Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1900-10-13
new INDUSTRY OPENED
United States to Begin Cultiva-
ton Of India Rubber Tree.
WILL SAVE MANY MILLIONS.

Thirty Million Dollars May BE Ex-
pended Annually Under the Amer
lean Flas-Great Future For Our
Isiand Possession. Unouestioned-
Enormous Increase In the Imports
More than 100000. coo worth of In
dia rubber has been imported into the
United States during the past four
years and more than $50, oO0, 900 worth
In the last two years A decade ago
the annual importations of india rubber
amounted to about $15,ooo,ooo Now
they exceed $50. 900. 600 and are steadl-
ly increasing. Practically all of the
importations OF rubber come In crude
form for use of manufacturers, who
are constantly extending Its applica-
ton to various new lines OF industry
Northern Brazil, southern Mexico, the
West Indies, central Africa. India, the
Straits Settlements and the Dutch East
Indies supply this increasingly impor-
tant feature of our importations- Prob
ably no single article has made a more
rapid growth In It's relations to manu-
features, and consequently commerce.
In the past few years than rubber.
AS consequence attention Is now be-
ing given to the cultivation and sys-
tematic production of the various
plants and trees from which 1t can he
produced.
The above statement Is suggested by
the receipts by the treasury bureau OF
statistics at Washington Of a publtca-
ton 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 well known fact that our depart
ment of agriculture has already begun
experiments and inquiries In this line
in the island territories of the United
States. adds greatly to the interest in
this question sRd to the possibility that
the S30,000,Goo year which we are
now sending out Of the country for
this product may be expended under
the American flag and among Ameri-
can producers. The fact that southern
Mexico and central America are nat
ural producers of india rubber In con-
siderable and increasing quantities 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 Rico
and In the Hawaiian and Philippine
Islands.
India rubber Is not, as Is generally
supposed. the product of single tree
but, on the contrary, is produced from
n 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 tropical or subtropical eli |
mate is requisite Most of the india |
rubber of South and Central America |
and India is from trees. but in the is |
lands of the Indian archipelago the
supply Of rubber Is chiefly from gi- |
gantic creeper. which in five years
growth attains a length of 200 feet and
from 20 to 30 inches In circumference |
and which yields annually from 30 to |
90 pounds of caoutchouc. Java, Su- |
matra. Penang, Singapore and French /
Indo- China sre already large produc-
ers of crude india rubber. or caout-
chouc, and its production In the West |
Indies has been sufficient to indicate |
the entire practicability of Its being |
made an important industry In Cuba
and Porto Rico as well as In the Ha-
waiian, Philippine and Samoan Is |
lands. |
The followilA- table shows the value |
of the importations of crude india rub
Der and gutta percha into the United
states in each fiscal year from 1890 to