Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1902-03-14
RICHES in THE TROPICS.
Researches in Those Regions Are Prov.
ing to Be Very Profitable.

4oNS
ing to Be Very Profitable.
Few persons have any idea what
prospects Of wealth are opening in
tropical countries. 1t is only within
a few years that any attention has
been paid to many large areas that are
now found to be rich III commodities
which the world needs. OF course. this
work of studying the tropical world is
still In its early stages and much re-
mains to he done. even to procure n
comparatively complete list Of the
tropical plants that are most useful.
In the last two or three years it has
been feared that the demand for rub
Der would exceed the supply. But re-
cent studies have revealed new fields
that are already beginning to contrib
ute to the rubber supply The list OF
rubber plants is constantly growing.
Within two years n number Of trees
aud vines never before utilized have
begun to yield a harvest Of rubber.
This valuable product bids fair to play
in the humid regions of the tropics
about the same part us the precious
metals do In temperate regions, says
the New YORK. Sun.
In the last tel years the Congo Free
State. French Guiana. Madagascar and
Lagos have advanced enormously in
The value of their exports. the basis Of
their prosperity being due to india rub.
Der. The latest declared exports from
The French Congo. amounting to about
e1,2O0.OOO. were half india rubber.
After the fall of Khurtum. W. Garstin.
I French economist. expressed the
opinion that the valley of the Cpper
Nile. devastated for so many years by
he Mahdists. would contribute prac.
IDEALLY nothing to the wealth of the
world for the Hex half century. But
The Upper Nile has since then yielded
$50 tons Of rubber. In French Iudu.
china is the large region known ais UD.
per Lao and the i.aOtiun Shan States.
Which until recently have never lepl
" the slightest economic Importance
II the foreign trade. In lS9D. after
:rench experts had reported thu, these
egions were rich in valuable resources.
= sskSAS oDOS OeSsti " lC StHul I'D Ill.lf.
ct. In the fist year only fifty tons
we're exported. hut In the year follow.
ing t19OO). $40 tons were exported. al.
most all of 1t from the Tran Mini Ills.
lrict. which g only IL very small ua,t
of the areas in which rubber. is found
20 thrive.
The advance Of our knowledge Of
'ubber plants IN the tropics IL only me
phase OF the activity of botanical cx.
ploration there for the benefit of com.
merce. Annales de Geographic saws
that Systematic efforts are now being
Mnde to extend the cultivation of the
ramie fiber plant. Plantation owners.
experimental stations and congrpssrs.
IN which experts discuss THE question
In all Its behring's. .are NOW go Of,erlt.
lug to develop a new Industry on a
large scale Ikamie or China grass. Of
the nettle family. is grown largely in
China. Japan aud the Malay Archipel.
ago for course cloths and corluge. II
tornls a large part Of tile clothing Of
the Chinese peasnntry who. evel,
the coolest weather. wear nothing tsea
China grass Or cotton. The tho 4
Asxhiehsi IL grown most largely in
n I'm China aud Northern lndo-CI
ssxna9ted 70 . considerable exi
Iss6tNDI 161A0 Anofhpx -.