The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-04-28
PROFITIN RUBBER CULTURE
The InsuIar Possessions Offer q
New Field for Investors.
An Industry Which Has Been Car
ried on in Various Countries Ex-
perimentnIIy without satisfactory
Resuits-PecuIinriti of the Plant.


Resuits-Peculinriti of the Plant.
As was to be expected the acquisition
by the United States of tropical territory
growing out of the late war with Spain
has inspired capital to seek investment
in these regions. and systematic inves-
tigation has been going on in many direc-
tions since the close of the Spanish war.
Many alluring propositions for invest
ment have been circulated freely through
out the country, the most inviting being
the prospects which Porto Rico. Hawaii
and the Philippines offer for the cultiva-
ton of the rubber tree. This industry has
been especially inviting from the fact,
well known, that the natural supply of
rubber is growing less and less, and the
demand increasing in proportion, with an
ever-increasing rise in price. So great is
the danger of a rubber famine that the
idea of buying old rubber boots, shoes,
hose, and all other manufactured rubber
goods has been talked of with more or
less serious intent.
For a considerable time capitalists have
been experimenting with rubber culture
in West Africa, the East Indies, and in
various parts of South and Central Amer
lea. but thus far without satisfactory re-
alton being given to establish rubber
plantations in Porto Rico. To such an ex-
tent has this purpose been entertained
that the Department of Agriculture has
made exhaustive investigations since the
Spanish war to gather available informa-
ton regarding the Porto Rican prospects
and the results OF experimentation with
rubber planting in other parts of the
xrnrId These Investigations show that m
the present time artificial rubber culture
is still in the experimental stage, and
that not enough data of a reliable nature
is as yet known of the adaptabllity of
the rubber plant to new-even if similar
environments, to warrant an investment
of capital extensive enough to guarantee
commercial profit. What follows is re-
view of the results obtained from the de-
partments Investigations:
After sugar and coffee, rubber is the
most important commodity of vegetable
origin now imported into the United
States, our receipts during 1899 being
valued at 49, 500.0 900. The anticipation of
an exhaustion of the natural supply by
the constantly increasing demand, &C
companied by the ever-ascending prices.
now ranging between so cents and 81 per
pound, has continued to stimulate interest
in the future of rubber as an agricultural
crop. The tropical colonies of England,
France, and Holland were first aroused,
but the recent acquisition OF tropical ter
ritory by the United States has turned
the attention of Americans to tropical
agriculture. with the unknown possibili-
ties of rubber culture as one of the most
alluring branches. Many newspaper and
other articles have been written advo-
eating immediate steps toward the Guilt
walton of rubber in Porto Rico, Hawaii
and the Philippines.
The extent to which the wild supplies
J. fasaH -#saA
tirely uncertain. The regions from which
the largest contributions now come, the
tropics OF Africa and South America, are
still largely uneXplored, geographically as
well as botanically. and the discovery of
new areas of rubber-bearing vegetation,
as well as of new rubber-producing spe-
cies, is of frequent occurrence, ana may
continue at the present rate for many
years But as the regions drawn upon
become more and more inaccessible and
the demand becomes more extensive, the
rise in prices may be expected to con-
unue until the production of rubber by
agricultural or other artificial means has
been placed on scientific and industrial
basis.
Perhaps the greatest danger to which
an agricultural industry based on rubber
would be subject, is the perfection of the
accidental discovery that rubber may be
formed synthetically from turpentine. AL
no progress is known to have been made
in Fastening this process of formation of
artificial rubber which is too slow and
uncertain to be of practical value. But
since slight Increase in chemical knowl-
edge might at any time change the whole
situation, this possibility should be recog-
nized by those who propose to risk their
resources upon rubber cultivation, al
though the danger may prove to be re-
mote.
UNLIKE OTHER SOIL PRODUCTS.
In the consideration of rubber from the
40 NJ
utmost Importance to keep in mind a pri
mary fact very generally overlooked by
the interested public. Rubber is not like
wheat, apples, or coffee, the product of a
single botanical species or groups of
closely allied species. 1t is comparable
rather 10 sugar. a substance obtainabIe
from great variety of plants, belonging
to different botanical families, native In
dinerent parts OF the earth, and requir-
ing utterly different conditions for their
successful cultivation. Thus sugar exists
IN the juices Of a large number of species
and has been commercially obtained from
the sugar cane, the sugar beet, and the
sugar maple, the grape, the date, and the
Palmyra palm.
Similarly substances marketed as rub
Der and gutta-percha are known to exist
in the milky juices of nearly go plants
belonging to botanical families quite as
remote from each other as the sugar cane
and the beet, or the palm and the maple
Rubber culture becomes, therefore,
very complex question, and one very
much in need Of a thorough investigation
While it Is impossible to determine in adj
vance the possibilities of rubber culttya-
tion In Porto Rico. il is desirable, never
theless, TO consider the prospects there
OF some Of the rubber plants which have
been investigated from the cultural view
point.
To the cost of numerous experimenters.
IL has been found that the fact that
rubber-producing tree win flourish in a
given locality is not a trustworthy indi-
cation that IT will yield a profitable guam
uty of rubber. and many hopeful and
widely advertised enterprises have thus
met with more or less complete failure
attempts at rubber culture were made
with the plants best known as furnishing
the wild supply. Pre-eminent in this re-
spect is the Para rubber tree, with refer
ence to both quality and quantity of pro-
duct. This is a rather slender forest tree
Of moderate size. native In the valley OF
the Amazon, and especially In the vicinity
Of Para, whence much of the crude gum
is shipped. For many years its cultiva-
ton has been advocated in view of the
constantly increasing demand and anti
cipated decrease of supply. The East In
dian plantations have generally refused
TO become remuneratiye. although in some
cases effort was made TO duplicate exact
~ the conditions under which the trees
thrive IN Brazil. 1t is now known that
even in Brazil, the amount Of rubber de-
creases and the quality OF the product be-
comes inferior. outside the localities where
extensive annual foundations occur, al
though the tree appears TO thrive with
undiminished vigor I'm divers situations
and other species Of rubber plants grow
normally in localities not subject to floods
In Ceylon rubber trees are yielding some
returns from the sale OF seeds, but no plan
tations have as yet become remuneratiYe
from the production of rubber In the
Straits Settlements the outlook is said to
be more hopeful for plantations of rubber
plants located in very wet places. As a
reaction from the failure Of the Para rub
Der tree, attempts have been made with
he rec ia IN,