367 
GUTTA  PERCHA  IN  THE  PHILIPPINES. 
The  report  of  gutta-percha  in  the  Philippines  by  Dr.  Pen’OYER, 
L.  Sherman,  Jr.,  of  the  Philippine  forestry  bureau,  summarized  in 
The  India  Rubber  World  of  February  ist,  1902,  (page  137), 
is  supplemented  by  some  details  of  interest  supplied  by  him  in  a 
later  report  of  the  bureau,  for  the  fiscal  year  190 1-2.  He  records 
an  expedition  in  search  of  Gutta-percha  trees,  with  the  result  of 
confirming  the  belief  already  entertained  that  a considerable  supply 
of  gutta  existed  in  the  Philippines,  though  as  yet  the  most  valuable 
species  {Dichopsis  gutta)  has  not  been  recognised.  Dr.  Sherman 
explored  portions  of  the  large  island  of  Mindanao  and  the  islands 
and  towns  of  the  Sulu  archipelago,  finding  not  only  Gutta-percha 
trees,  but  that  the  Chinese  had  already  built  up  a much  larger  trade 
in  the  product  than  is  indicated  by  the  customs  returns.  So  well 
are  the  natives  controlled  by  these  traders  that  the  existence  of 
Gutta-percha  was  denied  in  many  places  where  Dr.  Sherman 
afterwards  found  it,  and  the  secrecy  of  the  methods  employed  is 
carried  to  such  an  extent  that  when  the  gutta  re.  ches  the  Singapore 
market  its  source  is  not  known  there.  I he  amount  of  Gutta-percha 
which  paid  an  export  duty  to  the  Philippine  authorities  during  the 
twelve  months  ending  June  30,  1902,  was  373,33  i lbs.:  of  the  imports 
at  Singapore  in  1901  only  14,000  lbs.  were  credited  to  the  Philip- 
pines. 
In  Mindanao  Dr.  Sherman  was  surprised  at  the  extent  of  coun- 
try over  which  Gutta-percha  exists.  The  natives  say  that  all  of  the 
mountain  region  of  .Southern  Mindanao  contains  Gutta-percha. 
Much  of  the  country  has  not,  of  course,  been  explored  by  Americans, 
or  even  by  gutta  collecting  natives,  but  so  far  as  any  one  has  gone, 
the  trees  have  been  found,  and  in  none  of  the  towns  visited  by  Dr. 
Sherman  on  the  south  coast  did  he  find  Chinese  or  Moros  who 
were  not  engaged  in  the  Gutta-percha  business,  shipping  the  pro- 
duct through  Cottabaco.  Going  inland  Dr.  Sherman  found  large 
Gutta-percha  trees  some  of  which  were  felled  for  him  by  the  natives 
and  the  latex  extracted  by  the  usual  methods.  One  tree  160  feet 
in  height  and  8 feet  in  circumference  yielded  8d  lbs.  of  dry  Gutta- 
percha. Had  the  tree  fallen  so  that  it  could  have  been  “ringed” 
entirely  around  and  had  precautions  been  taken  to  catch  all  the 
milk  which  was  lost  on  the  ground.  Dr.  ShermaN  thinks  there 
would  have  20  lbs.  while  if  all  the  gutta  contained  in  the  bark  and 
leaves  could  have  been  secured  there  would  have  been  150  to  200 
lbs.  I his  is  typical  of  the  wasteful  native  methods  in  all  Gutta 
percha  district.  In  much  of  this  region  the  trade  is  controlled  by 
a Moro  datto  named  PiANG,  with  the  aid  of  a Chinese  agent  at 
Cottobaco.  Piano  claims  to  observe  the  Government  regulation 
against  the  felling  of  Gutta-percha  trees,  but  Dr.  SHERMAN  found 
this  method  practised  by  his  men  nevertheless.  Similar  conditions 
were  also  found  on  some  of  the  smaller  islands  visited,  j)articularly 
on  d'awi-tawi. 
