THE RUBBER TRADE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4717, 27 June 1924, Page 4

THE RUBBER TRADE.

ROMANCE OF ITS BEGINNING. BOLDNESS OF FOUNDER. Many a romance has gone to the making of the British Empire, and that of which Sir (then Mr) H. A. Wickham is the hero is well worth recording, particularly in view of the fact that he will be eighty years of age at .the end of this month. It is the story of the foundation of the Biitish rubber planting industry, and is told in “The Resources of the Britisi Empire,” just published in twelve volumes, by Messrs Ernest Benn, Limited, at the instance of the Federation of British Industries. Before 1876 all the rubber in the world was obtained from forest trees in many countries, but by far the largest and best supplies came from the regions of Brazil watered by the Amazon. SEEDS FROM BRAZIL. Mr Wickham, whose practical acquaintance with tropical American forest rubber trees was so extensive and peculiar that in 1866 he was planting on his own account near Santarem, and had tried without success to interest others in the business. Sir Joseph Hooker (director of Kew Gardens) was, however, awake to the necessity of cultivating the rubber tree, and he and the late Marquis of Salisbury, then Secretary of State for India, were responsible for sending Mr Wickham on a mission which resulted in the seeds from which the whole Para rubber planting industry has sprung being obtained from Brazil in 1876, by something not unlike a smuggling exploit. To Mr Wickham the commission was a welcome one, and he was puzzling how the work was to be accomplished when he and the few European planters in the locality were surprised by news of the arrival in the Amazon of a fully-equipped ocean liner, the Amazonas, the first of the new Inman Line of steamships trading direct between Liverpool and the Alto-Amazon. By a lucky chance, just at the right season, this large steamer was left stranded without freight for the return voyage. 70,006 SEEDS COLLECTED. This was Mr Wickham’s opportunity. Boldly chartering the steamer on behalf of the Government of India he arranged with her commander .to meet him at the junction of the Tapajos and Amazon rivers. Starting for the forests in the highlands between the Tapajos and Madeira rivers, where the finest of the true Para rubber trees were to be found, and taking with him as many Tapuyo Indians as he could get together at short notice, he daily ranged the forests and packed on their backs in Indian pan-nier-baskets as heavy loads of seed as they could carry. With great care some 70,000 seeds were collected and packed, taken to the steamer, and slung into the empty forehold. It was necessary to call at Para, where, thanks to the good offices of the British Consul, the steamer was allowed to proceed without delay. It had been feared that the Brazilian authorities would prohibit the export of the seeds.

Wickham landed at Havre and hastened to Kew, saw Sir Joseph Hooker, and arranged for a night goods train to meet the Amazonas on arrival.

Only 4 pei- cent, of the 70,000 seeds germinated, but from the 3800 plants reared at Kew and then sent to Ceylon and Malaya, the present plantations are descended.