212 



CASTILLOA IN MEXICO. 



A report of Mr. Harry S. Smith made to the Board of Agricul- 

 ture in Trinidad and published in the India-rubber Journal gives an 

 account of the cultivation and tapping of Castilloa in Mexico and 

 Central America. He mentions the great size of the trees, one at 

 Tuntepec measuring 156 inches at three feet from the ground, and 

 those of 120 inches seem to be not uncommon. Bell in his travels in 

 Nicaragua mentions trees of 5 feet in diameter with an output of 50 

 lbs. when tapped for the first time. The largest v/ild trees were seen 

 at San Cristobal de Vega in the northern part. In comparing this 

 size with that of Para rubber as we know it, it must be remembered 

 that these big trees are wild and are probably of very great age. Mr. 

 Smith viewing, however, the great size attained by Castilloa, urges 

 distant planting and doubts the wisdom of letting it stand for eight 

 years at 300 to 1,200 per acre. Certainly this does seem pretty closely 

 packed. 



The seed seems to be ussaly planted at stake. Clean weeding 

 seems not to find favour with the Mexican rubber planter. " In the 

 early days such fields were kept absolutely clean weeded with the 

 hoe, but it has now been found better to only clean with the machete 

 (parang), hand weeding round the young plants, letting the weeds 

 come up to between the rows, only taking care not to let the bush 

 cover the heads of the plants. This custom I found very general 

 throughout Mexico, many of the older fields being cleaned but once a 

 year just to free the trees from fines, and when the trees were being 

 tapped traces were cleared and the tappers cleared round the trees 

 before putting on the cups, so that the upkeep of the property is very 

 small indeed." The tapping formerly done with a machete is now 

 done with a knife with a V shaped blade. " The trees are tapped with 

 long V cuts connected with a shallow vertical channel to carry the 

 latex in a single cup at the base of the tree, and it was most interes- 

 ting to see the skilful way in which these men tapping to a height of 

 30 feet led the latex down a vertical channel without losing a drop 

 even though the tree had a considerable overhang. After making the 

 cut with the V tool, it is opened down to the wood with the point of a 

 sharp knife. The men are supplied with a small line with a weight 

 attached, this they throw over a branch of the tree, afterwards put- 

 ting a stronger rope over the branch fitted with a sling in which they 

 sit, pulling themselves up to a height of 30 feet or more, tying the 

 rope to the sling at each foot, so that they may have both hands free 

 to work with." 





Age 



Girth 



Cuts 



Yield 



I 



14 years 



48 inches 



Vs 25,16 to 18 inches apart 



3 oz dry 



II 





46 



30,14 - 16 



3^4 



III 



14 



27V2 



6,11 - 12 



I oz 



IV 



14 



26 



36 cuts with a chizel 



M oz 



V 



8 



36 



V 24,15 - 16 inches apart 





VI 



8 



27 



17,14 - 15 



I 



VII 



8 



26 



17,13 - 14 



I 



