The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-08-25
(Conclusion).
AsIATIC RUBBER PLANTS.

ASIATIC RUBBER PLANTS.
The Asatic rubbers are derived from
both trees and vines.
Assam Rubber This comes from the
well known Rubber Plant of the
horticuIturist, Ffcus elastica Roxb.
This enormous forest tree is a native
of the valleys and lower slopes of the
whole southern Himalayas, also ex-
tending through the countries OF
southern Asia to Java and the Mala-
yam archipelago. If often grows to a
height of $50 to $50 feet, with clump
of trunk-like aerial roots many yards
in diameter The seeds of this tree
usually terminate in the top of some
nearby tree of a different species, and
throw out long aerial roots which at
first hang pendant but on reaching the
ground themselves throw out feeding
roots and increase in diameter until
they reach trunk-like proportions. One
of these air-roots if destroyed at TIE
base will die below the point of in
jury but will throw out new aerial
roots above, these in turn frightening
until they reach the ground and again
throw out feeding roots In this re-
gard Ficus elastica is similar to the
Ohia Lehua of the windward forests of
Hawaii with it's much branched and
many bodied trunks which in the be-
ginning were really the aerial roots of
the epiphytic ohia Seeding.
In it's native habitat this tree grows
best at an elevations of from 1000 to
5000 feet at from 25 to q degrees north
latitude, and, nearer the equator,
reaching to fully 5000 feet. The temper
ature ranges from winter minimum
of 48 degrees to a summer maximum
Of 80 degrees F., with yearly mean
temperature of 70 degrees. The rain
fall OF the forest zone where this tree
grows ranges from IS to 100 inches or
more. The soils are somewhat rocky,
either volcanic or sedimentary. The
yield OF rubber varies widely. In the
total yield from individual trees this
species excels all others. P. van Rom
burgh secured the enormous yield OF
4O5 pounds of rubber from very old
tree in western Java (near Buiten-
zorg). A 23-year-old tree on an equa-
) torial plantation in Borneo yielded 80
pounds of rubber at its first tapping.
In Assam trees averaging 100 feet in
height which had not been tapped for
15e years previously, yielded an aver
age of 10 pounds of rubber. the next
year pounds and the third year only
Is pound. In New Guinea 8-year-old
trees of Ficus elastica yielded ST
pounds of rubber within a week. The
growth of this tree is somewhat slow
in Hawaii; nevertheless believe that
it is one of the most promising rubber
trees for plantation culture. especially
in such districts as Hilo, Puma, Olaa
and Nahiku, where the rainfall is
high. Ficus elastica will stand low
temperatures that are extremely detri-
mental to the Para and Central Amer
, lean rubber trees.
Practically all the rest of the Asiatic
rubbers are derived from vines. 1t is
doubtful whether any Of these could be
successfully and profitabIy transplant
ed to Hawaii.
THE BEST RUBBER TREES FOR
HAWAII.
Hawaii with its subtropical rather
than truly tropical climate, is limited
to a very few species of rubber-produc-
ing plants The most suitable species
ofthose above enumerated are undoubt-
eddy in the order of their Importance
Manihot GIaziowii and Ficus elastica.
The first of these, the Ceara rubber
tree. should comprise the larger pro-
portion of all new plantations, because
maturity. In laying out rubber plan
tation comparatively early returns are
desirable. The Ceara trees will stand
moderate tapping when three years
old, and may be counted on to yield
considerable return in five years
The Assam rubber tree, F'icus elias
tlca, while Of much slower growth.
yields much more abundantly when it
does finally reach a bearing age This
is also true of the Manicoba rubber,
Hancornia speciosa. The white rubbers.
Sapium Tolimense, S. verum and S. sty-
lare, native of high elevations where
the climatic conditions are similar to
those of our own mountain slopes,