372 



The Supplement to the Tropical Agriculturist 



Espirito Santo, Bahia and Ceara — the combined 

 production having reached the extraordinarily 

 high figure, in 1906-7, of 16,000,0UO bags of 60 

 kilos each, this being the highest on record ; 

 in the following year only just 13,000,000 bags 

 were produced. The area occupied in these 

 States by coffee plantations is equal to ten times 

 that of Belgium, with about eight hundred 

 million coffee trees systematically planted. 

 Many of the " Fazendas " are as large as 

 some countries, and have within their boun- 

 daries rivers with organised navigation and 

 railways for the conveyance of their produce. 

 Brazil and Rubber. 

 The extreme north of Brazil comprises the 

 vast territory watered by the Amazon. This, 

 the tropical zone, is divided into several states 

 and the Territory of the Acre. The principal 

 States are Para and Amazonas, the general 

 characterististics of which are dense tropical 

 forests and swamps, The great staple of the 

 whole of Amazonia is rubber, which is exported 

 in enormous quantities. The State of Para is 

 situated at the mouth of the Amazon, and pos- 

 esses for its capital one of the finest cities in 

 Brazil. Para City, or Belem, as it is more often 

 termed, is the great Port for the shipment 

 to Europe and the United States of all the rub- 

 ber collected from the hundreds of " estradas," 

 or rubber estates situated within reach of the 

 lower section of the Amazon river. The city 

 possesses many fine squares, parks, and avenues, 

 and has a good electric tramway and lighting 

 system ; large steamers are able to come along- 

 side the quays in the port, and so long as the 

 price of rubber remains high in the European 

 markets, Belem will continue to prosper. There 

 is but one main industry in the whole of this 

 portion of Brazil, and that is the cultivation, 

 collection, and curing of rubber. Both the States 

 of Amazonas and Para depend almost entirely 

 upon this industry for their revenue ; it is the 

 great staple of the whole of Amazonia. More 

 particulars regarding the cultivation of rubber 

 trees will be given under "Concessions." The 

 enormous rise in the price of rubber in Europe 

 and America, owing to the much increased de- 

 maud, has greatly benefited these two States, 

 and they have now entered upon a new era of 

 prosperity. Every month sees the opening up 

 of some new rubber estate ; and the great high- 

 way of the Amazon is being used more 

 and more by the ships of all nations. Liners 

 from Liverpool and other European ports now 

 steam up this mighty river for thousands of 

 miles, and for some years it has been possible 

 to travel from Iquitos, Beru, to Liverpool with- 

 out changing cabin. 



In the forest of Brazilian Amazonia there is 

 sufficient timber of all kinds to supply the world's 

 demand, and the valuable medicinal plants 

 which growin abundance, such as ipecacuanha 

 and sarsaparilla, are too numerous to mention. 

 Rubber. 



The second staple product of Brazil is rubber, 

 which is indigenous in the Amazon Valley, where 

 it abounds in all directions. Rubber is the coa- 

 gulated latex of certain lactiferous plants, the 

 best quality being obtained from the Heveas. Un- 

 til, thirty years ago Brazil monopolised the 



rubber markets of the world, but since then, on 

 account of the great increase in the demand 

 other countries have directed their attention to 

 the cultivation of gum producing trees on a large 

 scale, resulting in a great increase in the out- 

 put, qualities, and process of production. Since 

 the authorities in Brazil have observed the ad- 

 vancement of the industry in other countries, 

 measures have been taken to regulate the cul- 

 tivation and process of tapping and curing rub- 

 ber ; and many well-arranged plantations are 

 now to be found in Brazilian territory, not only 

 in the valley of the Amazon, but in several 

 other States. Beside several kinds of Heveas 

 there are also other species almost as valuable, 

 such as the Manicoba and Mangabeira, wbich 

 grow principally in the States of Ceara, Piauhy, 

 and Bahia, also in the unexplored forests on 

 the S. Paulo side of the river Paranapanema. 

 There is a growing demand for rubber, owing 

 to the continual increase in its application in 

 almost every industry, and Brazil offers one of 

 the best fields for its cultivation. The only dif- 

 ficulties encountered at present arise from the 

 uneven distribution of trees in the forests and 

 labour organisation. The latter could easily be 

 overcome by owners of . rubber lands 



who would care to introduce suitable immi- 

 gration, taking advantage of the facilities of- 

 fered by the Federal Government. The climate 

 of the vast regions watered by the Amazon is 

 not all that could be desired ; nevertheless per- 

 sons of all nationalities may be met there, en- 

 joying the best of health, and the death rate is 

 comparatively small ; but in the other States 

 where rubber can be cultivated with the great- 

 est advantage, the health conditions can be 

 said to be ideal, 



Most of the Brazilian rubber goes to the 

 United States, where there is a market for any 

 quantity that could be produced. 



Rubber and Peruvian Slab.— A growing in- 

 dustry in Bolivia is the cultivation of rubber and 

 caoutchouc trees. The former produce what 

 is known in the European markets as " Fine 

 Para Rubber and " Entrifino," and the latter 

 " Peruvian Slab." 



Peruvian Slab.— The tree which produces 

 this substance (of a similar nature to rubber) 

 has nothing in common with the rubber 

 tree. The latter rises from the ground with a 

 perfectly round trunk, and grows to a height 

 which varies from thirty to fifty yards. It has 

 a trifoliate leaf, which is sing leand simple. 

 The caoutchouc tree from wnich the Peru- 

 vian Slab is obtained, as a rule has huge 

 roots rising above the surface of the ground. 

 Its leaf is compound, and measures half-a-yard 

 in diameter, having on either sida of the stalk 

 other thick leaves, which give to it a most sin- 

 cular aspect. The bark has a glossy surface, 

 and may be either white or gray. Hence the 

 denomination of black and white caoutchouc. 

 It grows on hard soil as well as on mountain 

 slopes. It is hardly ever found in the proxi- 

 mity of rubber trees. Like the rubber tree, 

 it grows more abundantly in some places than 

 in others, and the wider apart the trees are 

 the larger size is. The industry of collecting 

 and preparing caoutchouc has now been estab* 



