THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
45 * 
Jan. I, 1898 ,] 
*nd a half or three years. The planting is at such 
distances apart as to allow sixty-four “ matapala ” 
or 100 Castilloa trees to the acre. “ Cultivation 
consists in ditching the land so as to drain it slowly 
or rapidly at will, keeping it moist without per- 
mitting water to stand in pools or low places. 
During the rainy season, drain rapidly. Keep all 
undergrowth cut down and the land ‘ hilled up ’ 
around the trees in cone shape to about six inches 
higher than the general level within five feet of 
each tree. Deaden or fell other varieties of trees 
and vines until they shade but a very small part 
of the surface of the land.” 
Tapping may begin during the sixth or seventh 
year of the tree’s age. If the tree has matured 
properly it should yield from eight to twelve pounds 
of rubber every second year until it is twelve years 
old, after which tsn to fifteen pounds of rubber 
should be obtained annually. The coagulation of 
the milk and the separation from it of the elastic 
material can be effected by heating to 167° to 175° F. 
and stirring in a hot decoction or hot, strong tea 
of the leaves and twigs from some species of Con- 
volvidacce — as morning glory or bindweed, or, stirring 
into the emulsion, when fresh and hot, the smoke 
from burning palm-nuts or other oleaginous nuts — 
all of which are abundant in districts where the 
rubber trees grow.” 
Secondary crops which may be grown profitably 
between the rows of rubber trees nntil they reach 
a productive age are Liberian coffee and bananas, 
the latter of which would afford a large percentage 
of the food required by all the animals on the 
estate. 
As for profits, Mr. Crawfords estimates that sixty- 
four trees to an acre, at nine years of age and 
thereafter, should yield an average of ten pounds of 
rubber, or 640 pounds to the acre. At 30 cents net 
per pound, this would yield $192 per acre, which 
should give considerable profit, the cost of cultiva- 
tion being so slight. The net profit from an acre 
of coffee trees in Nicaragua is given at $65. 
Consul O'Hara’s attempt to compile statistics of 
the production of India-rubber in Nicaragua has 
not been entirely successful. For example, the cus- 
toms recorded at San Juan del Norte extend back 
only to. 1874, and the invoices on file since that 
date do not, for most of the years, specify the 
quantities of India-rubber shipped, but only the 
values. He is now trying to col ect the figures for 
the other ports, but even if these can be obtained, 
it will be impossible to say how much of the total 
represented the product of neighbouring states. 
The India Kubber World happens to have at hand 
the details of Central ■ American rubber imported 
by Great Britain and the United States for the years 
1870 to 1885, inclusive, the greater part of which 
was the product of Nicaragua. The larger share 
was taken by great Britain, until 1878, when the 
United States took the lead in the importation of 
Nicaragua rubber, which it has since maintained. 
Pounds. 
Taken by Great Britain . . 6,654,780 
Taken by the United States .. 13.789,499 
Total for sixteen years . . 20,444,279 
This without doubt practically embraces the whole 
production of Central American rubber for the years 
named, though a small amount may have gone 
direct to Germany. More than half this rubber 
was exported during the last four years (1882-85), 
and by far the greater part of this half was taken 
by the United States. 
Nicaragua rubber then began to be entered sepa- 
rately in the United States customs returns, and 
the imports from that country alone have since 
beon as folio -vs, by fiscal years ending June 30: — 
Year. Pounds. 
In 1885-86 1,552,574 
In 1886 87 1,575,837 
In 1887-88 1,545,121 
In 1888-89 1,573,331 
In 1889-90 1,209,730 
Year. Pounds. 
In 1890-91 1,146,727 
In 1891-92 1,027,232 
In 1892-93 958,703 
In 1893-94 892,908 
In 1894-95 907,243 
Meanwhile Great Britain has begun to record 
imports from Nicaragua separately, with this result, 
for calendar years: In 1892— 7952 pounds ; in 1893— 
37,072 pounds; in 1894—75,936 pounds; in 1895— 
33,264 pounds. There have also been unimportant 
shipments from Nicaragua to France, Germany, and 
Holland. 
Just what has been the rate of decline in the 
output of Nicaragua rubber can only be conjectured, 
but that It has been great is proved by the follow- 
ing table showing the receipts of all Central American 
rubbers by the two great importing countries : — 
United Great Total 
States [a] Britain [5] Pounds 
In 1885 . . 2,079,278 237,552 2,316,830 
In 1895 1,300,802 33,264 1,334,066 
Decrease . . 778,476 204,288 982,764 
[a, fiscal year; 5, calendar year.] 
Nicaragua has not so long been a produce of 
India-rubber as many other countries. Its output 
suddenly more than doubled about 1880, continued 
at the figure then reached for a few years, and 
then began to decline at a rate which justifies the 
fears of the trade and the government that without 
protective measures the rubber tree will soon dis- 
appear from Nicaragua.— Y/ie India Buhhcr World. 
-» 
INDIA KUBBER IN ASSAM. 
A brief account of how rubber trees (Ficus elastica) 
are grown in Assam. By Mr. D. P. Copeland, Deputy 
Conservator of Forests, Darrang Division. 
1 . Ficus elastica . — The Indian rubber fig or caout- 
chouo tree, is indiginous to Assam, where it is 
found a dominant tree in the evergreen forests. It 
requires an exceedingly damp atmosphere, and the 
best natural rubber trees are aet with in the forests 
at the foot of the hills, or on the hills themselves 
up to an elevation of 2,500 feet. 
2. Natural germination. — In its natural state the 
rubber tree starts from seed dropped by birds in the 
forks of other trees, often 20 or 30 feet or even 
more from the ground, where it germinates, and 
the young plant remains an epiphyte for years until 
its aerial roots touch the ground ; as soon as this 
takes place the little epiphyte changes rapidly into 
a vigorous tree, throwing out numerous aerial roots 
which gradually envelope the tree on which it first 
began life and often kills it out. 
Having started life so high up it soon throws out 
branches which overtop the surrounding trees, and 
the numerous aerial roots which fall from these and 
establish connection with the ground, in a few years 
enable it to dominate the forest growth around it. 
3. Seed. — The seed of this tree is contained in 
a fig-shaped fruit about 75 seeds being found in one 
good sound fig. The fruit first begins to form on 
the trees in March and ripens from May onward 
to December. On some trees the whole crop ripens 
and falls off by June, but as a rule the rubber 
tree has fruit on it from April right up to December, 
the figs forming, ripening and falling off the whole 
of the rains. 
After collection the figs have to be carefully dried 
and mixed with pounded charcoal, which preserves 
the seed for several months. 
4. Seed beds. — In the Charduar rubber plantation 
nursery, for a seed bed 40'x3J', two to three seers 
of pulverizeu rubber seed, 10 seers ash and 20 seers 
of vegetable loam or good soil, are well mixed in 
a half cask and spread evenly over the bed, and 
then lightly stamped Qown and watered. Such a 
bed should yield with good germination, 2,000 seed- 
lings and should be sufficient for putting out 100 
acres of rubber planted The beds must be 
