The Point Pleasant register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, W. Va.) 1909-1939, 1910-08-31

which lies to the south OF India
has from the earliest times
supplied products which all
other countries have been
eager to possess. The merchant ships
of the ancients focked to the shores
to procure priceless gems; in the Iuid-
die ages the European nations tum-
bled over one another to obtain spices.
and nowadays the island is famed
throughout the world for the excel
lc-ce of It's tea. In the future rubber
bids fair to become an even more val
liable and important article OF export.
There is now only one land which
has a larger acreage under rubber.
That is the Malay peninsula. with 1885,
900 acres. 1000 more than Ceylon.
The estimated value Of Ceylon's rub
Der plantations is S22.2O00OO. reckon
ing at SIS an acre. Tea plantations
in the island are estimated as worth
$50 an acre. S5S.5OO.O 600 In all. The
whole OF the cultivated land is est
mated as being wSr;h SlO4.942. 900. so
that rubber is valued at almost a
third Of the total.
The remarkable progress made in
the planting OF the product Will
easily be realized when It is explained
that ten years ago scarcely 1000 acres
was planted in rubber. Five years
later the figure had extended only to
25.0O0. whereas It is now considerably
more than seven times that amount.
For this year exports OF only $50
tons may be reckoned on compared.
however. with 100 last year. and IS
five years ago). but it must be remem-
bered that a rubber tree has TO grow
six or seven years before It can be
proftably utilized. and only within
the last FIVE years has the planting
been undertaken to any large extent.
Thus. whereas this year $50 tons
have been produced from $500 acres
of bearing trees which produce rub
Der. It is estimated that in six years
100000 acres will be yielding 10000
tons. This is a conservative estimate.
and probably below the mark.
At present $4,000 acres are plant.
ed. the trees averaging about $40 to
the acre. 1t may. therefore. be taken
as practical certainty that 2O.OOO.-
600 trees will be yielding in 1915.
Each tree will yield ~ pounds a year.
or. at the very least. I1s pounds. BY
multiplying the latter figure by 90.
100000. result OF 22.5oO.OOO pounds.
about 10000 tons, is obtained.
1t was thought formerly that not
more than 10000 acres in Ceylon
would be suitable for the cultivation
OF the product. It being deemed impos.
sible to grow it above certain eleva.
tons. Young plants. however. are do
ing well up to 1000 feet and trees
have been tapped up TO $500. 1t has
also been found that rubber grows
well when interplanted with either
tea or cacao. though. as a matter of
fact, the result from the rubber grow
ing point OF view. has been so sue.
cessful that the tea and cacao are be-
ing entirely superseded.
4 local writer has estimated that
100000 acres will ultimately be plant
ed with rubber and that by 1920 90.
900 tons will be produced for export
It is expected also that the remainder
of Asia will give $1,000 tons. exclusive
OF the yield from $4,000 acres planted
in India and Burmah.
Until. therefore. the future of the
market is more clearly realized
planters and spectators will do well
TO consider the matter carefully be-
fore investing in new enterprises.
This will be more clearly realized
when It is remembered that the pres.
ent worlds" supply. $1,000 tons, is
about 1900 tons less than may con.
hdently be expected from Asia alone in
1920.
For the next few years. however.
prospects are Of the brightest and
there is no reason to believe that the
10000 tons estimated for 1915. and all
produced prior to that date. will not
be disposed of at remuneratlve price,
although, Of course. this years high
prices cannot be maintained indea.
nitely.
Although the soils IN which rubber
Is cultivated IN ceylon are. from a
chemical standpoint. comparatively
poor. this disadvantage is outweIghed
by the physical and climatic charac.
teristcs, the large areas with an aver.
age annual rainfall Of about 100 inches