Evening star., 1900-09-18
INDIA RUBBER IMPORTATION.
with Trees in ii
American Island Territoris.s.

experimenting with Trees in the
American Island Territories.
More than a hundred million dollars
worth Of india rubber has been imported
into the United States during the past four
years. and more than sixty million dollars
worth In the last two years. A decade ago
the annual importatons of india rubber
amounted to about S15,OO0.OOO, now they
exceed $50 600, COO and are steadily increas-
ing. Practically all OF the importstions of
rubber come In crude form for use of manu-
factUres, who are constantly extending It's
application to various new lines OF indus
try. Northern Brazil, southern Mexico the
West Indies, Central Africa, India, tho
Straits Settlements and the Dutch East In
dies supply this increasingly important fea-
ture Of our importations. Probably no sin
gle article has made more rapid growth IN
It's relations to manufactures and conse-
quently commerce in the past few years
than rubber. AS Il consequence attention is
now being given to the cultivation and sys-
tematic production OF the various plants
and trees from which 1t can be produced.
The above statement 10 suggested by the
receipt by the treasury bureau Of statistics
OF a publication detailing the systematic
efforts being made for the cultivation Of
india rubber trees and plants In the British
colonies. especially those of Central and
South Africa. This. coupled with the we'll
known fact that our own Department OF
Agriculture has already begun experiments
and inquiries In this line In the island terri
tOTlSh Oh tHe DHtcu dQuS greatly
TO the interest In this question and to the
possibility that the $50, 600 600 year which
We are now sending out OF the country for
this product may be- expended under the
American flag and among American pro-
ducers. The fact that southern Mexico and
Central America are natural producers of
india rubber In considerable and increasing
quant'ties, and that large quantities are
produced In and exported from the islands
and mainland Immediately adjacent TO the
Philippines. suggests great possibilities In
this line both In Cuba. Porto REQ and In
the Hawaiian and Philippine Islands.
India rubber is not, as Is generally sup
the contrary, is produced from q variety Of
trees and plants. Some of these flourish
only In moist soil and atmosphere, while
others thrive on stony soil provided they
receive ample. though intermittent, rainfall.
though in all cases a tropical or subtropicai
climate Is requisite Most of the india rub
ber of South and Central America and India
Is from trees, but In the islands of the In
dian archipelago the supply of rubber is
chiefly from gigantic creeDer. which in
five years growth attains q length of 400
feet and from twenty to thirty inches in
circumstances, and which yields annually
from fifty to sixty pounds of caoutchoue,
Java, 6umatra, Penang, Singapore and
French Indo China are already large pro-
ducers of crude india rubber, or eaoufchouo
and its production In the West Indies ha .
been sufficient to indicate the entire prao-
ticability of it's being made an importa mt
industry In Cuba and Porto Rico as we'll
as In the Hawaiian, Philippine and Samoan
Islands,