The Washington times., 1903-08-27
Orator F. Cook, BOtaniSt for
Bureau Of Plant Industry,
Calls Central American
and Mexican Companies
Hopeless.
STOCK IN SUCH CONCERNS
HAS FOUND READY BUYERS
Government Expert Thinks
the Promoters Have Been
Uniformly Mistaken, and
Time Will Wreck Hopes
of Investors.

Orator F. Cook. botanist in charge Of
tropical agriculture in the bureau of
plant industry of the Agricultural De-
partment, has returned to Washington
after spending three months in Costa
Rica. engaged in the study of the rubber
plantations Mr. Cooks statements are
directly at variance with the representa-
lions OF rubber companies which have
recently been appealing so strongly for
public support. and Will be of interest
to thousands who have invested with
these companies in the hope of obtaining
certain and swift returns.
Last year Mr.. Cook made a similar
trip of inspection through Mexico and
Guatemala, and they did not impress
him much more favoTably than Costa
Rica- He Is now preparing a bulletin
on the subject of rubber planting.
Mr. Cook has reached the conclusion
that from the very first the rubber com
panies have been mistaken in the nature
of the climate necessary to a proper
cultivation of the rubber trees. All of
the companies lay great stress upon the
fact that their plantations are in I'M
usually humid climates and for that rea-
son the plants can not help but grow.
The old-time planters and men supposed
to be experts in the business also insist
upon a climate in which there is the
greatest possible rainfall
Simply Sinking Money.
Investigation of the natural rubber
forests in Central and South America.
has convinced MIR. Cook that the plant
does not require so much moisture. and
for that reason many Of the plantations
are laid out in territory where they
cannot hope to become productive and
where the investors cannot expect 10
get their money back out of the rub
her. His opinion is that the plant re-
quires a long wet season. but the
moisture should not be continuous and
there should be a hot, dry season as
we'll
Rubber hunters who spent years in
the natural rubber fields of Brazil told
him that some of the best rubber came
from sections where the dry season
was so long and the heat so intense
that wells could not be dug and the ma
tives had to obtain the moisture neces-
sary TO existence by fleeing to the large
rivers or by tapping vines which held
water
The mistake in the place of planting
is the first objection made to the busi-
ness as it now stands, in the mind Of
Mr.. Cook. but there are serious other
mistakes upon which advertising is
based and which may in the end cause
millions of dollars loss 10 investors
Mr. Cook says that the companies ad-
vertise that their profits are guaran-
teed by the certainty of the crop, and
after the trees begin to bear they will
produce regularly from two to six
pounds or more for possibly fifty years.
thus Insuring the investor a steady in
come for a lifetime These assertions
the scientist declares TO be misleading.
Says Crop is Uncertain.
The rubber crop is not certain. but
has good and bad years like other crops;
but even if the trees reach the tapping
age and the seasons are uniformly good
no one knows as yet how long the tree
will continue 10 bear. Instead of pro-
ducing a large amount of rubber each
year for an definite period of years, Mr..
Cook thinks. the trees will be so in
Jured by the tapping that after from
three to five years they will be prac-
tically useless.
None or the present plantations upon
which 50 many hopes are based Is over
fifteen years old. and the planters have
not had time 20 demonstrate that the
trees Will be good thing for two score
years to come. Tapping rubber trees
is serious operation for the tree, and
greatly reduces It's vitality. Instead o.
merely cutting a small hole and driv-
Ing in a pipe 10 lead off the fluid. as
IN the case Of maple trees, a triangular
piece Of bark of considerable size is cut
out. and all the fluid obtained is that
which comes from the little pipe-IfIfe
veins In the bark. which are opened by |
this cutting. The direction IA which the
tree leans has 10 be taken into con-
sideration TO obtain the best results |
from cutting. and that again limits the
producing power OF each tree on the /
plantation.
So severe is the drain upon the tree |
that when series OF these cuttings is |
made Mr.. Cook thinks the tree will be |
useless after few years. and require |
the constant raising Of new plants.
Dead in Costa Rica.
About twenty years ago there was
great excitement in Costa Rica and other |
Of Central America over the |
possibilities OF rubber planting, and /
many companies went into the business. |
OF the plantations started at that time. /
many have been abandoned entirely, |
some are standing today. but are worth /
less because the trees we're planted in /
unsuitable localities. and still others /
are furnishing small supply OF rubber |
The oldest plantation found which seem
I'd 10 be of any value was one planted 1
fifteen years ago. IL was originally
planted 10 shade cocoa and was never