The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1889-05-22
WHERE RUBBER Is FOUND.
GATHERING THE CROP ALONG THE
MIGHTY AMAZON,
Prc-cmpting Seringoes - Congcaling
the Sap-Cclebrated Para Biscuit
-Ncritablc Living Rubber Mon.

AAANAiiSs AhubbtE Ahths
Rubber is a coagulated sap of the
Siphonia elastica and its kindred genera,
a tree, shrub, bush, vine or weed produc-
ing merchantable quantities of rubber in
Brazil, the North and West Coasts of
South America, Central America, Mexico,
East and West Coasts of Africa and
India. Even our common milk weed
would produce a very fair rubber. The
standard and most reliable rubber in
quality, as well as the highest priced
the celebrated "fine Para Biscuits
produced in Brazil, while the lowest
grades and most irregular qualities are
the productions of the West Coast Of
Africa; the latter, in fact, are even there
dcteriorating-due to carelessness or
fraud on the part of the gatherers.
On the lower Amazon, among the
islands, rubber is collected and brought
to market every month in the year; but
the rubber from the upper river gathered
during the dry season only reaches mar
ket in the wet season, for the double
reason of the necessity for high water to
enable the river steamers to reach the
higher branches of the river and the
enormous distances required to be sailed
over by these steamers, whose trips into
Peru and the head waters and back cover
greater distance than from here to
Liverpool and back, and consume a
greater time. Between Para and the
Andes Mountains there are 80, 900 to 40,
600 miles of navigable water of the
Amazon and its tributaries.
The rubber from this valley was
formerly brought to market in the shape
of bottles and shoes, made by the natives
over clay molds, which were then
broken and taken out. This method was
continued until about 1S4S or 1919,
when a wooden mold something after
the shape of paddle, was adopted by the
gatherers, and is exclusively used to-day.
Grants of seringoes, or rubber lands,
are made by the provincial governments
upon application of discovers or explor-
ers of same, on the condition of their oc-
cupying and working the trees, which
are in turn mortgaged to the Para NoI
Manaos merchants as security for the adj.
vancement of supplies TO the gatherers
against rubber to be delivered through.
out the crop. Nearly all the available
lands are thus taken up, although not all
thus pre-empted are worked. These
seringoes exist not only on the river
margins, but in the interior as well-al.
ways, however, in low districts of Il
swampy nature, near or around lakes OF
ponds; and from these inland lakes small
streams drain into the river, down which
the rubber is floated to the forwarding
points for shipment to Para.
Some Of the seringoes are very exten.
sive, and many men are employed-di.
vided into gangs-some to keep the paths
open from tree to tree by constant chop.
ping and cutting at the wild and luxuri-
ant vegetable growth, which would other.
wise choke up the paths and render them
impossible i'll short time. Another
gang gathers the milk or sap of the tree,
by cutting into the bark in n V-shape,
and sticking to the tree at the point OF
the V a small clay cup or saucer of about
two gills capacity, into which the white,
milky sap slowly trinkles. 1t is then col.
lected, brought into camp, and dis.
tributed in large basins among the makers,
each of whom has smOuldering fire OF
nuts, covered by portable clay chimney
foot or so high, from which issues
dense, black smoke. The operation is
then a very simple one. The maker
covers his paddle with thin layer OF
sap, which naturally adheres TO it, holds
it in the smoke for moment, at once
congealing it. He then adds another
layer, by dipping, and again holds his
paddle in the smoke. This operation he
repeats again and again, until the mer
chantable "tine Para biscuit is pro.
duced. The paddle is cut out and the
operation repeated
The biscuit, when finished and cut
from the paddle, contains tifty-siX pei
cent. water, which must be wholly
evaporated before it is ready to put into
goods. This loss is divided between the
different parties who handle it. The
greatest loss is between the camp and Para,
where every biscuit is cut for grading OF
quality. The sweepings Of the camp
drippings of the trees and cleanings from
the basins, etc, are more carelcssly rolled
together into scrappy balls. In Ecuador
the sapis tloated on to water and mixed
with ashes and other foreign stuff to
hasten its coagulatiOn not to mention
that it increases its weight.
In Nicaragua the sap is drawn into the
dishes and is coagulated by mixing with
the bruised leaves of a plant which
lourishes in that vicinity.
The natives in Africa have a method Of
gathering by smearing the sap ON their
naked bodies, coming into camp yeritablc
rubber men.
The product of rubber of the Amazon
valley has more than doubled in the last
ten years. The crop ending the summer
of 1878 was 1898 tons, while last year,
crop was 15,725 tons. The total con.
sumption of all grades Of rubber in the
United States last year was 10000, 000
pounds, the value of which was about
$15, 600, ,OO0.- ScieUtifc AmsrieaH.
A Big Board.