The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-05-23
ANXIETY FELT OVER THE
GUTTA PERCHA SUPPLY,
SEEKING NEW SOURCES
Already Large Portions Of the
Worlds Bearing Area Have
Been Denuded of Trees.
WASTED BY THE NATIVES
Trees Cut Down in the Effort to
Secure a Maximum Harvest
with Minimum Effort.
.eciaI 10 the indianapolis Journal.

Special 10 the Indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, May 22.-The Bureau of
Insular Affairs. War Department. has re-
ceived from the Bureau OF Government
Laboratories, Manila, p. l.. bulletin
which treats Of gutta percha and rubber in
the Philippine islands, from which the fol-
lowing items of general interest have been
taken.
The commercial history of gutta-percha
runs parallel with that of submarine and
subterranean electric cables, for three
fourths of all the gutta produced has
been used on them. With the construction
of the great transatlantic cables in the
sixties and seventies the demand for gutta-
percha became enormous. When the Malay
peninsula, adjacent to Singapore, failed to
supply sufficient quantities TO meet the de-
mand the adjacent islands of the RHO
archipelago and Sumatra were invaded and
rich finds made. Finally Borneo was in
cluded in the producing zone. and lastly the
Philippines
The area of distribution of gutta is sharp
ly defined Beyond the sixth degree north,
on the Malay peninsula, the trees become
scarce or cease altogether; on the northern
end of Sumatra they are likewise lacking.
none and Celebes, TO the east of Borneo,
has been found equally destitute. This
area includes some 10000 square miles of
land. of which only very small per cent.
is or ever was covered by gutta-percha
trees. In the Philippines the regions which
produce gutta for market are confined to
the islands of Mindanao and Tawi-Tawi
The best method of collecting gutta-
percha is difficult one to determine. The
trees are in the tropical forest regions.
which are Inhabited only by the widest
pagan tribes These natives are the nat
ural gutta-percha collectors and, as a
matter of fact. have done all the collect
ing since the beginning of the industry.
They desired to secure the maximum yield
from each tree with the minimum expen-
diture OF. work or time. They first cut
down the tree and the larger branches are
at once Topped off, the collectors say, to
prevent the gutta percha milk from flow
ing back into the small branches and
leaves. The milk, or latex, Is contained III
the inner layers of the bark and leaves
In small capillary tubes or ducts. To open
these so as TO permit the maximum amount
of milk to escape the natives cut rings in
the bark about two feet apart along the
entire length of the trunk. The milk as
1t flows out is collected in gourdS, cocoa
unit shells or on large leaves.
After one or two hours. when the milk
mas ceased to now, the contents of the re-
TO finish the partial coagulation
The gutta gathered in this way pays we'll
Tor the amount or work expended The
two vital defects of the method are:
l.. 1t Is very wastefu, the yield from
each tree being but small proportion of
the total amount, the quantity ranging
from one-fourth Of pound to two pounds
per tree.
2. 1t leaves the future unprovided for
The natives invariably fell the trees and
the only saving feature of the situation is
that only well-grown trees contain enough
gutta TO repay the work of telling. Other
wise the complete determination of the
gutta-percha forests would be but matter
of a short time.
AS as the Forestry Bureau was es-
tablished in 1899 the telling of the gutta-
percha trees was prohibited and rules were
provided for tapping the tree with bolo
without destroying the tree, but the wild
natives never practiced this method nor
did they ever hear of it, and all the gutta
so far exported has been at the expense of
so many trees killed.
Islands such as Mindanao and Tawi-
Tawi cannot stand this for any length of
time and already the gutta- percha trees
of the coast regions and of the large rivers.
Most Of the Philippine gutta passes
through three hands ana the rise IN price Is
ceiving about $40, Mexican, for a picul of
1921 pounds. This is then carried by the
ne aee at $40 to $50, Mexican, per picui of
1874 pounds and the same is worth at
Singapore about $3.50 per picul
The various governments having tropical
possessions in the East, when they saw the
heavy inroads that were being made on the
gutta-percha forests, began to take note
and make inquiries into the subject. So
thoroughly had the seed bearing trees been
cleared out of the Malay states that a
standing reward for seeds of the species
Palaauium gutta was not claimed. though
the offer stood for a long time. q
In he gardens Singapore.
Dukit Tinah, Penang and BuitenZorg trees
were growing which had either been pro-
tected from destruction or had been planted
for a sufficient time to be seed bearing.
These formed the nucleus of the gutta-
percha nurseries now being planted by the
English and Dutch governments for the
purpose of obtaining reliable information as
to the methods of propagation, and, above
all to furnish material for testing scientific
methods of extracting gutta-percha with
out killing the trees.
The gutta-percha and rubber display in
the Philippines exhibit at the Louisiana
Purchase Exposition will have special ct
traction for those who are interested in the
development of the natural resources of the
Philippines.