62 CENTRAL AMERICAN RUBBER TREE. 



was that these shade trees ruined the coffee, but did not on the other hand themselves 

 develop normally because they were planted too close. In other places, as in Tabasco, 

 in the Department of Pichucaleo, in Chiapas, and in Chama (Department of Alta 

 Verapaz, Guatemala) rubber trees were used for shade on cacao plantations; but 

 the cacao planters tell me that ule trees impair the growth of the cacao and do 

 further damage through the falling of the leaves, so that they would much prefer to 

 be rid of these shade trees if that were practicable. In other instances, where the 

 ule was planted by itself, too close an arrangement was chosen, so that the trees were 

 impeded in development and are still after twelve years of existence mere tall, slen- 

 der, unproductive poles, as at Los Amates, Department Izabal, Guatemala, with only 

 four yards of space. « 



It seems, however, that Dr. Morris has a favorable report regarding 

 Castilla as a shade tree for cacao, both in British Honduras and in the 

 West Indies, and his former advice was repeated before the agricul- 

 tural conference of the West Indies in 1901. He said: 



In 1883 I published an account of the Castilloa rubber tree of British Honduras 

 and the manner of extracting and curing the rubber. At that time I recommended 

 that these trees might be used as shade trees for cacao. A trial was made sixteen 

 years ago, on a cacao plantation on the Settee River, and I learn from a letter from 

 the superintendent of the botanic garden at Belize, dated November 8 last, that the 

 rubber trees have answered admirably for this purpose. He writes : "At Kendal 

 on the Settee River the cacao plantations are thriving well. * * * Castilloa was 

 planted for shade; these are also in good condition; * * * there is not a better 

 tree for that purpose. ' ' I am glad to find that similar results are reported from Trin- 

 idad and Tobago. lj 



The report from Tobago, to which Dr. Morris refers, is particularly 

 enthusiastic and seems to indicate that under the conditions existing 

 on that island the planting of Castilla with cacao may not be 

 inadvisable: 



I find that cacao bears very well under the shade of Castilloa. Nine years ago I 

 planted an acre of rubber and cacao together — the rubbers at 24 feet apart, and the 

 cacao 12 feet — and so far as I have noticed there is very little, if any, difference in 

 the bearing of these cacao trees and those under the shade of the Bois immortelle. 

 On finding this, I planted last year 15 acres in the same manner, and there is every 

 reason to expect that in another eight or nine years they will give a gross return of 

 about 50 pounds per acre. Coffee also bears well under Castilloa. c 



The difference between Castilla and leguminous shade trees may 

 become apparent in later years as the nitrogenous constituents of the 

 soil become exhausted. As explained elsewhere, the question is not 

 whether Castilla can be used as a shade tree, but whether it will be 

 productive where it is of use in this capacity. 



EXTRACTION OF THE LATEX OF CASTILLA. 



Scarcely second in practical importance to a solution of cultural 

 problems is the attainment of satisfactory methods of tapping. The 



a Der Tropenpflanzer. 



b West Indian Bulletin, 2:113, 1901. 



e West Indian Bulletin, 2:111, 1901. 



