The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1908-07-22

Bulletin No 16 of the Hawaii Agri-
cultural Experiment Station is entitled
THE Ceara Rubber Tree in Hawaii"
its authors being Jared G.. Smith and
O. Q. Bradford It seems TO contain
enough technical information to equip
starter in rubber growing. The fol-
lowing are extracts from the bulletin:
CULTIVATION
The rubber planters in Hawaii have
thus far confined themselves to the
growing of rubber as the sole agricul-
Mural crop. 1t is a question whether
this is the best policy on account OF
the time required for the trees to
attain the proper size for tapping and
because OF the expense of mainten-
ance through these early unproductive
years. 1t is believed that better re-
suits can be obtained through growing
some annual or biennial crop to yield
an immediate revenue The advanta-
ges would be cultivation of the trees
as a secondary crop only, saving ex-
penses, and obtaining better and
more rapid growth of the rubber trees
| through the cultivation of the land be-
! tween them.
| The cultivation of plantations al
ready in existence in Hawaii has in
! the main been limited to clearing the
weeds from a circle around the trees.
In some instances where the growth is
excessive the weeds have been moved
and used as a mulch around the base
of the trees The mulching of rub
| Der trees is highly recommended for
! the Kona districts, especially if the
mulch is covered with earth. On only
one plantation has there been any at
tempt to adopt clean cultivation. 1t
is believed that pineapples, tobacco,
sofa beans, bananas, casSava, cotton,
and garden vegetables are crops which
may be profitably grown in rubber
plantations. Any one of these will
yield returns more quickly than rub
Der, and all are on a basis of profitable
cultivation Such catch crops can be
cultivated for two or three years, not
only without detrment to the roots of
the rubber trees, but to the very decid-
|
the lOosening up pd stirring of the
soil.
AMOUNT OF RUBBER PLANTED.
By January, 1908, 100000 rubber
trees had been planted in Hawaii, up
wards of 80 per cent being Manihot
glaziOvii. The remainder are Castil-
loa elastica and Hevea brasiliensis in
about equal proportions. There are
now five large plantations in opera
ton, and rubber trees are being plant
ed by many Independent farmers and
planters The Oldest plantation is one
of those at Nahiku. A first tapping
will be made on some of the trees of
this plantation during the summer OF
1908, or as soon as they have reached
circumference of 20 inches, which is
considered to be the smallest size at
which it is safe or convenient to tap.
THE RUBBER OUTLOOK
The whole tropical world is entering
into the cultivation of rubber on a
Wholesale scale. Rubber is practically
the only staple crop the supply OF
be called natural sources. Even with
l the increase in the number of plantG-
lions during the last ten years SO pei
cent of all of the rubber of commerce
. has been procured by the most waste
full and destructive methods from nat
ural rubber forests The rubber gath
; erer has preceded the tax collector in
searching the UNEMPLOYED and unknown
forests in the interior OF South Amer
lea and all over the African Continent
He has destroyed forests and eXter-
4 minated species in a relentless effort
to secure enormous returns without
the investment of proportionate capt.
tai Wherever the rubber collector
II has gone no other need follow.
The cause of this frantic search fol
rubber-producing trees is to be found
in the multitudinous uses to which
this valuable material may be put. Be-
cause of it's increasing scope of use
fulness the rubber consumers have
L never been able to procure enough o
the raw material to satisfy the yearl!
L demands, so that the end of every de
cade has witnessed a marked increas'
in It's value.
While it has been long recognized
that certain species of rubber-produc
ing trees, notably the Para and Assam
rubbers (Hevea brasiliensis and Ficu
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