The herald., 1893-01-22
Caoutchouc.

A guest at the Hotel del Coronado,
speaking OF the rubber industry, said:
"Can the india-rubber tree be grown
with profit in the region of San Diego :?
This interesting problem can be solved
by actual trial. An experimental test
would not be costly, results would soon
be reached, and, if successful, the new
industry would be of value almost be-
yond computation to this district.
'The plant selected for experiment
should be the ficus .lastica, plant to
be found in all the nurseries oi this vi
cinity and on many of the grounds of
your cozy residences. The gum from
this tree is hard and firm, and when in
telligently collected will answer the de.
msnd for the greater part of the pur-
poses for which this material is re-
quired. 1t is hardy plant, and once
planted, cares for itself. A region be-
low the frost line is required, where the
supply of water the plant needs can be
furnished, to produce the growth to the
greatest profit and perfect certainty.
"a writer in the India Rubber and
Gutta Percha Gazette, published in
London, who has apparently studied the
subject, writes that, given the heat and
inOlcl vi . cQs bllC nGub CdA UC piC0
the third year from the clip, age not be
ing so much the guide in the mater as
size and development Of matured wood
The writer alluded to gives the results
of experiments carried out in India at q
1 spot 1900 feet above the level of the sea
Slips of the vine of the thickness of your
middle finger, Is inches long, when
planted, struck rapidly, and at the end
of the third year had obtained the
height OF eight feet of mstured wood
with tba girth one foot from the ground
from IL to 18 inches. An inclsion on
each side was made and each plant
yielded four pounds of clean gum the
first season and an addition of two
pounds per annum up to the eighteenth
year.
"The deduction from this the writer
drew was that an acre planted eight fee,
by eight contained 676 trees. The yield
up to the eighteenth year. when the
trees could he tapped at the roots and
given from 300 to 400 pounds per tree
each year would be as follows: Three
years, pounds per tree, 2700 pounds
per acre; years, 6 pounds per tree
1000 pounds per acre; 5 yesre, pounds
per tree, $500 pounds per acre 10 years.
1850, and 80 on.
''Ficus will grow in fiat soil, and re.
quires but little care to keep it from
struggling, though it might be necessary
to thin out the plantation at times. The
yield per acre would not be much af
fected, as the necessary thinning would
be more than made good by the addi.
tional robustness of the remaining
plants. As the value of this rubber can
be safely estimated at 30 cents pei
pound, l commend the subject to the
careful consideration of those interested
in the prosperity of this region. A,
time passes the regions resorted to can.
not keep pace with the increased and
constantly increasing demand for thif
article of commerce.
"On the grounds of the Hotel del Cor.
onado are several trees of this plant un.
favorably situated to receive the full
power OF the sun, nor have they re-
ceived any such supply of water as the
Sweetwater dam could furnish, yet un.
der these unfsvorable circumstances
their rapid growth, showing now in the
fourth year sufficient matured wood to
warrant tapping, gives encouragement
to believe that the plant may be gro We
here with large profit. The test now
required is to see by tapping what
amount of common rubber may be pro
duced from tree OF certain size. Oncs
settle this question favorably and capi
tai will not be wanted to take up tht
land in this neighborhood adapted tt
this purpose. If some enterprising in
dividual cannot be found to undertake
this, will not the board of trade of Sar
Diego take hold of the busin ess :"