Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-14
RUBBER PUT TO MANY USES
OF ARTICLES MADE
FROM TRoPIC PRODUCT.
Motor Car Tires Rapidly Adding to
the Demand for This Fast Dis
appearing Gum.

From the San Francisco Chronicle.
The great demand for rubber. which !s
rapidly getting ahead Of the supply. has
stimulated capitalists to cultivate this
wonderful product Of nature. and great
success has already been obtained on
many plantations In different parts Of the
world
As early as three years ago automobile
rubber orders in advance were sufficient
for more than six times the possible rub
her output. The rubber famine was
foreseen years ago. and was the cause OF
these plantations being formed. The de-
mand for automobile rubber. however. has
exceeded the original prediction. and is
likely to still further increase.
Rubber. once a luxury. has now become
one OF the necessaries of life, and all
those who have conscientiously formed
and handled plantations In a business
like manner will reap a rich reward
Creating a Rubber Forest.
Those who have never lived in the
tropics can have but little idea Of what
a luxuriant tropical forest looks like. and
what 1t means to subdue II, keep II under
subsection and plant and maintain In its
place another forest Of cultivated rubber
trees.
Imagine vast mass Of tangled trees
and vines stretching for miles on either
hand. giant trunks and knotted limbs
| fighting for life and light. with countess
parasites which have grown from small
beginnings to dominate and finally destroy
| the victim, only In turn to b. strane'ed
and destroyed In this wild rush of vege-
tation. Many varieties OF palm thrust
| their slender trunks skyward, that their
| feathery tops may have little of the
blessed sunlight that they are all strus-
CLING to reach. Vines and creepers, woven
| and twisted into great cords and ropes.
run in every direction. binding all to-
gether in one vast network OF tangled
growth and decay. Overhead, groups OF
jchattering monkeys swing along from vine
| to bough, and far above-near the light
| of day-one can catch a flash of bril-
liant plumage, and hear the dlscordant
cry OF some startled bird OF the tropics
| Under foot the fallen vegetation is knee
deep, soft. Shiny and decaying. holding
the waters Of the OVERLOOKING rivers. and
| forming the soil that alone can make pos
sible such luxuriance of growths.
The cultivation of rubber rs new en-.
| terprise. calling for the most careful
| study, and is notable addition to the
worlds varied industries.
| Consequently the question OF soil. rain
| fall and climatic conditions must enter
| largely into the calculations OF those con-
| templating its future.
The rubber tree requires rich loam
| soil. warm, moist climate. low altitude.
| a large and evenly distributed rainfall
/ and perfect drainage.
| Cultivated trees are raised from the
| seed and begin to Yield milk during the
| sixth wear from date of planting.
| In their wild state they grow tall and
lank. reaching height OF over nifty feet
and a diameter OF from twelve to fifteen
| inches.
| Rubber the Friend Of Man.
| Some one has called rubber the "hand-
maid Of civilization" but It is more than
that, It is mans best friend. for every
profession that ministers to and relieves
| the suffering ones OF the earth has en-
listed In its service. and in thousand
WAYS uses It to assuage pain and make
| surgical operations easier, and at the
same time lessening the chances OF con-
| tagiOn.
| Der used by scientific men would be an
| endless task, as each year more ana Det-
( ter ones are invented; 80 1t can be safely
said that IF rubber In Its various 1orms
and appliances were to suddenly be re-
moved from hospitals and the offices or
| dentists doctors and surgeons II would
| paralyze the services OF these ministers
| of mercy. As everybody Is heir to suHer-
| ing and pain, II ought to be an interest
/ ing study to know where this WONDERFUL
| product of nature comes from. how IT
grows and what processes are used 10
| bring II to a state that makes II mt TOT
1 daily use.
| Rubber Is not only used to alleviate
suffering, but ii is a great factor In
| giving man pleasure. adding to the en-
| ioyment OF man in a thousand ways. IN
this age Of rush. speed and force.
| ANYBODY who has ridden in the won
derful automobile, with It's luxurious
motion caused by It's running on large
rubber tires and skimming the ground
with more than the speed OF a race
horse, is ready to say rubber is lndeeo
the friend OF man.
The history of mans struggle TO OBJ
tain rubber Is as intensely interesting.
as full OF romance and as full OF nor
ror as is the story Of the adventures.
Ihardships and cruelty OF the Spaniards
in their search for gold.
Unlike the yellow metal. rubber is
not widely distributed over the earth
for the benefit Of mankind. and what
little is left Is rapidly disappearing.
wild rubber, or caoutchouc. Is oh
tanned from several varieties OF trees.
shrubs and vines. nearly all or which
are indigenous to the tropics South
America Central America, Indian AND
Africa each furnish large quantities.
the gum produced being all rubber.
differing somewhat In its character. due
largely to the various methods of gath
ering and coagulation
| what is known as Para rubber Of COM
merce. is obtained from the vast re-
gions drained by the Amazon and It's
tributaries estimated to embrace ter :
ritory nearly two-thirds the size OF
Europe Yet so enormous has this
worlds consumption OF rubber become
that this great region Is practically
denuded of its rubber growth
| The Mexican rubber tree. growing in
the District of Soconusco, on the shores
| Of the Pacific. has been named castillo
| luctifua-castilla in honor OF Castillo.
Spanish botanist, who died in 1903 whila
engaged in the preparation of a flora
OF Mexico. and lactifua signifyfng
flowing milk" distinguishing IT from
| trees in other localities from which the
milk exudes. but does not run freely.
The worlds supply Of rubber has,
Iup to this time. been drawn almost
wholly from the wild trees found
| tropical forests, but owing to the de-
structfve methods Of gathering pur-
sued by the natives millions of these
trees have been destroyed, to replace
/