The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1901-01-13

back to the interior and will forward
$40 a month out OF your wages to sup
port her
The man had not a suggestion TO OF
fer. nor was he angry. He felt the Jus
tfce of the patrons remarks and was
satisfied
-Bueno. SENIOR he said. calmly.
"A am going TO the interior next
week continued the owner. and I
viii see If can't get you another
wife"
-Bgeno. SENIOR
That's all" And the man moFed on.
Although one who has succeeded IL
the face of rather unusual difficulties,
the American said he was never more
proud Of a piece OF work than his
choice of Chico's new wife He brought
her down to the farm Chico was az
the station to meet her and they have
served as a model TO the married
couples ever since. Such conditions IS
these make it necessary for every enc
with thinking part on q Central
American farm to be foreigner.
The third problem before the farmer
OF rubber is where to plant Castflloa
elastica, for practical purposes the
only rubber In Central America. has an
extremely varied habitat II is founi
at all elevations up to 1000 feet anG
in a great variety of soils and loca-
tons. with consequent variation OF
rainfall. So here. again, the farmer
must make choice. and one upon
whi'h his snccess W.. probable de
pend. with nothing to guide him in
the making. AS regards location. IL is
conceded that Castilloa needs 2 trop
icaI climate, a rainfall that can be de-
pended upon, a good drainage. and an
elevation of less than 1900 feet, but
these conditions have great latitude OF
choice
Methods Of Planting Trees
The most important of the questions
relative to the method Of planting rub
Der is the one about which the farm
ers are most divided, and is probably
the most vital connected with its cul-
tivation. II is the question whether
to plant in groves. in the open, or IN
der forest shade. The advocate of the
former system says that in any other
part of the world, If one wants to get
particular crop. it is customary to give
the tree or plant all the chance posi-
bic. One clears the ground. turns it
up. and after the tree is planted keeps
all weeds from encroaching upon its
light and food space. Why not apply
these elementary principles to rubber
and plant in plowed and open iand, In
groves, like an apple orchard?
The advocate of the forestry system
points, however. to the manner in
which the tree grows naturally, and
saws that rubber is found thriving
best under shade, in cool, wet spot,
and bv "thrives' he says he means
gives the most rubber The tree will
grow. it is quite true, faster in the
open than in the forest. and you will
get your groves of rubber trees more
quickly. but the question is, will you
get the milk from them? For it does
seem to be a fact that rubber found in
open pastures will not yield so much
milk as those trees growing in the for
est, where il is cooler and moister. IL
ii could be ascertained exactly what
function the milk of the tree perform
ed. one would probably be able to tell
how much sun and how much rain
would produce the tree with the larg-
est quantity of rubber. The milk is
not sap, but a lateX, which is carried
just under the outer bark, and the
slightest nick from a pen knife will
be followed by thick liquid. which
if caught on the finger dries at once.
leaving shred or two of pure rubber,
like small elastic bands.
Orchards in Mexico.
There are farms established by ex
ponents of each theory. One can see
in Mexico rows Of young trees in open
cleared land. in every respect like a
coffee or orange plantation; and again
in Costa Rica the farm consists of
rubber trees planted in among the for
est trees, only cleared where the
growth is very thick, though of course
the bush is kept down by cutting twice
year. Those who are following these
two therories will be relieved when
they get their first crop. But at pres
ent they are having rather an anxious
time of it, for on the one hand it will
be expensive business. not to say I'm
possible, to plant shade among those
trees in the open. am the rubber may
be ruined before the shade comes I'D.
But lis course would be imperative
should the advocates of the orchard
theory find themselves in the wrong.
On the other hand, should the forestry
people be at fault it will require con-
siderable skill for the owner Of the
rubber growing in the forest to cut
out the trees and let in the sun without
injuring the rubber. Ringing trees ut
the right phases Of the moon. some
eminent scientists to the contrary not
withstanding. will go far toward solv-
ing the problem for the grower of rub
Der in the forest and make his position
the stronger of the two, on the whole,
in that he runs the lesser risk. as it is
easier to cut out the shade than to nut
II back.
AS for the rubber planters profits.
nothing definite can be said about
them as vet A man might buy thou
sand acres of good rubber land for S.
600. and he might plant it and bring It
to production Tor $4,000 more-$5o,-
600 in all. But now as to the returns.
II is like figuring on the chicken indus
try: one becomes alarmed at the rate
chickens. eggs and profits pile up. In
the same way II is estimated that rub
Der will produce a handsome return
every year at the end of the sixth
year from planting. Anyone can work
out for himself the following sum IN
multiplication for the profits Of the
eighth year: One thousand acres with
200 trees to the acre. one pound Of
rubber m the sroo each vaar ella - =
net profit Of so cents a pound.