The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1905-09-01

or the fact that the cultivation Of
rubber trees u success aud that for
number OF years ~ promises. IN GER
tain localities. TO be more lucrative
than the growing OF any other known
agricultural product. any one who has
visited the rubber estates OF the Malay
Peninsula or OF Ceyion. Will. i think,
be firmly convinced.
After visit TO the Far East with
the primary object OF looking up the
subject OF rubber plantations. ] feel
very confident that. IN certain locali-
ties in these islards also. rubber plan.
tations will prove n great success Az
ter about one months travelling from
Honolulu, / arrived in Singapore and
began my visits to the various rubber
plantations scattered over the Malay
Peninsula. nearly all Of which / visited.
These plantations have passed the ex-
perimental stage. in that country. They
are exporting rubber in larger and
larger amounts each year, and are OBJ
tanning, there and in Ceylon, for their
crude rubber the highest price ever
paid for this product (6s. Sd. to 6s Cd.
per h., when left Slngapore), which
is almost a shilling pound above the
price paid at that time for the best
Amazonian Para from the wild trees
of Brazil.
The cost of collecting, preparing and
marketing this rubber was only Cd. to
Cd. per pound, not including the upkeep
OF the plantation, which, however, Is
very small when the trees are old
care required after they have come in
to bearing. There would be hand
some profit on their plantations II the
price were one third of the price which
they are obtaining today and 1t would
Iay something at one-sixth of the pres
cnt price.
The situation in regard to rubber is
a peculiar one and differs from the con-
dition In the cultivation or growth of
any other agricultural product today.
Up to within the last few years ali the
rubber has been gathered from wild
trees, but, after number of expert
ments in Botanical Gardens, and in
growing rubber trees on a small scale
it became apparent that rubber could
be obtained from cultivated trees and
would prove very profitable.
Trees in Ceylon were found to grow
in about one-third of the time II was
estimated that they grew in the forests
of the Amazon. the natural habitat
Trees planted in the forests of the
Malay States and in Ceylon will grow
but much more slowly than when the
virgin forest has been cleared before
planting, and the land kept clear after
ward until the rubber trees have at
tanned sufficient size.
1t was also at first supposed that the
trees had to be planted in a swamp
but 1t was found that they grow much
better without wet feet" And where
1t is planted in the low swampy
ground, the land has to be thoroughly
drained.
1t is drained before telling the forest
and other drains are cut afterwards. 1t
was also found that the tree grows
equally well on higher land where no
drainage is necessary.
In the Malay States, the trees yield
one or two years earlier than in Cey-
Ion, and the yield is greater. This is
the most rapid growth for the Hevea
COR Para) rubber tree attained any
where in the world so far
These plantations have from fifty to
one thousand or more acres in yield
ing, some Of them having been doing
sc for several years on larger and
larger scale each year Many of them
have larger number of acres coming
into bearing during the next few years,
and all are planting up very rapidly