The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-11-25
TRYING TO R 0 RUBBER.
,,.,s,,,yr, ON yAaxs ~ CENTRAL
auSMCA AND xLsEwHSHs'
re world. demand for More Rssee' &c.
Of Hno~,.dss Abes' the Tree o'h.' DIV
eeslues ~ the PLANTER The Rival VS.
,.u. -o,.s, vrsAs ss,w 90 ne Possible

teme -fkreAt tF0Vs ~"
4, may on prl+, mnn- people to '"srn.hs'
rhsr, h. -tIl a raw product when man nno.
ius, A, dlroult Ia obtain ~ u vi" = huhu'V'
year. ago. In fact. II IA harder to oo"'" "."
-, So. Till 4. the milk ~ a very In
,ixnIrotnt looking trc", gto"lhs IN Te'' dn'n
49,. throughout THOUSANDS 81 square miles
1hs TIE, l,s.lf u entlreiy generous q "a" ol"N'
~,,h A .nifs. and A thick white liquid follows
a.. ,,ci,,on. A wait Of tventy-four hours Tor
~. n,Is to harden and a man has the eauiva-
,.r, n, a day, wages This white liduid aiter
.,,o.ure TO heat with many species, 70 that
., TIA a,n alone and without any further
tr.o,m.nt xiyss as per cont. Of IL bulk In pure
,,bber. Despite this. the world cannot obtain
a 1.-THE Of the supply II needs Tho Simple
,.ason for this state Of AYairs 10 that the tree
although generous Itself, elects TO grow IN
rouion, which for the most part are death 10
white mon. and are removed from civilization
~ thousands Of miles Of swamp and jungle
10 alter this condition OF things two sets
@, men are working on opposite lines lhey
ar. ensseed In a sort OF race for q verv high
,,aks-an unusually high stake. indeed. A. the
best rubber u now selling for something more
than o. Q pound. One sst are ohemAsu VINO
have bean trying their bsst for the last twenty
I've years 10 hnd . substitute for rubber
20 far there has not b~en an unouAiheo suo-
cess among their attempts. and there are ei-
perts who 20 70 far ~ 10 say that ohsmioauy
It is Impossible TO combine for the market :
substitute having The different properus "
pure rubber. Be that as II may, hardly .
day passes but tho long-expscted perfect SUD
sti.ute Is brought forward and the company
formed N exploit tho perfect substitute OF the
vaar before goes into tho hands Of a receiver.
Tn. field OF activity Of the other set OF men
In very different. II IA found in q few farms
IN Mexico and Central America. and In q few
Government experimental stations, notably
In Jamaica and Ceylon. There are q smaIi
numbsr OF farms whore something like q sys-
tematic attempt Ia being made TO farm rubber
on a large scale some half dozen In the lsthmus
~ T.huantepso, and q very few m~ore-prob-
ebly not tventy A We in sll--in Nicaragua. Costa
kica and tie rest OF Central America
The difficulties which confront this hand
ful 81 farmers are peculiar. In the frst place.
no one ever tried before to make rubber grow
Ar a crop for the market. There are no data.
no facts Of even the simplest kind. TO tell these
men whether their ideas are the right ones.
The natives OF the country take no interest In
things outside their own particular business.
and a man about TO establish q plantation has
rad u start fresh with only his own Ideas to
Rlue nlInt anu tu6rr lhttS OullhoN " toAo ~
have become az yet authoritative for none OF
the farms Is more than siI years old. and tho
tree. must be up that time before the question
of growing them probably can be settled,
Rubber planting. then, is not only an absolutely
untried undertaking. but there has been nobody
Of tradition or general know ledge Of the subject
with which to make a start. IL rubber were a
delicate tree, or difficult to cultivate. the out
look would be disheartening indeed.
Second. the general conditions are against
the planter. The nature Of the country throws
him entirely upon his own resources, and tho
climate l. apt to no enervsting. TO say the least.
Transportation is a great problem. Labor Is
scarce and not easy % handle. the native peon
OF Central America being a mixture of childish
meas and Independence, and a hard drinker TO
boot. Although strong and active as young
men, excellent aXemen and better with a spade
than any other laborers in the world, they be-
come debihtated very carly in life. They have
no constitution and must be cared for like
children. Furthermore, they look 10 the patron.
or owner. for the settlement of every III. spiritual
and TEMPORAL. You must keep them sober. get
them on, OF debt. make peace between them
and their wives. arrange any infelioIties that
NAV occur between them and their neighbors
wives. doctor the whole family. and educate
Ilf lllff ~ N'l lNiN' INV ~ ''' f'''
is essentially a creature formed for the patri-
urchal system. With n chief or employer whom
they know and respect the better class Of poems
become In many essentials ideal laborers.
steady. careful. hardworking. quick to catch
an idea. faithful to follow II out. entirely hon
est their employers interest becomes their
own. But in order 70 obtain this desirable
state NJ things n farmer should be a hrst-rate
Judge Of capacity and character. a fair lawyer,
phys.cIrn and man Of business.
There l. nothing the peou will not tell YOU
or consult YOU about A an Illustration.
cnnsld the following incident. which
took place On n central American farm. The
owner " ~" fGrm. AN American. had got his
nborrr~ lrSr into very good shape. but the
women remained q great trial. for as n rule
ti"v are shrrvish, always stirring up trouble
hctw"op tho mon. and their tongues are very
evil. The wife general a courtesy title
Of one If tee mon had been particularly obnox-
lows. and INC ov' ~ determined To get rid
OF her. 80 Il" called the man up one evening
and said
Chico. ! cannot hav" Your woman here any
longer. and then he rnci,ei her w~ronc-doings.
you must send her blrk 70 IN" interior. and
will forward ST. Il month ont Of your wages
to support her
The man had not n suggestion To offer. nor
was he angry. He felt IA" Justice of the patrons
remarks and WIS satisfied
"Buano. Schor. he said calmly,
4 am going 20 the interior next week, con-
tnucd IN Owner. and | will see II ! can't get
You another VIII"
'Bueno. S"hpr."
That's all. and tho man moved on
Although oae who has Succeeded in the face
@, rather unusl1l djNrIlties. the American
sa!d ho was never propi"r " \ piece OF work
thln Nj, choice of ChIco's new wife Hc brought
Dor down 10 the flrm. Chico WIS NJ the station
tn moot hor. and the. have served as n model
L, tho mlrr,rl CnInlns ever sine" Such CON
dtion> a, these m tke II necessary for every
one with q Thinking part on a Central American
farm 70 ~ a foreigner.
Ia, third problem before the farmer Of rub
trr j. whrrn to plant Cdsi'i1d ~eidsticd. for
rracticll purpose the only rubber in Central
America. has an extremely varied habitat.
II l. found NJ III elevations M 10 1000 foot and
f. a crcrt vlrirt, If soils and locations. with
q con-cqunat variation Of rainfall So here
ecain the farmer must make n choice. and one
unon whi"h h- success vii! probably depend,
with nothing 20 guide him In the making A.
regard %ipcl'ion. il j. conceded that Castillon
rec q q tropical elm to, q rainfall that can bs