AGRICULTURAL BULLETIN 
OF THE 
STRAITS 
AND 
FEDERATED MALAY STATES. 
MARCH, 1904. [VOL. III. I’akt 1. 
I 
A BRIEE RUBBER REVIEW 
b'xcludum Central America and Mexico about half the world s 
supply of raw rubber is exported from South America. In hts Con- 
sular Report on the trade of Para for the year 1902, Mr Consul 
Churchill states that the rubber exported from Paqa and Manaos 
amounted to 26,933 tons. As the price of Para for that year, 
which started at 3s. 6d. fell to 2s. lid. and closed at 3s. would 
be above 3^., the total value approximates ^10,000,000. An analysis 
of these figures should be pleasant reading for all concerned in the 
future of rubber in the Straits and Native States. 
Rubber is said to be found in Brazil over an.aiea of at least, 
1,000,000 square miles, a good authority considers this an undei 
estimate, but the collecting grounds are gradually becoming remote 
and difficult of access. Of the Rubber shipped at Manaos a pro- 
portion is reported as having come from far off Bolivia brought 
down thousands of miles by intricate rivers, necessitating a good 
deal of manual transport. What area is prospected to obtain the 
1902 export it is difficult to say, it appears however that what is 
shipped at Para and Manaos the two great centres, runs into 
thousands of mile in respect of distance. A belter idea of what 
this really means may be obtained by calculating the probable out- 
put per tree. I find it stated that loo large trees in the best dis- 
tricts of Brazil have given as much as one ton of rubber, that is 
about 22 lbs. per tree. As much could be done here but with the 
same result, viz., several years would elapse while the tiees re- 
covered before being fit for subsequent tapping. It is possible, for 
the reason that trees in Brazil are indigenous and not cultivated 
and whether trees recover from severe tapping does not concern the 
rubber collector, more would be obtained in Brazil tree lor tree than 
would be attempted under cultivation, but as all trees in the vicinity 
of rubber camps are tapped irrespective of size, the average resu t 
could not be much different thah from trees of uniform size, 
consider Para Rubber under ordinary conditions is capable of 
furnishing a gross average return in full bearing of not less than 
3 cwt. per acre, and I assume that there would not be less than 125 
trees per acre. On this moderate estimate, to produce 26,933 tons 
