The Maui news. [volume] (Wailuku, Maui, H.I.) 1900-current, 1904-12-10

of last year the Department OF Agri.
culture at Washington issued
Bulletin 40, being a report by 0. F.
Cook of his observations of the
Rubber Tree in Central America
under cultivation and otherwise.
This Bulletin is in the library Of
the L. S. Experimental! Station,
and probably j. G. Smith, the
Director, would allo V anyone who
might be particularly interested in
rubber to read it. Mr.. Cook is eri-
IDENTIFY a shrewd observer, and
and while he comedies that under
favorable conditions the cultivation
# the rubber tree is entirely
practical, and may prove to be
profitable, lie yet deems it to be his
duty to caution the people of the
United States to go slow in putting
their money into any of the "get
rich quick" propositions now so
rampant in Central America. In
saying this he desires it to be
distinctly understood that he does
not include all Of the rubber plant
ing undertakings in this class. He
is of the opinion that Castilloa
elastica does not require q contin-
uously humid climate to grow well
and he productive, nor does the
falling of its leaves during the dry
season do it any harm, but rather
that it is protection against the
drought. Mr.. Cook thinks that
there is bat one excuse for plant
ing Castilloa under the shade of
other trees and that is to avoid the
expense of clearing the land. Cas-
tilloa thrives best when planted in
the open; any shade that may be
needed for the ground can be secur-
ed by planting the young trees near
together, say 10x10 feet apart, with
a view to thinning them out later
on should it appear to be necessary.
This tree attains height of 60 to
80 feet and Il diameter OF 3 or 3 3
feet, yard from the ground; the
Hevea grows somewhat larg:r
The Weld of the Castilloa taking
the year through is probably about
the same as that of Hevea, although
some wonderful reports have come
from Central America of Castilloa
trees having produced so pounds Of
rubber each at one tapping, but
it does not appear that there were
any witnesses present. This trees,
like the Hevea, should not be tap
ped before it is s years old even un-
der the most favorable conditions
of growth, 10 years being safer
age at which to begin tapping.
Little need be said at this time
relative to the processes of extract
ing the latex and preparing the
rubber for market; it is enough to
say that both are very simple, re
quiring more care than actual skill
and as improved implements for
tapping the trees, and better meth
DDS fer coagulating the latex are
being brought into{dse every year
lit will be safe to defer consideration
of this part of rubber production
until our crop approaches maturity.
In view of the long wait for a
crop of rubber, not to mention its
uncertainty, it would seem to be
we'll, if the Government could see
its way clear to do so, for 1t to send
one OF its own men to Mexico and
Brazil to secure seeds and cuttings
of the ebest kinds OF Castilloa elias
tica and Braziliensis in order to be
in a position to sell stock to those
who may be willing to try rut Der
cultivation in this Territory; the
Government of Ceylon has found
1t profitable to do so. There is cer-
tainlyla large area of suitable land
in these stands where rubber trees
would be perfectly at home, which
capno. be put to any other use ow-
III IL { -