Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1900-09-27

Pal one, Tor IL Is actually the nursery
or the plantations, much as our nur-
series propagate and improve the fruit
trees which We plant in our orchards.
The seeds are gathered from care
fully selected trees thus introducing
only the best possible varieties and
insuring gradual amelioration of the
race. They are terminated by the hun
dreds of thousands, and the plants are
grown on for one, two or three years.
they are thoroughly hardened off and
then sent to the country of their des-
tination. In this way the ultimate sue
cess OF the plantations is as much in
sured as it is possible to do. The lit
tie plants, already well established in
pots, are able to take care of them
selves, with the little cultural aid
which it is possible to give them in the
undeveloped tropical countries. Ex-
perience has taught that these nursery
grown plants give much better results
than those grown on the spot, and
though preparatory cultivation in
Europe may seem to be complication,
1t really facilitates the planters work.
Without such basis OF supply from
which at moments notice large
quantities of well-prepared plants of
20 or more different kinds can be
bought, it would indeed often be a life
work to establish a plantation. First
the seeds have to be gathered, perhaps
in another continent, and it may take
years until one shipment will arrive
alive. Then, again 1T may take years
until a sufficient number of plants has
| been grown to start the plantation,
and with all that, there is the I'M
certainty whether the seeds were true,
whether the varieties are good and II
the kind that has been selected will do
we'll in the particular country or dis
trict.
| No doubt these difficulties have dis
couraged many an enthusiastic planter,
and all the more does the Belgian es-
Enlistment deserve credit for the
work it has accomplished and to be
| initiated by other countries. Within
the last two years many thousands of
rubber and other colonial plants have
been shipped to distant countries by
the Belgian camp, and with signal
success, and thanks to their practical
| knowledge the selection of varieties
could be made with intelligent dis
cernment.
1t may be of interest to mention a
! few of the best rubber producing trees.
| The most generally known rubber is
doubtless the ficus elastica, the COM
mon rubber tree of our greenhouses,
which for many years has been grown
as house or conservatory plant. This
species, with five or six others of the
same genus, furnishes the Tava or
Assam rubber of the market.
| Parameria glandulifera is largely
grown in Malaysia Cochin China and
Siam.
Wiccola esculeata furnishes the
Burma rubber; it is rapid growing
vine. An experimental plantation has
yielded as high as $4,000 worth of
rubber from 10000 plants 10 years
after planting.
Wiliughbeia edulis grows in Java
and Borneo. 1t is as yet little known,
but promises good returns.
OF the African rubbers Kicksa
Africana, the Lagos rubber, has been
very successfully grown by the Eng
lish. The tree grows so to so feet
nigh and its product has brought as
high as so and 30 cents in the English
market
Some9 or 10 kinds of Landolpia have
been found All are rapid growing
vines, growing $50 to $50 feet in
length, and their rubber is very good.
The Vaheas, native in Madagascar,
have been successfully grown also
along the west coast of Africa and are
as valuable as the last-named genus.
The best American rubbers are the
Castiloa elastiea, Panama rubber OF
the market. II grows as tree so feet
high at an altitude Of 1000 feet. This
| kind is very productive and recon-
mended as a shade tree for coffee and
cocoa plantations.
Haucornea sreciosa, Pernambuco
rubber, or Mangubeira. as the natives
call 1t, grows IS to 20 feet high It's
fruit (mangoba) is a relish for the
natives. 1t was supposed to grow in
an altitude OF 1000 to 5000 feet, but
actually grows only 500 to 500 feet
above the sea level.
Hevea brasilens!s, Para rubber, is
the great rubber tree of Amazonia; 1t
grows like the Hevea Guyanensis along
the rivers in very moist places.
Manihot Glasiool, Ceara rubber, pre-
fers gravelly, well-dralne1 soil; II fur
nishes the well-known Ceara scraps
/ fManisoba) The most remarkable
rubber tree Of all Is the Sapium Toll
mense. It grows or the Andes noun
tains at an altitude OF from 5000 to
900 feet This is an immense tree,
attaining a height OF 100 feet and a
stem mp to eight feet across. The
true Sapium Tolimense There has been