The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1910-05-07
FORESTS SITUATED CHIEFLY IN MEXICO.

The chewing gum manufacturers OF
the United States and in other parts
OF the world are alarmed over the
rapidly growing scarcity of the chicle
gum, which forms the basis for the
finished product that goes to supply
many hundreds of thousands OF gum
chewers. Representatives of these
manufacturers are now in far South
eastern Mexico searching for new for
ests of zapote trees in order to pre-
vent chewing gum dearth. The raw
gum Is obtained from these trees. The
forests in which the operations OF eX-
tracing the gum are now conducted
are situated chiefly in the states OF
Yucatan and Campeche.
The chicle industry is of great i'm
portance to this part of Mexico. 1t had
its beginning in a small way quar-
ter of century ago. but it was not I'M
til later years that the demand for
the chewing gum which is made from
1t became SO extensive as to cause the
zapote tree forests to become exceed
fngly valuable Enormous fortunes
have been made out of the industry.
/ Enterprising American investors
came into the tropical wilds and pur-
chased vast tracts of primeval forests
of zapote, and are doing an enormous
business producing and selling the raw
chicle gum. Most of the larger chew
ing gum manufacturers own their own
Zapote forests. 1t was such a profitable
industry that proper judgment and
care were not exercised in tapping the
trees for the gum, and as result they
have been dying by the hundreds dur
ing the last year or two So rapidly
are the Zapote forests being exhausted
that the price of the ray chicle has ad-
vanced more than twenty percent dur
ing the last twelve months. 1t is now
selling for about forty-five cents gold
per pound. Unless new forests are dis
covered the price will go much higher
in a short time. it is claimed.
The greatest hardships are expert
enced by the natives who obtain the
chicle gum from the zapote tree. In
the first place the forests are usually
are found among other dense tropical
growth in the heart Of the lowlands
In Yucotan the work of gathering the
gum was for many years made hazard
GUS by the hostile disposition of the
Maya Indians.
These savages made frequent attacks
upon the isolated camps of the chicle
collectors and more than one fatality
occurred as result of the adventurous
spirit displayed in seeking to extend
the industry into the territory which
the Indians claimed as their own. The
commercial invasion was backed up by
a strong force of soldiers supplied by
the Mexican government, and the "a
pote tree forests were made I'd yield
their life giving sap IN order b meet
the demands of the army of gulk chew
ers in the United States and other
countries of the world
The greed for large profits on the
part of the owners of the zapote for
ests has been so great that l., most |
instances they have brought ruin to |
their valuable holdings by tapping the |
trees much too often. 1t is stated that |
a zapote tree will stand being tapped |
for its gum about once in seven years, |
but instead Of following this rule it |
has been the general custom to tap the |
trees every two or three years. Some |
Of the most conservative owners let |
their trees go as long as five years |
without tapping, but it is found that
even that length of time is too short. |
The trees have been dying SO rapid
ly recently on account of excessive tap
ping that the government is being |
urged to adopt some measure of pro- |
tecting the existing forests and some |
method of reforesting A federal COM
mission will be appointed to make an
investigation
The Zapote tree grows to a great |
height and in order to obtain the best |
results the tapping is not done near
the ground, but far up the trunk, often
at height Of fifty or sixty feet Only
an adept native laborer can perform
the work Of tapping, as it is danger
GUS and particular job.
The chiclero, as the Taper is called.
uses climbing outfit very similar to
that of telegraph and telephone line
men. When he reaches the desired
height on tree he fastens a rope loop
around his body and with the points
Of his climbers implanted in the tree
he begins the work of cutting mar
row trough through the bark, using
q common machete. He cuts this
trough in gradual descending circular
form around and around the tree I'M
til the bottom is reached
The sap flows in steady stream