The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1892-05-19
RUBBER CULTURE.
A New Industry to be Tried in Flori-
da,S E,verUladeS

S found there. It is believed that plant
tions of the trees, established on a gres
y scale, would prove enormously profitabl
! With this purpose in view experiment
S are now being made at Lake Geno wit
seeds and plants obtained from Brazi
!, The vast region of swamp referred Il
: covering thousands of square miles.
presumably capable of producing enoug
rubber to supply the world.
The supplies of rubber furnished b
nature are seriously threatened with e1
haustion, owing to the reckless name
in which the trees have been destroyed
Z In Brazil the forests are as full of rubbe
| trees as they are of snakes and fevers
| yet those who gather the product pursu
such methods of havoc that the Govern
slider projects for preserving the indus
try by cultivation. A like proposition
is being agitated in Mexico and else
where, the fact having only recently
come to be realized that the world will
not be able to depend much longer upor
wild forest for rubber, which is at pres
ent recognized as one of the most usefu
substances given to mankind by the veg
atable kingdom
There are many different kinds of rub
ber-producing plants, but the best OF
them is the "siphonia elastica" of Brazil.
1t is one of the most superb of tropical
trees, having q spread OF branches of
eighty feet when full grown. The seeds
are somewhat the shape of horse chests
nuts, though smaller. Three of them are
developed in each pod, which burst
when ripe with a sound resembling the
explosion of firecracker. throwing the
nuts to some distance. In one day man
can gather enough of them to plant q
quarter section of land. When the little
trees have reached q height of six or
| eight inches in the nursery each one
should be put into a half bushel basket
of earth. AS soon as they are three feet
high they may be permanently planted,
the basket being set in the ground with
each one
The rubber trees have thus been set
out the work is done No preparation
has been needed for the land and it is
not necessary to cultivate it further. At
| the end of the first year the plants will
be eight or ten feet high, but twenty
years must elapse before they will he in
| full bearing of sap. 1t is long time to
wait, and this is the reason why rubber
/
ed to already. Few people care to SOW
crops for the next generation to gather.
Nevertheless, it is estimated that 10000
trees will yield in their sixth year co.,
900 pounds of juice, fifty-six per cent. of
which is water and the rest rubber. This
would signify profit of $4,234. The
profit in the seventh year would be ST.
1913, and SO it would proceed progressive
ly. A full>grown tree will produce fifty
pounds of milk" annually.
The rubber hunters of Mexico strip the
trees of their bark or fell them, slicing
the bark and placing vessels to receive
the sap, which is dried in the sun and
sent to market. In Peru they cut down
the trees and chop them to pieces, limbs
and all, allowing the milk" to run into
hollows dug in the ground. It is coagu-
lated in these pools by mixing with it
common soap. Being then ready for sale
it is disposed of as low grade of the ar
ticle. Somewhat less destructive are the
methods pursued by the Indians of Mica
ragua, who cut channels from the top to
the bottom of each tree, placing vessels
on the ground to receive the juice. They
use the strong vines which Irvine about
the trees for ladders to climb by.
These vines, which are Of the kind
known as 'liana," are useful to the rub
Der seekers in another very curious way.
From them decoction is made which is
the most efficient agent known for CO.
agulating the juice. For this purpose it
is added to the ''millz' in the proportion
of one pint to each gallon. The rubber
is made into round fiat cakes for market.
These natives manufacture in most
simple fashion the finest rubber blank
cts in the world. They put the fresh sap
into bottles and keep it for q few days,
until it has reached the desired consists
ency Then they spread a piece of can
vas on the ground and pour the juice
upon it from the bottles, distributing it
as evenly as possible with wooden pad
dies. 1t dries very soon, when the blank
cts are ready for use. Rubber bags are
made out of canvas bags in like manner
Rubber trees may be tapped with q
Ratchet every day for years without in
| turing them, otherwise than to make
them Scared and bumpy, so long as only
the bark is.cut. But if the wood beneath
is wounded even slightly the milk-pro-
ducing giant dies. The harlequin" bee
tie lays it's egg in the wounds and the
grubs Matched from them bore great
holes in the trunk, rapid decay follows
ing With careful treatment a rubber
tree will continue to yield plentifully for
forty years.
The rubber forests of Brazil are worked
by traders who either own them by right
of pre- emption or rent them from capi>
| taIists in Para and other cities. They
are usually obliged to maintain their
claims by rifle vigilance, never ventur-
ing out without a handy repeating gun
In those regions there exists o class OF
desparadoes known as 'capangas' Many
traders employ gangs of these fellows tc
hold their claims. Sometimes there are
pitched battles between two rival gangs,
and feuds often arise which end in mas
sacres The laborers hired to gather the
rubber are little better than slaves
Each of them starts out at day break
carrying basketful of small earthel
cups. a lump of moist clay and Ratchet
He has from 100 to 100 trees to attend to
Upon reaching the first tree the mai
makes three missions in the bark of il
with his Ratchet. Beneath each cut, from
which the juice issues in rapid drops, hi
fastens with a bit of clay one of his little
cups, so that the 'milk" shall flow into it
Every one of the trees allotted to hi
share he treats in like manner. Then h,
goes home, eats hasty breakfast, ant