THE ACRE 
THE FLUVIAL REGION THAT IS RICHEST IN 
RUBBER 
As far as the wealth’ of rubber obtained from natural sources 
is concerned, Brazil ranks first among all the world’s rubber 
producing countries. While the East Indian section, with its 
plantation grown product, has already outstripped her in the 
quantity of its annual plantation output, the superior excellence 
of genuine Para rubber has not been attained. The “fine rubber” 
that comes from the inundated region of the lower river country 
is best known. In the upper districts of various southern afflu- 
ents, fine rubber trees grow, but no longer in the lowlands that 
have long been subject to inundation, they occur rather in forests 
that are overflowed seldom, if at all, that even extend over the 
hilly districts. The method of collection and the entire opera- 
tion of rubber production varies in many respects from the 
more familiar methods of the inundated districts. This applies 
particularly to Acre, with its characteristic and peculiar river 
section: 
To explore this section, from economic and scientific points 
of view, I undertook a journey last year, 1911, at the instance 
of the Associacio Commercial. 
The results of this journey will be embodied in a detail report, 
it is at present proposed to make only a brief summary to sup- 
plement the pictures shown in the exhibition. 
Our better knowledge of Acre dates back barely a quarter of 
a century. At that period uncertainty prevailed as to which of 
the countries adjoining Acre, Brazil, Bolivia and Peru, were the 
owners of the territory. In more recent times these conditions 
have been adjusted, the greater part having been awarded to 
Brazil, while Bolivia received a portion of the left bank of the 
upper Acre. The boundary between Bolivia and Peru is as yet 
undecided. The latter country includes the uppermost left bank 
of the source section which contains but few fine rubber trees. 
The Acre is a right affluent of the larger tributaries of 
the Purtis, entering above the mouth of the Rio Negro and com- 
ing from the Southwest, and flows, like these, through the 
boundless forest tracts of the Amazon River country. It rises 
in elevated ground, East of the Andes, in a still partly explored 
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