 
valley of the Amazon, undoubtedly the greatest in the world, 
traversed by innumerable tributaries, many of which are larger 
and deeper than many of the rivers in other countries, can be 
considered the largest storehouse of native rubber of the best 
quality, all ready to be extracted, coagulated and applied to all 
kinds of industries. No other investment of capital can be as 
remunerative as that invested in the extraction of the native rub- 
ber from full grown trees, already existing in large quantities of 
many millions, and in zones full of natural richness. 
For the culture of rubber trees of the various species, the 
whole northern and central portions of Brazil are well adapted, 
and will give magnificent results in the near future. 
Nature has prodigally provided easy means of communica- 
tion by waterways broad and deep. The climate is equitable 
without great variations of temperature, which gives perpetual 
summer and produces large and nearly uninterrupted harvests of 
agricultural products. 
The difficulties which hinder the rapid development of the 
extraction of rubber are the obstructions in rivers in certain 
places, at certain seasons of the year when the water is low, and 
the fact that the production of rubber is so remunerative that all 
the vigorous men that are thus engaged do not care to engage 
in any other industry. Thus it is that living in the rubber regions 
is very expensive because everything must be brought there, 
even implements and foodstuffs. 
These difficulties, however, have been brought to the atten- 
tion of the Federal Government of Brazil, and of the States, 
and in consequence an important Congress was called and pre- 
sided over by the Minister of Agriculture, Industry and Com- 
merce. The Legislative power also passed special laws pro- 
viding measures urgently needed to better the existing condi- 
tions. These laws also provide for a department under the 
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