El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-01-14
nEFoRR long we shail. grOw oul

- EFoRE long we shall grow our
- own rubber.
IL Indeed. we have begin TO do so
already. Recent experiments Of the
department OF agriculture seem 70
show that the "castilloa" rubber tree.
60 largely cultivated Ia Mexico, can be
successfully introduced into this coun-
Try It ought to do well in Florloa
and southern California, and its pro-
duet is Of excellent quality.
Meanwhile. rubber growers in the
Hawaiian Islands have just sent 10
MARKET a quantity of their product
which represents the first commercial
tapping of trees hopefully planted in
the little archipelago during the last
half dozen years. There seems to be
an excellent prospect for the success Of
the enterprise the plantations already
covering 1900 acres That the quality
of the rubber is first class may be
judged from the fact that It sells III
the market within two cents pound
of the price Of Para, which is the
standard and the very best
It is an American enterprise. under
taken under the auspices and direction
# our own department of agriculture
The department. also, is making expert
rrents in rubber culture more newly
begun. on the island of Porto Rico,
where a number OF different kinds Of
rubber producing trees have been plant
ed for experimental purposes
Rubber in Philippines.
In the Philippines. where the forests
are full Of native rubber plants Of nu-
rrerous species, a special study of the,
subject is being made, with view 10
ascertaining which ones are best
adapted TO cultivation in that archi-
pelago. The matter is deemed of great
Importance. because the government
fas made up its mind that it is high
time we produced our own rubber. For
some time past We have imported more
than $40. O00, 600 worth of it per annum;
and. with a diminishing supply and
demand increasing by leaps and bounds.
we have every inducement TO utilize
our tropical possessions for the devel-
opment Of an industry which promises
IN the future to become enormously
profitable.
We want rubber in great quantities
for automobile tires. We want it for
rubber shoes-in New England there
ere several factories which. each of
them. turn out 10000 pairs Of such
shoes every day in the year-and for
ever so many other purposes. 1t has
become one Of the necessaries Of civil.
lzation-
The Beginning of Rubber.
Only a century and half ago, there
lived in England a certain DR.. Priestly,
q very learned scholar, who advised
the use, for rubbing out pencil marks,
Of a peculiar sort Of gum which was
then being brought in small quaint
by trading vessels from the West In
dies Hence it was that the gum in
question came to be known as rub
her" or, in reference to its origin, as
'.india-rubber" A piece of it only half
an inch cube IN size as at that time
worth IS cents. Not long afterwards
several patents were taken out for
methods Of waterproofing cloth > by
Coating II with a solution of rubber,
and one Of these was granted to
Scotchman named NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
the name given nowadays to familiar
iainproof garment
As matter OF fact, however, the
paterproofing Of cloth with rubber
was familiar to the indians of tropical
America long before Columbus made
lis first voyage. Even to the present
day the aborigines of Nicaragua make
the finest rubber blankets in the world
by the simple process of laying a piece
Of canvas, or other textile fabric, on
the ground and giving if a series Of
coats of the gummy sap, poured out
of a bottle and spread evenly with a
wooden paddle The early Spanish con-
CuerOFs, taking the hint employed the
same process to make their coats wa