412 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Ocr., 1899. 
RUBBER-PLANTING IN MEXICO. 
In compliance with your request, I will cheerfully give you such information 
as I possess regarding rubber in this district, gleaned from four years’ experience 
in planting 300,000 trees here at Dos Rios and carefully observing the rubber 
in other portions of this locality. I refer entirely to the Castilloa elastica, as 
no other variety grows here, either wild or cultivated. That it is indigenous to 
the country is proved by the number of trees found growing wild in the forest. 
I believe this to be the only variety in Mexico, and the same that is sometimes 
called “Panama” rubber. We recently secured 2,000 seeds of Para rubber, but 
only six plants sprouted, and these soon died. I understand that this rubber 
requires low, wet land, combined with an extreme degree of heat, only 
flourishing where man cannot well exist. Castilloa elastica, on the contrary, 
requires well-drained land and climatic conditions similar to those for coffee, 
which are generally conducive to health and comfort. It will do well with a 
rainfall ranging anywhere between 50 and 150 inches per annum, and a 
temperature averaging between 70 degrees and 85 degrees Fahy. 
The republic of Mexico unquestionably contains thousands of acres of land 
possessing ina remarkable degree every requirement in the way of soil and 
climate to make it perfectly adapted to the successful cultivation of this valuable 
product ; and to no portion of the republic does this apply more forcibly than. 
the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. “Tropical Mexico” is a large country, however, 
and contains bad land as well as good, and I would advise an inspection of lands 
by competent parties before closing a purchase. There are instances where 
large sums of money have been sunk in huge wastes, purchased simply because 
they were cheap. or in the belief that land worthless for any other purpose would 
grow rubber. There was never a greater mistake. Cuasfilloa elastica does not 
necessarily require as rich ground, nor as much moisture, as does coffee, but it is 
fully as essential that the land be well drained, for “wet feet” are as injurious 
to one as to the other. I have seen young rubber apparently doing well upon 
land practically exhausted by tobacco; likewise on en heavy with clay, and 
again on soil consisting almost entirely of sand; but I have never yet seen it 
growing on wet land, or old trees bearing well on anything but what had been 
rich, friable, virgin forest land at the time the trees were put out. 
Rubber cultivation is not a difficult undertaking, and no great amount of 
experience or scientific education is necessary. Patience and a reasonable 
amount of common “ horse-sense” are the chief requisites, after the necessar 
capital and proper lands have been provided. I would advise the “tenderfoot” 
to spend at least six months studying the successes and failures (particularly the 
latter) of some older planter before starting in on his enterprise, and to use his 
eyes rather than his ears. 
Rubber seed for nursery purposes can be secured in large quantities in 
in June and July, from several localities on the isthmus, at an ayerage price of 
1 dollar per Ib. Jt is extremely delicate, and no time should be lost in trans- 
ferring from trees to nursery, and great care exercised in its transportation. Tf 
allowed to get dry, the parchment will break, thereby preventing germination ; 
if too wet, or allowed to heat, the seed will rot. The cost of raising one-year- 
old nursery plants is 15 dollars per 1,000. This includes the cost of clearing and 
preparing the ground, purchase, transportation, and planting of the seed, weed- 
ing until plants are pulled, pulling, trimming, counting, and bundling the plants. 
They cannot usually be bought, but when possible it is advisable for the 
beginner to buy his plants, thereby saving a year’s time and avoiding all risk in 
connection with the nursery. No dependence can be placed on getting seedlings 
from the forest, nor are they desirable, on account of crooked trunks and 
roots. 
There is a great diversity of opinion as to how the rubber shall be planted 
whether under light or heavy shade, or with no shade at all; also at what 
distance apart the trees should be placed. We haye planted ours from 16 to 18 
feet apart each way, in among the coffee-trees and under light shade. Our soil 
