The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-04
Street scene in Rio de Janeire
-Avenida Rio Branco and
the Municipal Opera
House.


House.
in the United States. In other parts
Of the country the only recognized
easons are a wet and a dry.
Owing to the influence Of trade
winds. the whole Of Brazil is subjec,
to heavy rainfall. precipitation in
creasing as the interior Is approached,
where the moist trade winds strike
the %plateaus. Nearer the equator the
division into a wet and dry season is
not so marked. Para holds the ban
ner for precipitation, with 100 inches
annually in POI days OF rain. three
fourths OF the rainfall being in the
months from January t June.
Yet this very excess OF heat and
moisture auses such a wonderful
vegetable growth as is found in
scarcely any other part OF the world.
a growth which some day will yield
great money profits to exploiters.
Every inch Of the ground is covered
with some living and growing plant.
Vines festoon the branches Of trees
and ferns and mosses garment fallen
logs. When a patch Of wood has
been cut down to the very ground, in
Ave years the soil will be so covered
with a growth OF trees and shrubs
that the spot can hardly be distin-
guished from the rest of the forest.
This has been the case in the giving
up Of some OF the great coffee plan
tations.
An immense variety Of vegetable
life Is also found. Within a radius of
a few yards may be seen twenty
kinds Of trees growing side by side.
Certainly II seems the height of in
efficiency for nan TO waste so much
time and energy in c%ultivating the
northern temperate regions when
such a rich fertile area is lying abso-
lutely idle.
The forests produce many valuable
trees. such as rosewood, satinwood.
cedar and mahogany. A most useful
tree is called the carnahuba. Its
roots are possessed Of the same me-
dicinal properties as sarsaparilla; 1t
yields a large quantity of lumber for
building purposes; from the leaves is
obtained a wax from which candles
are made, and the straw is used In the
manufacture Of hats. brooms, mats
and matching. The fruit OF this tree
Is food for cattle; the nut is some
times used as a substitute for coffee,
and the pith OF the stem answers the
purpose Of cork. From various parts
Of the tree are obtained vinegar. wine,
salt, an alkali used in making soap,
-four, n liquid resembling the milk OF
the Cocoanut, a starch similar to
sage and a saccharine substance; mu-
steal instruments and pumps are made
from the wood OF the stem. II this
sounds like a fairy story the reader is
referred to the impartial and sup
poseA,y ultra authentic Foreign Com
merciai Guide. South America"
Brazil is the country of tonka
beans. arrowroot. ginger. black pepper,
balsam. tapioca, gum copal, indigo and
Brazil nuts, all growing wild, not to
mention the greatest product. rubber.
The trees producing rubber are not
usually found in groves. but are
scattered singly in the forest,
times not more than 100 or $50 trees
in a section of about 100 acres, which
is as much territory as one man can
attend to. Through these sections run
paths called estradas, leading from
one tree to another.
The rubber gatherer sets out in the
morning. and makes several incisions
from four to six inches apart around
each tree. Under these he hangs tins
to catch the sap. His round of three
or four miles may take him half a
day. and he may begin the gathering
after noon. He collects the fluid called
latex in a pail, obtaining eight or ten
quarts in all, which will probably
produce as many pounds of rubber.
This latex must be smoked over a
wood fire and coagu.atcd IN n sort
of ladle twlrled over the smoke. Fresh
coats are added as one dries until a
lump is formed weighing anywhere
from five to a hundred pounds,
The man who does this work prob
ab.v works for n contractor who m
ploys several hundrc is, and the stories
Of the atrocities committed by these
contractors, who have compelled the
defenceless Indians tn work for them
without pay and have inflicted all sorts
Of tortures upon them inc their fami-
lies, rival those OF the worst savages
In any country. Though these cruel
ties have hecn lessened for the time
being constant vigilance must he
exercised TO prevent these supposedly
civilized men from allowing their greed
to get the better Of them.
The great Jumps. or balls, of rubber
are collected and taken to.the nearest
river bank. where they are carried