The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1901-01-13
RUBBER IS 4 HARD
] CROP TO CULTIVATE
Experiments in Cen
trail America and
Elsewhere.
BIG PROFIT WHEN SUCCESSFUL
CURIOUS EXPERIENCE OF PLANT
ERs IN TRYING TO GROW
THIS CROP.
Difficulties Net in Attempting to Get
a Supply ot Rubber from cuItivst-
ed Plzrtssions-How the Trees
Are Planted.

Is sun ia" pIOANtt iAdS
man finds just as diff
cult TO obtain as it was
hundred years ago: in fact it is harder
10 obtain than ever before. This is the
milk Of a very Insignificant looking
tree. growing in great quantities over
thousands Of square miles. The tree
itself is entirely generous: liquid fol-
lows the incision; q wait Of twenty
four hours for the milk 10 harden and
a man has the equivalent Of day
wages. This white liquid, after ex-
posure TO heau-with many species to
that OF the sun aione-and without
any further treatment, gives 80 per
cent OF its bulk in pure rubber. De
spite this. the world cannot obtain
1.-THE of The supply II needs. The sim
pie reason for this state of affairs IS
that the tree. although generous Itself.
elects 10 grow in regions which for
the most part are death to white men.
and are removed from civilization by
thousands OF miles of swamp and jun
gle.
To alter this condition of things two
sets OF men are working on opposite
unes. They are engaged in a sort II
race for a very high stake-an un
usually high stake indeed. as the pure
rubber is now selling for something
more than 81 a pound. One set are
chemists. who have been trying their
best for the last twenty-five years to
find a substitute for rubber. So far
there has not been an unqualified sue
cess among their attempts, and there
are experts who 20 so far as to say
that chemically it is impossible to
combine for the market a substitute
having the different properties of pure
rubber. Be that as it may. hardly
day passes but the long-expected per
feet substitute is brought forward and
the company formed to exploit the per
feet substitute of the year before goes
into the hands of receiver.
The field OF activity of the other set
OF men is very different II is found
I'm a few farms in Mexico and Central
America. and in a few government ex-
pertinent stations. notably in Jamaica
and Ceylon. There are a small num-
Der OF farms where something like a
systematic attempt is being made to
farm rubber on a large scale; some
half dozen In the Isthmus to Tehaun-
tepec and a very few more-probably
not twenty-five in all-in Nicaragua,
Costa Rica and the rest of Central
America.
Trials of the Planter.
The difficulties when confront this
handful OF farmers are peculiar. In
the nrst place. no one ever tried before
10 make rubber grow as 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 man
about TO establish plantation has
had to start fresh. with only his own
ideas TO guide him; and these latter
cannot be said as yet to have become
authoritative. for none of the farms
are more than six years old, and the
trees must be up that time before the
question Of growing them can be set
tied. Rubber planting. then, is not
only an absolutely untried undertake
inc. but there has been nobody of ira
dftion or general knowledge of the sub
ject with which 10 make a start. II
rubber were a delicate tree. or din
cult to cultivate. the outlook 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 the climate is
apt 10 be enervating. to say the least.
Transportation is great problem. La
Dor is scarce and not easy 10 handle.
the native peon of Central America
being a mixture Of childishness and in
dependence. and hard drinker 70
boot. Although strong and active as
Young men, excellent axmen and bet
ter with a spade than any other la
borers in the world. Inev become de-
bilitated very early in life. They have
no constitution and must be cared for
like children. Furthermore. they look
To the patron. or owner. for the settle
ment OF every i'll, spiritual or tenn
poral You must keep them sober. get
them out Of debt. make peace between
them and their wives, arrange any
infeliciues that may occur between
them and their neighbors' wives, doc
tor the whole family and educate the
children. IL you have time For the
peon is essentially q creature formed
for the patriarchal system. With a
chief or employer whom they know ar
respect the better class of poems be-
come in many essentials ideal laborers
steady. careful, hard working. quick
TO catch an idea. faithful TO follow II
out. entirely honest: their employers
interest become --.eir own But in or
der % obtain this desirable state OF
things farmer should be a frst-rate
Judge OF capacity and character. fair
lawyer. physician and man OF business.
Poems a Dependent Lot.
There Is nothing peon will not tell
you or consult you about As an Illus
tration. consider the following incident
which took place on Centrals Amerf-
can farm. The owner of the farm. an
American. had got his laborers licked
into very good shape. but the women
remained great trial. for as a rule
they are shrewish. always stirring up
trouble between the men. and their
tongues are very evil The wife
generally courtesy titie-of one OF
the men had been particularly obnox-
ious. and the owner determined to Ref
rid Of her. so he called the man up one
evening and said:
-Chico. I cannot have your woman
here any longer" and he then recited