Evening star., 1899-11-03
DEMAND Is INCREASING
As a Result the Price Of Rubber is Rising
Steadily.
Splendid Chance for Investment I'm
the Philippines-Our Imports
for Last Year.

As a sound and promising investment for
American capital it would be difficult to
find any industry in the Philippines that
could beat the cultivation of the rubber
plant Indeed. with proper time and at
tention devoted to 1t investors are bound
TO make the pleasing discovery that the
land has not as yet given forth any prod
uct that can vie in rapid yield and heavy
profits with rubber.
The ficus elastica is native Of nearly
al tropic or subtrupic climes. and 1T is
to be met with in some form or other
throughout the greater part of the Island OF
Luzon and even more plentifully in Minda-
mao and tn. southern islands of the group.
But the genus fiCus eIastica comprises many
species. some of which would hardly pay
for cultivation, whilst others would yield a
profit of between 800 and 100 per cent OF
the profitable species two or three are ma
tive to Philippine soil, whilst the others
could without difficulty be imported In
seed or as graftings from other and not
very remote parts The beauty of the rub
Der plant Is that the seeds or graftlngs con-
tain an enormous latent energy So much
that after 4 month or two of reasonable
care and precautions they require no fur
ther nursing. and will not only hold their
own. but even in their vigorous upshOot-
Ing drive all other growths within reach
out of the soil.
Not DIfHcuft TASK.
The method of planting is simple in the
extreme. the season for same being prefer
ably shortly before or even during the
rains- The great secret lies in the time and
mode OF tapping the juice, for on it depends
not only the success of a particular CROP
but also the very life of the tree Properly
attended to. there can be no prettier sight
than a tiourishng rubber plantation with
us rows of regularly set trees with grace
Iul. dr9oping branches. bearing foliage of
a VIVID and cool shade of green, with
punches of pretty. Oiive-Iike seedlings hang
ahS here and there like festoons
neither rubber pays is question which
no man at all cOnverSant with the Euro
Peah or American markets will ask A rub
per ldfnlne is possibility not at all so
remote. after the wantOn manner in which
forests OF trees containing the precious sap
nave been destroyed. on the proverbiaI prin-
cfpie of killing the goose that laws the gold
en- eggs. and prices are constantly rising
and the supply is tagging woefulIy behind
the demand for the thousand and one pur-
poses to which rubber is put NOWADAYS
The introduction OF the automobiles and
the greatly increased manufacturing of
plcycIe and various other vehicle tires have
done much toward creating extraordi
mary demand and consequent advance in
prices for rubber on account of its COM
parative scarcity.
rubber growing are of the simplest de-
scriptiOn, the initial outlay is not great
and long within the second year of plant
Ing tree will commence to yield a profit
able return, and for several consecutive
seasons will give constantly increasing re-
turns
Our Imports of Crude Rubber.
The past year has been a notable one as
respects imports of India rubber in the
controlling markets Of Great Britain and
the United States. According to the recent
report Of the Brazilian consul. Mr.. Frank
n. Hill. the imports of crude rubber into
the United States during the past three
ye1rs have been greatly increased. and
show the demand for this commodity has
substantially advanced its prices His re-
port shows the imports for the past year
10 10 as follows: