The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1889-01-09
INDIA RUBBER HUNTERS.
GATHERING CAoUTCHoUC IN THE
DENSE BRAZILIAN FORESTS.
The Simple Process of Obtaining
the Valuable Sap-The Final Op-
Grafton of Staying and Smoking.


Grafton of Staying and Smoking.
The valuable India rubber tree is found
on the, Amazon, in Brazil, and on all
rivers trlbutary to it. 1t is found in
great abundance on the rivers Xinqu,
Peru aud Madieras, and is also found on
the islands at the motftl l1Akthe Amazon,
aud on many islands up the great Anna
zon River. Thee tall trees are found
isolated from one another in the midst
OF other trees of the forests, always in a
swampy soil, generally near the river
banks, and grow to various heighths and
diameters, with spreading brancheg and
small, bright, green leaves. The bark
is of gSay color.
In thevsper rivers the gatherers must
wait untN the high waters or floods
reach heiAht of fifty or sixty feet, while
in Others much less. The gatherers in
the rivers below must wait until the
floods reach them, and then, as with the
gatherers on the rivers above. they grasp
the opportunity thus afforded every six
months of floating or conveying by boat
the results of their accumulations of
India rubber gathered during the one
half year. This is repeated twice yearly
The swamps where this work is carried
on are generally haunted by fevers, the
food supply is irregular and the water is
full of impurities, so that the rate of
mortality is high. The people are, how
ever, fond of this pursuit, because of the
freedom from restraint the regular
hours of work, and the compensation of
very high wages per day.
A gatherer will earn enough in two
days to keep him the remainder of the
week, hence the industry is a demoraliz-
ing one, and it is properly regarded rs
the bane of agricultural pursuits IN the
valley of the Amazon. The export of
India rubber is subject to heavy gen.
cral government and provincial tax.
The attempts to form rubber planta-
tions on the Amazon have met with sue
cess. The trees require twenty years
from the time of planting to reach
size sufficient for tapping, after which
they yield constantly for many years.
The returns are thus slow, but as there
are no land taxes and plantations re-
quire so little care, the Investment may
be regarded as good one.
Whilst tapping may be going on in
one section III others the floods may
prevent It. The trees are being tapped
the year round, but the receipts of rub
Der at Para perceptibly diminish in the
months of May, June, July and August.
The new crop may be said to commence
arriving at Para about the 1st of sep-
tenber.
The process of tapping is simple and
is accomplished by taking hatchet es
pecially adapted TO this purpose and
striking the bark in such manner rs 20
produce perpendicular incision two or
three inches in length and one half inch
in width. Before cutting the bark
small funnel-shaped cup is stuck to the
tree-with the aid of sticky mud
below where the point of incision is
made. lmmed' ate y after this incision
is made a milky white fluid begins to
flow into the tn funnel, which has n ca
pacity of one pint of the fluid. A num-
Der of incisions may be made in each
tree, this depending on the skill of the
gatherer
The cups are left to fill, from 8 }.
NJ. until 1 p. Ne, when the gatherers col
lect the fluid in ten-quart iron bucket
The cups are then replaced and their
collection at the same hour every even
ing goes on for several days. Then the
gatherer passes to another tree and con-
tinues the same process. The iron
bucket is carried to the outside of the
huts and the contents thrown into one
large galvanized iron basin, holding
many gallons. Close to this is construt ted
a large furnace, made especially for tn ir
purpose in England, with an inverted
funnel on the top: inside of the oven are
thrown the seeds of palms called g, ru-
curry" and "lraia," whichever may be
most conveniently found at hand, but
the "Urucury" is the best.
Paddles, with long handles and
rounded fiat enlargement at the end, are
then taken and dipped into the basin of
fluid continually and held in the smoke
caused by the burning of the palm ,ecds
"a process which gives elasticity to the
rubber, and is constantly turned, until |
the milk becomes dried on the paddle, and !
is of "a dark black color; this one alton
is continued until large lump of rub
Der is formed by the constant dipping |
and drying in the heat and SMOKE com, |
ing from the funnel. This lump weighs |
from ten to thirty pounds. This work |
must be done within two hours, or tie |
iuid in the basin will coagulate and give |
IN inferior quality called coarse or ''ser-
lamby," this is found at the bottom of |
,he basin of coaguated juice, and is
mixed with that which drops around the
basin and furnace during the smoking
md drying process.
This inferior quality is better than the |
Jest qualities brought from Honduras,
Africa, etc. The first grade, called
'Fine, is the most thoroughly and uni
ormly smoked, and, therefore, has the
most elasticity and is perfectly smooth.
The second quality, called "NIedium,"
las white spots through it, caused by
lnskillful smoking and staying though
he elasticity is the same.
The operation of Staying and smoking
S not a healthy one, owing to the smoke
rising from thepalm seed.-Ne,o orleans
Tjyggg- N .,5.aag,y