6 
On the cacao estates in the Rivas district rubber trees have 
been planted as shade. In Costa Rica rubber has not proved a 
success as shad? for cacao. In this latter country rubber is culti- 
vated near the coasts and on the Nicaragua frontier. Several 
varieties of Castilla are grown, but the plantations are not yet in 
bearing, so that definite results as to the yield of these forms are 
still uncertain. In 1905 about 160,000 pounds wild Castilla rubber 
was exported from thiS country. 
Planting in Mexico. 
o 
One of the first attempts to' cultivate rubber in Mexico was 
^iade by the Hon. Matias Romero, who in 1872 planted 100,000 
trees near Suchiate River in Soconusco, on the Guatemalan border. 
The owner had to abandon the place for political reasons and the 
plantation was gradually destroyed by native rubber collectors and 
by fire, so that at present there is hardly any trace left. On the 
identical spot of the old plantation a new one has been started in 
recent years by a relative of. Sehor Romero. When I visited 
the place, about a year ago, it^was in a thriving condition. Some 
thirty years ago Don Eugenio Sanchez on the Teapa river in the 
State of Tabasco planted the 1 first rubber trees. After that the 
Pratt. and Alfaro families planted rubber, and about 22 yearsago 
most of the farmers in the Teapa and Pichucalco valleys com- 
r menced to plant extensively. For the past twelve years there has 
b$en a steady increase of the planted area. In the Rio Seco 
Valley, Don August Litzoff has now about 100,000 trees, two to 
nine years old. 
On the upper Grijalva, above Huimanguillo, there is a line 
of farms for about 30 miles ; most of these are tapping 10 year old 
trees. Sehor Abalos, of Huimangillo, cropped an average of 14 
ounces rubber from his 10 year old trees last year. 
All this was done on a comparatively small scale, however, 
the plantations being in Mexican hands not consisting of more 
than a few thousands or tens of thousands of trees. About 18 
years ago a number of rubber trees were set out as shade for cacao 
on La Zacualpa, in Soconusco? by the then owner Senor Palaez. 
Of these there are some 1,000 trees left, and they have been regu- 
larly tapped for many years, the trees now presenting a very 
scarred appearance as a result of the primitive method of tapping 
employed by the native huleros. 
Less than ten years ago American capital was attracted 
towards rubber planting in Mexico. As a result of this movement 
we have to-day approximately 100 plantations, entirely or partly 
devoted to rubber. I have in my possession letters and data 
showing that the whole area under rubber in Mexico to-day (De- 
cember 1, 1906) is at least 82,620 acres. I think it is safe to say 
90.000 acres. Next year’s planting, at a low estimate, will be 
10.000 acres. In this total I have not included what “ has been ” 
planted, but is no more. And I do not believe the entire area 
mentioned above can be counted upon to become producing. 
