216 



[September, 1912, 



CEARA RUBBER. 



Dr. Ule, the discoverer of the new Manihots ; M, dichotoma, M. 

 heptaphylla, and M. piauhyensis, has recently visited Ceara, and from 

 his experience there is inclined to regard Manihot Glaziovii, which fur- 

 nishes the Manicoba rubber of Ceara, more favourably than hitherto. 

 "As a result of my observations I have formed a rather more favour- 

 able opinion with regard to the suitability of Manihot Glaziovii as a 

 plantation tree, and it does not appear to me at all advisable to replace 

 this Manicoba by the species from Bahia and Piauhy, in the hill country 

 of Ceara. Manihot Glaziovii undoubtedly tolerates a much damper cli- 

 mate tt an Manihot dichotoma, M. heptaphylla, and M. piauhyensis, 

 which are true dry zone plants." 



At the present time plantations of Manihot Glaziovii are to be found 

 throughout all the hill region of Ceara, while the wild trees have been 

 for the most part destroyed or reduced to small numbers. Th^ plantations 

 are established on old coffee lands. The hills, about 3,000 feet high, 

 were formerly covered with heavy forest which was kept moist by the 

 damp sea winds at the same time the forests acted as a barrier to the 

 dry winds from the interior. Coffee at first yielded a handsome 

 return but as more and more of the forest was cleared the district 

 became subject to mere dry winds with the result that the coffee died 

 out. The few coffee plantations which now remain on the lower slopes 

 are protected by Inga trees. Manihot Glaziovii was first put in as shade 

 for coffee but is now planted independently. There are no very large 

 plantations, but numerous small estates all over the hills ; one of the largest 

 plantations is that of the "Seriuha Rubber Company," an English concern. 



Tapping. 



The tappers receive 800 to 1,300 Rees (75 cents to R. 112) for each Kilo- 

 gramme (2 2 lbs.) of latex, but the pay varies according to the market 

 price of rubber. The trees are tapped with a small axe, a " Machadinho," 

 aud the latex collected in tin cups. A tapper taps 100 to 200 trees a day, 

 and obtains 2 to 10 kilogrammes or more of latex. Three kilogrammes of 

 latex yield one kilogramme of dry rubber. The cost of tapping is there- 

 fore R. 1 to 150 per lb. The latex is coagulated in flat metal dishes by 

 means of formalin, and the wet rubber is passed three times through 

 rollers, being washed the second and third time with hot water. The 

 sheets take one to four weeks to dry. Tapping is carried on for three 

 months only, from July to October. 



In another method of tapping the bark is cut off for a length of 20 to 

 30 cem. aud the latex allowed to flow down the stem. This is continued 

 for a period of 20 days, alter which the coagulated rubber is stripped off. 



As Ule states, the labour entailed by this method is small, but the 

 tree soon dies. The rotating pricker has been ttied, but is said to have 

 been abandoned because it causes decay beneath the bark ; whether 

 this is an actual experience or an echo of a recent Ceylon controversy 

 is not clear, but apparently it is the latter. 



In the Botanic Garden at Para, Manihot dichotoma and piauhyensis 

 m^ke poor growth, but Af> Glaziovii grows well. M. piauhyensis and 



