262 
it on the market, and since the natural rate of replenishment is far less 
rapid than the present rate of collection, it is obvious that exhaustion 
ol the wild supply must sooner or later come about 
that H, o W ^!f eI V° int0d ° U - 1? °“f, 0f ths leadin S ™bber journals 
that the danger of an appreciable fall, under ordinary circumstances, 
in the pnces of rubber was improbable, since, assuming such a drop to 
take place temporarily, the product would at once be available for a 
aige number of uses for which the present price is prohibitory, and 
01 which more or less inefficient substitutes have now to be found. 
Such an enhanced demand would, of course, tend again to put up the 
puce, until a natural equilibrium was one more established. 
Another point to which attention may be drawn in considering 
the prospects of plantation rubber is the fact that while the demand 
sincrih t le alm ° f , pr ° du<!, ' ion is a comparatively limited one, 
since all the commercial rubber-yielding plants flourish only within 
for thebrie Intl,s . res l Joet differs from sugar. The demand 
tor the latter article is universal also, but production is carried on in 
temperate as well as m tropical regions, and the supply is limited only 
by considemtions of profit. Even within the tropics, it is only in 
suitable districts that rubber cultivation can be carried on, and it would 
States r a V n ‘h? n ' deal 2? Wl11 have t0 Iook chiefly to the Malay 
Hon Of H, w’ Western Brasil, Central America, a per- 
for tl f the Y eS ( C i° aSt °- f A£nca ’ and il may be ho P ed * tlle West Indies, 
annual cnt Ply |° f plan ‘ atl . on ™ bber which will be needed to replace the 
annual out-put now obtained from wild sources. 
and others °1 deat fr ? m , tbe aboT , e considerations that estate owners 
and otheis who may be debating the prospects of rubber culture, need 
“™.,o f ? ar as t0 . th ? ultimately profitable nature of the industry, 
Lrh.ilfl ° oou,se > due judgement is exercised in the selection of tlie 
vanety grown, in planting only on suitable soils, and in the actual 
planting aperations and after management. 
T^ S ^ tbe /^ nt Status , of the rubber industry in the West 
l T ^ “? T °^ g ° are the IsIands in which the greatest ad- 
Z More 7 fchai ? a y 0ar ago there were thirty-three 
en ^. ed ■ “ rubber Production in Trinidad, and shipments were 
taking place in fairly large quantities. Prices varying from 4s. 3d. to 
5s. 3d. were reported for Castilloa sheet rubber. The Castilloa tree 
apiiears to do very well in Trinidad, the conditions of soil and climate 
being congemal. About ten estates are also planting Para rubber as 
ln Jamaica, too, many planters are now seriously taking up 
attentio C n tlVatl0n ’ Castllloa being the kinds receiving chief 
The rubber industry is likely to become prominent in British 
J he ' * ear fufcure - The ^lony possesses large tracts of land 
\\ell suited to the requirements of Para and Castilloa, while it is fortu- 
species of Sapiim, which are 
lepoited to be very hardy, and to give good returns of rubber two or 
Par? IZ! 6a ™ T Cas . tni . oa > and th ^e or four years earlier than 
f ft k)l ^ erent varieties of rubber are being experimentally 
vnHnn f ^ 0nderneem ^g Farm School, and have been under obser- 
vation foi some years. The Combined Court of British Guiana has 
