New-York tribune., 1906-12-23
RUBBER CAN BE CULTIVATED.

Within recent years il has been discovered that
rubber be cultivated on plantations anywaere
in the belt bounded by the 50th parallels of north
and south latitude. Many plantations have been
set out in Ceylon where labor can be secured Tor
e cents a day, and in the Federated Malay States
and Mexico. In the Malay states within three
years eighteen companies. with capital ranging be-
tween SsOOOO and Sl.5e000O have been Incorporated
% conduct rubber plantations. More than twenty
thousand acres Of rubber OF the species that
produce Para rubber have been planted in four
native states the Malay Peninsula When these
become productive. somewhere between 10000 and
&gBv5 pounds of rubber may be gathered from
tben annually. q. + Chamberlain, the American
Nice-Consul at Singapore. in recent report sald
il estimated there by experts that the expense
If J0eacre rubber plantation up TO the end or the
eighth year when il would be in full bearing.
voald be S76 40. and the net returns S467a69. or
more 6tO per cent, provided crude rubber re-
lnained at its present price.
Experiments are being made in rubber growing
IN the Hawaiian. the Philippine and the Fiji ISL
ards There is rubber il Cuba Another source OF
supply is found in discarded OvershOes, rubber
and other articles of rubber. 1t is said that
few articles made entirely of new rubber as the
Uses Of rubber articles do not require il Old
rubber reclaimed by Gevulcanization, may be used
III q large number of cases. It is estimated that as
much old as new rubber is used in the United
States If cid rubber were not available the best
rubber would be selling al s. a pound instead
Of 81 ..
properly done. has more effect on it than tap
ping sugar maple has on that botanical source OF
old home" feeling. Day after day, for years. the
bark Of the tree from which the Para rubber is
taken may be punctGred without injuring it. This
also means that there is not likely 10 be a rubber
famine Immediately. II is only necessary TO de-
veIop plantations rapidly as inventive genius
finds new uses Cor rubber 10 keep the supply equal
10 the demand.
The latex as il IS technically called-the milk
fs ID "A "
one knows its use in the tree. shrub, vine, in
which Il is found Some have ventured the opinion
that II is like the Verniform appendix in man-in
the opinion OF some medical men of little use 10 It's
owner To all appearances. no injury is done 10
the tree by it's removal 1t is aptly named. for 1t
looks Ike milk The milk OF the milkweed that
grows so plentfulIy along the country roadside is
said 10 contain per cent of rubber This is such
small proportion however that il is not worth any
ones while TO attempt to gather from it any OF
The large profits which appear 10 be awaiting the
producer OF rubber
The proportion OF rubber IN the lateX OF the
trees from which it regularly taken is ~ per
cent the rest being water. The glObules of rubber
float IN the water. When tho lateX is exposed 10
the air the rubber globules rise TO the surface as
cream does in milk. For this reason e separator
similar 10 that used in creameres has been expert
rnented with One OF the qualities which has much
10 do with the price paid is freedom of the sep
aratod or coagulated rubber. it is called. from
water The various rubbers are cured differently.
and some therefore. contain more water than
others. As no one likes 20 pay for water when he
Is buying milk highest prices are paid for the
va.3ch the or1eSt-