5 



as shade for cacao. In San Salvador some rubber has recently 

 been planted. Altogether there are in the Central American 

 republics as far as I know 12,230 acres under rubber. 



During the year 1904 the first attempts at collecting latex from 

 cultivated trees were made in Nicaragua. These experimental 

 tappings were made on a plantation about thirty miles north 

 of Bluefields in the Pearl Lagoon district. The plantation is 

 one of the oldest in the country and belongs to an American, 

 Mr. J. C. Horter. The trees tapped were raised in a nursery in 

 1897, transplanted in 1898, and in 1904, at an age of seven years, 

 they measured 17 to 30 inches in girth and 40 to 45 feet in height. Of 

 the 6,000 trees that were tapped the largest received three incisions, 

 the medium-sized two incisions, and the small ones only one. The 

 average amount of rubber per tree was one and a half ounce. 

 Careful attention was given to the collecting and the rubber 

 obtained was of a greater value than the ordinary "Nicaragua 

 syrup," as the rubber of that district is commercially known. A few 

 of the largest trees were tapped repeatedly at intervals of two 

 weeks without apparent injury, and they yielded each time almost 

 the same amount of rubber. 



The Government of Nicaragua, a few years ago, issued a 

 decree offering a premium of ten cents for every rubber tree 

 planted, when the number does not go below 250 trees planted 

 by any one person. The decree provides that the trees must be 

 planted sixteen feet apart Very few planters have, however, seen 

 fit to accept this offer. 



According to recent press reports the devastating cyclone, 

 which visited Central America a few months ago destroyed most of 

 the Bluefields plantations. It is estimated that some 450,000 well 

 developed trees were thus broken and uprooted. 



In August, this year, the Government of the Republic granted 



crude rubber from the Department of Zelaya and the districts of 

 Prinzapolca and Great River. This concession is for ten years, 

 and among other requirements from the concessionaries there is 

 one that they are obliged " to employ only expert rubber cutters 

 "who strictly comply with the requirements of Article 11 of the 

 " Regulations of October 15, 1901, which say: ' It is prohibited to 

 " make incisions into the trees to the extent of penetrating the 

 " woody part. Incisions of more than one-half of the circumference 

 " of the trunks or limbs of the trees are also prohibited.' The 

 " contravention of this article shall be punished by a fine of $5 for 

 "every tree damaged." On account of this concession it is now- 

 required that a planter who -wants to export his rubber, must produce 

 at the custom house a certificate from the authorities of the discrict 

 where the plantation is situated specifying the locality whence the 

 rubber comes. The Government of Nicaragua has imposed a tax 

 of 5 cents on every pound of rubber exported from the country. 



In the value of exports rubber appears as the fourth. All of 

 this is collected from wild trees. The amount shipped from San 

 Juan del Norte to United States in 1905 was 473,389 pounds. 



