Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1892-09-09
The India Rubber Treo.

and South America for the bulk OF Its
supply. South America, especially
Brazil, is the territory upon which the
commercial world relies, and when
the statement is made that there Is
great danger OF the diminution OF the
supply of crude rubber from the ANA
zon Valley il awakens thought.
Figuratively, the rubber trees of
the Amazon are gold mines which
require no shafts, no machinery, no
costly experiments,n no geuss-work. and
practically no risk nor labor The
only thing TO be guarded against is
the killing of the geese which lay the
golden eggs. All that has TO be done
to accumulate riches from the rubber
trees is 10 hire the willing natives TO
enter the junges, tap the trees and
let the liquid gold run into ones
Golfers In the great rush for becom-
ing suddenly rich, however, in the
lower Amazon tisld-the delta-many
rubber forests have already become
exhausted. While the coming Brazil
ian Congress intends TO discuss the
question of preserving the forests, no
such precautions have rs yet been
taken at all.
II but three gashes per day are
made in the rubber tree aud the
hatchet in the careless hands OF the
natives does not penetrate or strike
the wood the tree does not appear TO
suffer from the treatment, except that
the trunk grows thick, and the
Scared surface becomes Irregular aud
bumpy. 1t will continue, however
in good health and yield milk in abund-
ance FOR thirty or forty years. IL the
blow from the hatchet, however,
wounds in the slightest degree the
wood OF the tree, il dies. Decay
begins at this wound. As the wood
is soft. a little weevil called punilna
enters the decayed spot, as Il worm
does the body, and hastens the de
struction. The tree may drag out
miserable, half dead existence; but, as
they .ayin Portuguese it is 'cancado.
Ii will be seen how very easily the
destruction OF even almost "ineNhaus
tible" forests may be completed 10y
mere blow of hatchet in the hands
Of n marauding native. For this
reason very many OF the once in
eNhaustible rubber swamps OF the
Lower Amazon are already wholly or
partially abandoned, and the same
fierce onslaughtsare being made upon
the virgin swamps OF the upper trib-
utaries. Renters OF swamps are nat
urally less careful Of the trees than
are the owners, who manage the
property from IA central station But
the principal forests are owned III
Para or Manaos by those dealers who
are interested only in the present
supply, and who have no interest III
the future production.
The carelessness with regard 10 the
future can be offset with cultivation
elsewhere, if begun at once, and those
who have investigated the matter
believe that the Everglades OF Flor
ida offer the best inducements for ex-
detrimental culture. The conditions OF
moisture. heat, and soil there are Just
about on a par with conditions where
the rubber tree fourishes and as Tor
the wonderful remunerative returns
there is no question. 1t is simply
matter Of time Many years elapse
before the rubber tree produces SUI
ficient milk to justify its planting,
but after il does begin TO do 80 the
profit is sufficient TO pay for much
greater delay. 1t is true, however
that Brazil is "the land Of tomorrow,
and If anything is done Anglo-Saxon
energy must do it.
The rubber tree OF the Amazon Val
ley grows spontaneously. a man can
gather enough OF the nuts in day 10
plant a duarter-section OF land. They
terminate easily and grow rapidly.
Five hundred and tbirty-eight trees
will do well to each acre. The land
needs no preparation and no cultiva-
ton or care is necessary. Taking the
most unfavorable figures OF the rub
Der swamp and applying them to the
rubber groves, the man who cares Tor
$50 trees in the swamp could care Tor
an acre with its 559 trees, and his 5SS
would yield him IS kilos per day.
In 1885 Senior Joaquin Antonio da
Silva. now deceased, but then living
on the River Guiana twelve miles
above the city OF Para, had 200, 900
young rubber trees planted on the
low alluvial island in the river. called
Bonn Intento, which formed part OF
his estate. He paid 70 Francisco
Rahia. the man who did the work,
the sum OF IS cents apiece for the
young trees when planted. The
20. 900 young trees cost him a total out
lay OF 50, 200; unfortunately, the trees
were planted near the margin OF the
island OIL its whole circumference, rs
only small part Of the island was to
be planted, and it was less trouble 10
plant near the shore than TO work
his way through the jungle further
inland. The tide ebbs and flows with
tremendous power and tears away
and builds up the island at one or the
other end, alternating by periods Of
ten years. Consequently only about
!. 900 of the original 20, 900 trees remain.
These however, are in excellent con-
dition and yield abundantly, though
they have never cost a cent for care
or cultivation.