Omaha daily bee., 1911-02-21
RUBBER AND ITS USEFULNESS
Writer Traces it from Plantation TO
the Tire Factory.
IEATHERMe THE RAw PRODUCT
ConvertinE Crude Rubber from It's
Raw state Into an Automobile
Tire a. an Important Part
In Motoring.

one Of the features OF the A. L. A. NJ.
show number Of the Automobile was an ar
1icle entitled THE Reign Of Rubber" The
first installment OF the article dealt with
the growth Of the giant industry COM
prised under the head Of rubber production.
The article in question recounted the
first uses OF rubber, noting that the first
bit seen in England was brought there
81 ITO and was named rubber because IL
proved useful in erasing pencil marks. In
1922 sailors from the Amazon valley
brought the first rubber shoes into the
United States. In isB Goodyear vulcanized
rubber. II was trsnsplanted from the
Amazon to Ceylon. and IN 1898 scientific
culture was instituted on a commercial
basis The worlds production last year
was 1872 sg7, 269 pounds. The record high
price was touched in April, 1910 when
rubber sold in the market for 1912 pourd.
The field Is being constantly enlarged for
the production Of cultivated rubber, but
the chief source OF supply is from the wild
plants The Philippines. Guianas and the
German tropical possessions are being
added to the field as well as the East
Indies
The earliest record Of rubber traces back
to 1870. In 1919 Charles Mcintosh, Of scot
land. discovered that rubber was soluble
IN naphtha. The rubberlzed cloth used FOR
raincoats was one result OF his discovery
The practical use OF rubber really began
with the process OF inflammation which
renders II more permanent in form and
more applicable to commercial wants
The worlds supply OF rubber today, ex-
elusive Of Guayule and Pontlanac, Is III
vided into three classes. namely para, plan
tatlon and other sorts. Plantation rubber
refers TO the product OF the Malay and
Csylon plantations. the trees producing a
quality OF rubber which Is Identical with
para rubber. The price OF the two kinds
OF rubber is Identical. The price of all
varieties Of rubber is based on uprver fine
Para, the term Para being used to desig
nate the rubber that is gathered along the
Amazon river and It's tributaries from spec
linens OF the tree known bctanicaIly as
Hevea Brasillensls
The Congo and Mexico produce inferior
grades OF rubber, considerable guayule
coming from the latter country.
The price OF rubber Is never based on the
uncertainty Of the outcome Of the current
years crop. It can be estimated within
1000 tons.
Many Rubber Plantations.
There arc $500 acres devoted to the
plantation rubber industry in the whole Of
Malaysia, where 5s4 estates arc main
tanned. The plantation rubber areas in
Bartca, British Guiana, comprise 15.C0)
acres. The German colonies in Africa at
the present time have about 25OO acres
planted in rubber.
The highest price to which rubber has
mounted since became commercial
commodity was $s.12 per pound in Aprn.
1910
Under the influence Of a sufficient output
OF plantation rubber, the price may he
driven back TO the basis OF 1s,S and 1903
respectively. when rubber was quoted at
81 and N,2b per pound.
There is an export duty OF ~ 20 % per
cent on rubber. aggregating something IKE
20 70 40 cents per pound
II costs only n cents per pound to de-
liver rubber in New York or London
TO embark in the Industry OF raising
plantation rubber Il IL necessary as in
any other line Of agricultural enterprise
10 begin at the beginning Tho first work
to be accomplished Is the clearing Of the
forest lands The process Is decidedly sim
pier than clearing for agricultural require
mcnts. A directed corps Of 800 or 40 skilled
woodchoppers manage 10 do tho work in
a surprisingly short space OF time. Except
for the Topped branches the felled trees
are left to lie where they have fallen The
heat OF the tropic sun dries the branches
very quickly and they are gathered to-
gether at various points in the clearing by
the coolies and set on fire. The process
Of name-clearlng leaves the logs and
stumps to gradual disintegration.
Import the stumps.
Experience has proven that IN the next
step relative TO planting rubber time is
gained by importing 'stumps' and setting
them out. In the case OF planting from
rubber seeds II is imperative that the seeds
shall be developed In nursery and tina,
the seedlings shall have nine months OF
growth. at which time they will be from
one-half TO three-fourths II an inch in
diameter Upon the other hand II the SAP.
iings are taken at any time before they
are year old and the roots be cut off and
the top looped. the stick" upon being pu,
INTO the ground, will root itself, and a,
the end OF three months form a tree a.
Vigorous as II # had grown where origin.