3i 



faith in Providence must be present to undertake the growing of 

 Guayule without any provision for occasional artificial irrigation. 

 The price paid has been as high as $43 per ton of dry plants, 

 pressed into bales, and delivered at railroad station. With that 

 price, and the slow growth of the plant it is difficult to see how 

 anyone can in earnest consider the cultivation of Guayule. 

 Factories operating a large area should naturally take some steps 

 for re-covering the ground with Guayule, but beyond sowing the 

 seeds, and taking the chance of their germinating, and growing in 

 a few years to a size, thai can be utilized, it is hardly possible to do 

 anything. 



As for the fear of Guayule filling the market to the exclusion 

 of crude rubber from previous sources of wild tropical rubber and 

 from present and future plantations, such an idea is hardly worth 

 refuting. If we remember that the requirements at present of the 

 United States alone amount to more than 60,000,000 lbs. annually, 

 a simple mathematical calculation, based on the most exaggerated 

 expectations of the output of Guayule rubber from the entire 

 territory where it is growing, will show the role this product could 

 have in the world's market, even supposing that the supply was 

 inexhaustibb and as large as claimed by Guayule enthusiasts. 



It may be added that the quality of Guayule rubber is very 

 inferior, the rubber being very sticky and rapidly deteriorating. 

 The market value is very low in comparison with that of first class 

 rubbers, but it still leaves a wide margin for profit, and the supply 

 of rubber plants is apparently enough for a few factories, not too 

 closely situated. As a special product the Guayule has a market 

 of its own, and if cultivation of this plant can be accomplished on 

 a profitable basis, it will prove a great boon to the sterile parts of 

 Northern Mexico. 



Another rubber plant of Mexico, Euphorbia elastica has been 

 spoken of. 1 have seen the plant, but not been able to obtain a 

 sample of the product, which I understand, however, somewhat 

 resembles the Guayule rubber. 



Postscript. 



I may have failed to convey a right idea of the extent of our 

 Mexican rubber industry in my discussion on the previous pages. 

 But I hope I have drawn the reader's attention to the fact that, 

 although we may be far behind other countries in our methods, we 

 are trying to do things as best we can. There has been much to 

 bring our rubber planting industry into disrepute. But we are by 

 no means down-hearted, and we feel confident that we shall, some 

 d ay, be able to do our share in contributing to supply the world 

 with that valuable commodity, rubber. The area now planted will 

 yet be largely increased in Mexico and all through Central America, 

 b ^t I do not think this need cause rubber planters, present or 



