The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-08-07
SOUTH AMERICAN RUBBhR 8ROTHs.
Methods OF HANDLING the Raw Produ>t
Etorn khn Ner OrL.ln. rir... n...o..ai

FSon heN Nee Orleans rme~ Democrat
While the India rubber OF commerce has
been obtained from many different parts OF the
globe. the world has been compelled to look to
Central and South America for the bulk Of its
supply. South America. especially Brazil. is
the territory upon which the commercial
world relies. and when tue statement is made
that there ~ great danger of the diminution
Fieura,ively. the rubher trees OF the ANA
no machinery, no costly experiments. no
fnesswnrk; and p acticaily no risk nor labor.
Sc With he inn arr against is the
Al that has to lie done to accumulate riches
from the rubber trees II to hire the willing na-
the liquid gold run into ones Golfers. In tho
great rush Tor becoming suddenly rich now
hausted While the coming Brazilian Con
gres;s intends TO discuss the question Of pre-.
as yet been taken at all.
II but three Eashes per day are made in the
rnbl or tree; and the hatrhet in the car.lcss
strike the wood. the tree does not appear to
,rmnl from the treatment. EXCEPT that the
hSWsSysr; il soea hsSIth and VII Wild fIn!Rus ID
blow from the ,hatchet, however. wounds in in
ne slightest degree The wood Of ,hr tree it
wood Is s so 1sfns at th Wound the
ters the ,decayed snot. as a worm does tho
body: an, and hastens tie destruction, the tree
but. 9s they Aay in Portuguese, it j. can
sado;" II will be seen how very easily the do;
f or"sts mn, OF ho even ampst neXhans6ie
Ratchet in the hands Of a narauiinE native.
bSp shis r.as2n very many Of the ono. mex
z9n are alrendy wholly or parta ~ abandon
ca, ear ana the same fierce onslauElts nrp h"ing
triTutarss Renters Of swainps "a ar. . natui 1
less careful OF the trees thnn are the uwnrrs.
, Who manage . the property from central s,e;;
IN lara or Manaos by those dealers who are
Interested only In the present supply. and who
This car"le,snrss with regard to the future
can lie Offset with cultivation elsewhere II
gated the matter an" believe that tho nyS
oil Florida, offer the hest Inducements for ex-
rerimental culture; The conditions Of moist
par with the conditions where tho rub or tree
inS na apd as for wonderfully rrmunern.
q matter Of time Many yrars clause b "fopre
the rubber tree produces sufficient milk to
1aT n It's naHtHC 6S, after il does begin to
+ the land Of TO- morrow" and il anythings
The ruhher tire. Of the Amazon Valley grows
81 ontaneousiy: a man can gather enough OF
f tn, nuts In day to plant quarter orcirn, of
53s trees " II do we'll TO each acre: thr land
needs no preparation. and no cultivation or
care is necessary. Taking the most unfnvora-
them to the rubber grove. the man VIII" cares
acre with it, .5;s trees. As four tii,s is ~" IN
would yield him fifteen kIlos per day. One
dollar er kio il an average price AMI so the
laborer could make ST. per dav. with no out
lay but bis ordinary living expenses. during
fou1 or Aye months in the year,
In 1850 Senior JOAQUIN Antonio da Silva.
now deceased. but then living on tho River
Guiana. twelve mi es above the city OF Para,
had 10000 young rubber trees planted on the
tens wSch the o nss hm H.
paid to Francisco Rahia, the man who did the
work. the sum Of sixteen cents apiece for the
young trees when planted. The 10000 young
ssoo un'ortunateiy the tree trees " wera ali ri
on its whole circumference. '" as '' only
a small part Of the island was TO be planted.
than to work his way through the jungle furo
Their inland The tide Gibbs and flows with
tremendous power. and tears away and builds
up the isAnd at one or the other end. alternat-
only about 600 Of the original 10000 trees
remain. These. however, are in eNcellent con-
dtior and yield abunduntly though they have
snce an a will
yield between $500 and $500 per month. the
2O.On trees mentioned. occupying a forty
acre tract. would mean nn income OF 100000
per month for four or five months Of every
year. While twenty or TWENTY-FIVE years is
quite while to wait for tho returns to begin
to come In. yet the receipts ar" 30 great. and
the expense OF such an enterprise so little.
that Northern capital and energy vii probably
at no distant dBv SOLVE the problem Of pre-
serving rubber forests In the characteristic
Anglo Saxon way.