The Hawaiian gazette., 1905-08-25

probably more new areas being planted
TO rubber than to any other single
crop, and much capital formerly In
vested in coffee. clnchona. tea, cotton
and sugar IL being diverted TO this new
Industry in the hope that the profits
VIII he greater than are now derived
from older established enterprises.
For those interested in new rubber
plantations in Hawaii the following
notes In regard to the plants which are
the chief sources of the worlds rubber
supply may be of value. This Is main
ly a compilation from the extremely
valuable monograph on the rubber
plants OF the world by Peter Reintgen:
"Die Kautschukpfianzen Fine Wirths-
chaftsgeographische Studie," Tropen-
pflanzer, Vol. VI, May, 1905.
In 1900 Africa produced 10000 tons OF
rubber, America 31466 tons, and Asia
and Oceanica 1889 tons, a total of APP
proximately $4,000 tons. The worlds
production was estimated at 1857 tons
in 1902, SO sos tons in 1903 and ,759 tons
in 1904. The average price for Fine
Para in Liverpool has risen from 70
cents per Id. in 1902 to s114 in 1904. and
has not been less than $0.75 since 1885,.
and has not fallen below 5000 since
1877. This rise in price has been due
10 the greatly increased demand for
rubber in the arts and industries with
out any corresponding increase in the
source of supply. The outlook Is that
the price of rubber will continue to
rise until either the price becomes pro-
hibitive thus curtailing demand or, an
artificial substitute for this valuable
product is produced alphabetically in
the chemical laboratory; or. until the
worlds cultivated rubber plantations
begin to yield to the full extent of their
capacity
No extensive new rubber forests are
likely to be discovered, although in
vestgators are almost daily adding
names to the lists of plants from which
rubber may be secured. New rubbers
require much experimentation before
their relative commercial value be-
comes established
Artificial rubbers may resemble the
natural article in some one of its char
acteristics. but none have this far been
produced which have the requisite
elasticity
As to the third solution, while there
can be no doubt that cultivated rub
Der plantations may ultimately sup
plant the product of the wild trees, it
will undoubtedly be matter Of de-
cades rather than years before even a
parity between supply and demand Is
reached. In the meantime the question
arises, if we are to plant rubber, TO
what particular variety shall we pin
our faith. A consideration of the cli-
matte conditions under which the vari-
Gus natural rubber producing plants
thrive will therefore first be neces-
sary.
AMERICAN SPECIES OF RUBBER
PLANTS
Para Rubher.-Tn 1904 nearly fifty per
cent. Of the worlds supply of rubber
came from the Amazon valley and the
major share was classed as Para"
Para rubber is, has been and probably
will continue to be the standard of ex-
cellence with which all other rubbers
are compared. 1t is in the main de-
rived from a large tree, Hevea brazil
iensis, Muell. Arg, which grows wild
i'm the tropical forest on the south bank
of the Amazon and its tributaries, the
Rio Parus, Rio Jurua, Rio Negro, Rio
Madeira, and Rio Javary-Iquitos. So
far as known, Hevea braziliensis only
rarely occurs on the north side of the
Amazon. but its place is there taken
by other species of Heveas which yield
rubber of inferior quality and secon-
dairy value. Hevea braziliensis is a
stately tree often reaching the height
of 100 feet with a trunk 3 to feet in
diameter, the crown not very large
but somewhat dense. The leaf is COM
pound with three oval, sharp-pointed
leaflets, dark-g green above, bright green
on the under surface and rather promi-
nently nerved. The flowers are small,
yellowish- green, and the fruit S-cel-
ed capsule with seeds as large as
ha zelnuts.
The trees are sparsely scattered
through the tropical jungle over n reg
ion as large as Europe, and it is said
that the native rubber collectors con-
slider that a remarkably rich rubber
district where the rubber trees aveage
one to the acre The mean annual tenn
perature of the regions is about SO deg.
F., with an annual range between 70
deg. and 81 deg. The rainy season be-
gins in October. BY January the whole
region for 1000 miles is more or less
submerged and the floods do not begin
to disappear until June. During the
dry" months, July, August and Sep
TENDER, there are frequent thunder
storms. The home of this tree is a
hot, steamy, truly tropical. rich al
luvial plain, almost under the equator
and only slightly elevated above sea
level. The tree seldom occurs at eleva-
lions greater than 600 feet. Its native
habitat so widely different from the
climate of Hawaii. undoubtedly pre-
cludes the probability of its successful
cultivation in these islands. There are
eight or ten other rubber yielding spe-
cies of Hevea. some of them undescrib-
ed by botanists, all native of the upper
Amazon valley. While some of these
grow at higher elevations and in lands
not periodically submerged their total
yield is comparatively inconsiderable
in quality and amount.
White Rubher.-This Is produced by