The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1881-09-01
GATHERING RUBBER IN
COLOMBIA.

4
sent to the State Department an
interesting sketch of the manner in
which the natives of the South
American States of Colombia cX-
tract milk from the rubber trees
| and prepare it for the market. Be
fore entering the woods, the rub
ber-hunters provide themselves
with guns, ammunition, flour, salt
tobacco. The -four is made from
plantaius, is generally mixed with
corn meal, and will keep sweet for
months. When the locality for q
camp is decided upon, a roof of
palm is speedily made, and, the
camp being established, every man
starts out with a gun and machete,
each in a different direction, in
search of rubber and game. When
a rubber tree is found, a space is
cleared from the roots by cutting
away vines, underbrush, etc, and
the finder moves on in search of
other trees, not returning to the
camp until night. Custom decides
that the rubber tree belongs to the
man who has cut around it.
When all the trees in the vicin-
ity Of the camp have been discov-
cred, the work of gathering the
rubber begins. Before tapping the
tree a hole is dug in the ground
close to it, unless another party is
camped near, in which case the hole
is dug near the camp of the owner
of the tree. The bark Of a tree is
first cut with a alacHete as high as
a man can reach, the cuts being in
the form ofthe letter Y. The milk
is caught as it eXudes, and is de-
posted in the holes previously dug
in the ground. When the milk
ceases to flow from the cuts the tree
is chopped down and its trunk rails
ed from the ground by means of
an improved trestle. After plac-
ing large leaves on the ground m-
der the tree to catch the sap, CASH
es are cut throughout the entire
length Of it, and the milk that ex-
udes from the gashes is carefully
collected and deposited in the vat.
When it first exudes the sap it is
Of the Whiteness and consistency Of
cream, but it turns black upon ex-
posure to air and light if not prop
erly watched. The quantity Of
milk put into one hole depends on
the size Of the trees, their distance
from each other and the strength
Of the man who is to carry the rub
Der to the river. When the hole
is filled with lnhhnr If ir nnestsaln+
ed by adding the root of mechvac-
anhard soap, etc. These substan-
ces canse the milk to coagulate so
rapidly as to prevent the escape OF
water, which is always present in
the fresh sap, and as the rubber
and water will not mix, a piece Of
rubber coagulated in this way is
always filled by small cells, which |
reduced its commercial value. When
coagulated the rubber is strapped
on the backs of hunters by bark
thongs, carried by them to the bank
of the river and floated to market |
in canoes or on RATS.
The annual destruction Of rub
Der trees in Colombia is very great, |
and as the people have not turned |
their attention to planting trees to |
supply the wastage, there is some
apprehension that this industry may
be seriously crippled before many
years unless the Colombia Govern
ment enforces its regulations against |
the destruction Of forest trees, and
compels hunters for rubber to tap |
without destroying the trees by cut |
ting them down. Consul Smith |
thinks there is a good chance for |
profitable investment in this direc- |
ton. He says there are places on
the Sim river where rubber trees
will grow from eight to ten inches
in diameter in three or four years |
from the seed. The trees require
little attention, and begin to give
returns sooner than almost any |
other. The trees that yield the |
greatest amount Of rubber flourish |
along the banks Of the Sinu and |
Aslato rivers.
The reports of the Bureau Of
Statistics show that the value of |
crude india rubber annually import
ed into the United States is about |
SO, 600. 600.