Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-03-22

from 700 to 800 punches OF this fruit at
a cost OF not more than 10 cents a
bunch. These are worth az the planta-
ton 40 cents bunch, and Yield q net
profit OF sg25 per acre Mexican money.
They can be grown very easily and bear
fruit when ~ months old. This coun-
try Ii gradually taking trade away
from Colombia, and other South Ameri-
can countries on the banana, being
nearer the market and raising finer
fruit From here II can be shipped
either by rail or by steamboat and this
- the best region in Mexico for this
fruit The suckers can be bought and
started for Sc each. A thousand Of
them are planted TO the acre, and az the
end OF the first year they will produce
$1,000 worth Of fruit as minimum
A MIR. Harrison, whom / met owns
plantation up the river, and he says his
small patch OF ten acres, which Is not
O good, well kept one by any means
yields him $3.50 q month, and no care Is
taken Of t. All they do Is go out aud
cut or the punches OF bananas and
send them TO Tamploo by canoe.
You ask In your letter Of the Gath II
the figures given by Noble Warrum In
think he Is a little bit too enthusiastic,
and therefore liable to exaggerate to
some extent The statement he makes
that 900 acres OF rubber will net an
investor 10000 a year In eight years
depends on the soil, locality and what
success they have with the young
plants. in one state Chiapas, one case
Is known where three trees were trans
al "a h.. la
yielding for more than So years The
diameter Of their trunks Is about seven
feet. They have given annually more
than so pounds Of gum each. This Is an
exceptional case. AZ present there is
no fully developed rubber plantation In
this country, and all statistics are
based on experiments principally In the
state Of Chlapas, though the states or
Vera Cruz and Oaxaca are good rubber
districts also. ! have heard many men
talk on the subject, have read much on
It, and find that some are apt 10 give
natterlng figures, but none say any
thing about a failure In growing the
trees and making big profits from
same, After hearing and reading so
many peoples Views on II. ! have con.
cluded It would be best to take an aver
age OF them all, and think the following
conservative estimate Will give the best
idea Of It's proitableness, II Is one CIV
on out by Richard Guenther, the Unit
ed states consul general TO Mexico IN
1890, and Is one that does not oyeresll
mate, but Is more likely to underesti
mate the profits, Colonel Ailen,my room
mate, has studied up the matter
thoroughly and thinks this is the best
authority that can be found on hub
Der | will give II you in full,
ut IL made upon basis OF lO,OOO
trees, planted about % feet apart, Ga
distance Of IS feet between trees is con-
sidered the minimum
cost of clearing, planting and cul-
tiyating 100 acres of land for six years
81, SgiOO, or SlS per acre,
IN the sixth year these trees yield
six pounds of milk each, or for 10000
trees, 1000 pounds OF Juice. The max
imum OF water contained In this juice
is Sc per cent leaving A per cent Of
gum
100, 400 pounds of gum
at 45c per pound,
present price, ,,.". Nu,SVOO
Labor for collection
and evaporation, at
3 cents per pound. 3 1920
"Total expense up to
date, six years af-
" sS,6S6OO |
Leaving a net profit at
the end Of sixth ~
wear of .......,..,, sS,l9iOO
"The profit Of he seventh year would
be Mt least S1t $50 less S792, the expense
of collection and evaporation, or Sll,-
OSS, and as the yield Of trees increase
as they grow larger, this profit would
be increasing for number Of years
The percentage Of gum In the juice !
varies according to the kind Of soil and |
the moisture Of the atmosphere, from |
30 TO so per cent There is no export |
duty on rubber.
The price has been as high as Sill I
per pound and last August was N.W ,
per pound, the increase for years IN |
the price having been at the rate OF
)E nor rant "A Vpur