Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1884-08-07
RUBBER IN BRAZIL.
The World Dependent on Wild Trees
Worked by Ignorant Natives.

Writing about the production and
export of rubber in Brazil. Consul
General Andrews says: "The rubber
tree requires a growth of twenty to
twenty-five years before it begins to
produce, hence little or nothing has
been done for its propagation. The
milky sap which forms rubber is ta-
ken from the wild tree, which grows
scattered through the forests of its af-
auents. The industry being princi-
pally in the hands of an uneducated
and half civilized namad population of
Indian mixture Is of a crude charac-
ter Nothing has been done to i'm
prove the system of labor. A waste.
ful and exhaustive system has been
followed for half a century, and the
consequence is that millions of rubber
trees have been destroyed and many
others abandoned from premature and
excessive use. There are instances of
groves of trees, which, by careful use
and not permitting them to be tapped
in the months of August and Septem.
ber, In which they change their leaves,
have been yielding for thirty years,
and still are in good producing con-
dltion; but the common practice is so
wasteful that many well informed peo-
Pile apprehend that unless some remedy
is applied, this rich resource will be-
fore long suffer serious and perhaps
fatal decline.
"The rubber tree thrives only on
soil which is annually overfowed to a
depth Of three or more feet, and pre-
fers the lowest and most recent river
deposit. The rubber gatherers are
temporary squatters, and their usual
dwelling is hut with a low roof Of
palms, beneath one end of which there
is raised floor or framework of lath,
one or two yards from the ground, to
which the occupants retreat at high
water
The following description of the
process of gathering rubber was writ
ten by Mr. Fran Keller: ''Narrow
paths lead from the gatherer's hut
through dense underwood to each
separate tree, and as soon as the dry
season sets in he betakes himself with
his Ratchet to the trees to cut little
holes in the bark. The milk white
sap Immediately begins to exude into
pieces of bamboo tied below and hav.
ing their ends in little clay cups set
under the gashes to prevent its trick.
ling down the stem. He travels thus
from tree to tree. On the return VS.
it he pours the contents of the bam-
boo into large earthen vessel provi-
ded with straps, which he empties at
home into large turtle shell. With
out delay he sets to work to coagulate
it with smoke of palm nuts, and pours
little of the milk evenly on light
wooden shovel, which he thrusts into
the thick smoke issuing from lit
tie narrow chimney made by the neck
of an earthen bottle. He moves the
shovel several times to and fro with
great rapidity, when the milk Is seen
to consolidate and to take a greyish
yellow tlnge.
"Thus he puts layer upon layer, un-
til at last the rubber on both sides of
the wood has reached a thickness of
two or three centimeters Cutting it
on one side, he takes it off the shovel
and hangs it in the sun to dry. A
good workmen can thus prepare FIVE or
six pounds of solid rubber in an hour
From its initial color of clear silver
gray it turns shortly into yellow, and
finally becomes the we'll known dark
brown of the rubber such as is ex-
ported. The more uniform, the den
ser, and freer of bubbles the whole
mass is the higher price it brings.
| Almost double the value is obtained
for the first rate article over that OF
the most inferior quality, which is
nothing but the drops collected at the
| foot of tho trooc