182 
THE TROPICAL AG?tICULTURlST, 
[Sept. 1, 1900. 
RUBBER IN BAHIA. 
H.M. Consul at Baliia, in his report for 1899, 
writes as follows 
" The export of indin-rubber continues to aiignaent 
yearly, the value of this article exported in 1898 being 
£34,557, against £19,223 iu 1897. A few remarks with 
reference to this product may be of interest. As it is 
well known the best rubber comes from Para, on the 
Amazon, the so-called seringueira. Owing, however, 
to the unhealthiness of the districts in which it 
grows, where, as a rule, rubber gatherers perish in a 
very short time from fever, 1 venture to express the 
opinion that it would be advisable for planters of rub- 
ber trees to turn their attention to the culture of the 
mangabeira and manicoba varieties, exported from 
Bahia. Mangabeira grows almost in any soil in that 
State, and flourishes in quantities in sandy districts, 
where absolutely nothing else can be producsd. In 
certain zones of the interior, fertile in good rich red 
soil the tree yields more than four times the quan- 
tity of milk than when growing on sandy lands. This 
tree, besides the rubber milk, yields a most delicious 
fruit called Mangaba. Were it not for the difliculty 
in planting this variety, which requires from eight 
to ten years before yielding, would be the rubber tree 
of the future. Considering, however, all the circums- 
tances in favour and against the foregoing varieties, 
the manicoba tree shows many advantages over the 
others to make it a commercial success. It is easily 
planted, either from seeds or saplings, grows in six or 
eight months in any kind of soil to a height ot six 
feet, and will begin yielding a considerable quantity 
of milk in about three years, far more in proportion 
than any other rubber tree in existence. I am per- 
sonally acquainted with the planter, who, on his ex- 
tensive property, has, during a short time past, 
planted over 100,000 manicoba rubber trees, and in- 
forms me that he intends increasing his plantations 
to 1,000,000 trees, with the full conviction that this 
industry, in a few years, will show extraordinary 
results." — India-Rubher Jozirnal, August 6. 
THE PRESENT STATUS OF RUBBER 
PLANTING. 
(From " The India Rubber World," BIarch 1st ) 
The utility of India-rubber is of course established. 
In every industry and art to which it has been applied 
successfully the demand is increasing, while new uses 
for the material are being developed all the while. 
These conditions obtain not only in the countries 
where rubber goods long have been in use, but they are 
becoming true ot all the rest of the world. No advance 
in the cost of rubber checks its use. To take tha 
United States alone, the imports of rubber have in- 
creased of late as follows : — 
Year, Pounds. Import Value. Average Price 
1897 .. 42,159,129 $21,670,019 51-4 cents. 
1898 .. 44,236,070 25,937,108 586 .. 
1899 .. 54,408,495 34,219,019 62-9 .. 
This increase of consumption exists in spite of the 
success attained in reclaiming rubber from worn out 
goods, which material ia now used to the extent of 
many millions of pounds yearly. Chemistry has not 
yet availed to produce a practical substitute for rubber. 
So-called substitutes are in wine use, but the best of 
these is of value only for combination with true rubber. 
The supplies of natural rubber are, practically 
speaking, inexhaustible, but they are for the most part 
confined to remote countries, sparsely settled with 
uncivilized people, under climatic and other conditions 
which make them uninhabitable for white men. 
Doubtless tho output of rubber from the Amazon or 
the Congo miglit be doubled in a year if American or 
European lalrjrers could enter tho forests to collect it, 
but this is utterly impossible, 
Such conditions naturally have directed attention 
to the possibility of bringing rubber under cultivation, 
as has been done with many other products which 
once were fou nd only in a wild state. Practica 
rubber culture iu any country is yet to be developed, 
though the total result of expsrinients in many parts 
ot the world points to succese. Wherever rubber trees 
flourish naturally it seems reasonable to suppose that 
tre'^a grown from planting the seeds will yield rubber 
as well as those which giow from chi-.ncfr. Besides, 
under cultivation more trees coulJ bo placed on an 
acre than exist usually in a square mile of forest area, 
so that, in the end, it may prove more economical to 
produce rubber on plantations th.an to gather it in wild 
lands free to ail comers. 
In the United States interest in rubber planting has 
been directed largely to southern Mexico, on account 
of proximity, to stable political conciiiioos and general 
coi:ditions of developm.cut there, to the sslubrity of 
the climate, end to the fact that the isthinua of 
Tehuantepec is the natural habitat ot a tree (Castilloa 
elastiea) which yields a rubber of good quality. To- 
day experiments are iu progress on a large scale in 
planting rubber in this district, wiih encouraging 
prospects on the v.holf-, but it does not jct seem advis- 
able for persons at a distance to invest an important 
part of their resources in a business the uliimalo con- 
ditions of which cannot be said to be thoroughly 
known, without due consideration and a reasonably 
comprehensive study of the situation at close range. 
The inducements which have been held out iu'certain 
quarters to attract capital for rubber x^l^ntiug enter- 
prises make the following suggestions pertinent. 
A given species of rubber tree cannot thrive beyond 
certain limits of latitude. Thus the Castilloa elastiea 
cannot withstand frost. Its grov.'th must be confiued 
within certain limits of altitude above the sea. It will 
not succeed without a certain amount of annual 
rainfall, certain conditions of temperature, a given 
degree of humility. Besides, the character of soil will 
affect the result. The mere fact, therefore, that the 
Castilloa elastiea is found in the forests of a given 
State does not prove ihat it may be planted success- 
fully in every locality in that State. 
A fact which has largely discouraged the planting of 
rubber is the time required for the growth of the trees. 
While seven years is usually mentioned as the earliest 
age at whii h the Castilloa elastiea may be tapped, 
there is rubber in the plants from their very begin- 
ning. Doubtless the longer tapping is delayed the 
greater will be the yearly yield, and the longer the 
life of the free. At the same time conditions may 
exist under which rubber may be gacln-red at an 
earlier age, and the high prices might make it profit- 
able to bleed the trees freely, even at the risk of 
shortening their life. It is possible that in time 
Ca^stilloa elastiea may be cultivated as an annual or 
biennial crop, the plants being pulled up by the roots 
and all the latex extracted by mechanical and clie- 
mical means. 
All these and some other considerations point to the 
desirability of careful investigation of any field before 
investing in lands f -r the culture of rubber— or any 
other plant the success of v/hich depends upon so 
many conditions. It is well not only to look into the 
matter personally, but to secure the advice of experts 
in tropical planting. While the cultivation of rubber 
may in the end prove a safer investment than gold 
mining, it is quite as important that the proper 
location be chosen for a plantation as for a mine. 
Somo estiniites ot the possible profits from rubber 
in Mexico are bas^d upon the idea r.f planting the 
ParA robber tree (Hcvea Brasilie7isis) there. The 
Para tree positively cannot thrive there. The price of 
Para rubber is also used in the estimates, but no 
rubber which Mexico is capable of nroducing brings 
within 25 per cent, as much as fine Para rubber. Nor 
should the New York or Liverpool prices of rubber be 
used in estimitcs, without reckoning cost cf transit 
from the plantation to New York or European markets, 
including also insurance and brokerage. Many 
