1822 1828 1830 1840 1842 1850 1855 1860 1865 1870 1875 1880 1885 1890 Number of sheep and production of wool of New South Wales. 1895 1896 267,319,780 323,668,058 303,061, 122 NOTE. In 1891 there were 61,831,416 sheep, the highest number recorded for the colony. * Includes territory now known as Victoria and Queensland. + Includes territory now known as Queensland. TASMANIA. In conformity with instruction of August 28, I furnish the information required, as nearly as it is obtainable, as follows: VICTORIA. In compliance with the instruction dated August 28, 1897, I transmit a statement showing the number of sheep in this colony and the production of wool during certain years between 1820 and 1895. The return was very kindly furnished by the government statist of the colony, who informs me that no statistics are available prior to the year 1836, and that the figures given in the return for 1895 are in reality those for 1894, no estimate having been made since the latter year. Total number of sheep in Victoria and production of wool, 1836-1895. RUBBER CULTURE IN ECUADOR. In reply to an inquiry from a resident of Philadelphia, ConsulGeneral De Leon sends from Guayaquil, under date of February 26, 1898, a report in regard to rubber in Ecuador. The report, which has been forwarded to the inquirer, is given in part below: The cultivation of rubber is a new industry in Ecuador. Hitherto, rubber has been obtained from wild trees, but the ruthless destruction of the plants by the greedy rubber seekers, who do not hesitate to cut them down in order to obtain a trifle more gum, has played havoc with the trade of this coast. In the remote regions, there are still large forests; but inefficient transportation increases the cost. An effort is being made to obtain from the Government an 8-year concession for the exploitation of rubber and quinine in a territory covering from 8 to 10 square leagues in the province of Tungurahua. This has drawn the attention of the people to the cultivation of the rubber tree, and stories of the fortunes made in Africa are in circulation. Cocoa and coffee have been the chief products of this Republic, but the hope is cherished that at some time the rubber crop will equal them in value. Brazil, the first country to use rational methods in the production of rubber, now exports, it is said, $30,000,000 or $40,000,000 worth per annum. The cultivation of rubber is also receiving serious attention in the Republic of Colombia. The increasing demand has given an immense impetus to the business.* The rubber tree is too well known to require description. It is not only one of the most valuable, but also one of the most ornamental of trees; its leaves, of a dark green color, being simply beautiful. Our conservatories give one a faint idea. The contrast between trunk, limbs, and leaves is vivid. It can be grown in any kind of soil, moist as well as dry, from a temperature about 60° F. up to one much higher. It can not be grown successfully in the frost zone. The tree possesses the peculiar property of fertilizing instead of sterilizing the soil; its roots attract moisture greedily and, when they decay, form with the leaves a fertilizer of superior quality. Ecuador produces every known species of the rubber tree in great abundance, from the Ficus dolairia in the vulgate Ragasron, to the Urceola, the most beautiful of all; the same can be said of Colombia. The best qualities are produced in the more temperate regions of the tropics. At somewhat over 64° F., the tree yields the most gum; at a lower temperature than 64°, the exuding gum quickly solidifies, closing the incisions and stopping the flow. PLANTING. Planting is easy and inexpensive, and the returns very tempting. A good tree should yield from $15 to $20 per annum. There are two methods-from the seed and from the shoot. The former takes from six months to one year longer than the latter. Statements (like those regarding orange culture in Florida) vary widely as to period of maturity, some claiming that the tree will yield when from four to five years old and some that it requires a much longer period. PLANTING FROM THE SEED. The best seeds are obtained in August, the next best in December; they should be perfectly dry and gathered only after the fruit * The imports of rubber into the United States during the fiscal year 1897 were: Rubber, free of duty, 35,574,449 pounds, valued at $17,457,976; rubber, dutiable, $297,953; old, scrap, and refuse for remanufacture, 3,653,945 pounds, valued at $113,722. is well ripened. They should be planted in pots or boxes, after the style of tobacco or coffee, watered morning and evening, and given a due amount of sun. When the plant is from 3 to 4 inches high, it is transplanted to the spot where it is to remain, the earth being well loosened as well as moisened around the hole. It then should be well watered daily for a week or ten days and allowed plenty of sun; if transplanted in moist soil or during rainy season, watering is unnecessary. After ten or fifteen days, the tree can be left to itself, if the plant is healthy and vigorous, until ready for tapping. The plantation should be kept free of underbrush, weeds, etc., especially around the base of the tree. The tree should be planted in "quin-cunx" order and at a distance apart of not less than 20 feet. In the intervals, plantain or other large-leaved trees are set out for the purpose of giving the proper amount of shade to the young tree. When it is desired to fence a plantation with rubber trees, they should be placed very close together; they very soon unite in Siamese-twin fashion, forming a continuous and almost impenetrable wall. PLANTING FROM THE SHOOTS. The shoots should be broken off, not cut, from the parent stem— the larger the better-and the wound healed with moist clay; otherwise, the tree is liable to dry up. The shoots are at once placed in the hole, the earth around them being loosened and moistened. They are buried a little more than half their length, and some of their leaves covered with earth. Thus treated, they do not rot, and sprouting is facilitated. The rainy season is the best time for shoot planting. After the cutting commences to sprout, no further care is necessary, other than that stated above, until time for tapping. The plantation requires fencing, as cattle are very fond of the young plants. TAPPING. Testing. When a tree is supposed to be ready for tapping, the bark is cut and the gum examined. If it readily coagulates from the heat of the hand or from applying a little alcohol, it is in the proper condition; if the gum resists coagulation, the tree is immature. Method.-(1) The dirt and mold are cleaned from the tree in the places where the incisions are to be made. (2) About a foot or more from the ground an earthenware vessel is attached to the tree by means of moist clay. (3) Just above the mouth of this vessel, a transverse cut, reaching to the woody fiber of the tree, is made. (4) Above this, a vertical cut is made from as high a point as possible and continued downward until it reaches the horizontal incision. A long-handled iron or steel tool in the form of a bird's claw is used for this purpose. (5) On either side of the vertical, oblique cuts are made from 6 to 8 inches apart. Tapping should commence at dawn, when the moon is on the wane, and be continued not later than 9 a. m. A strong sun causes the sap to rise. The incisions should be made at a single stroke, to avoid the phenomenon of "hiding the milk," an expressive and thoroughly descriptive phrase in vogue here. The rubber tree seems to possess a nervous system, affected more or less by light, heat, electricity, etc.; and, unless the blow is effective, reaching at once to the woody matter, the tree contracts its fibers, reducing the size of the sap cells contiguous to the incision and forcing the gum to the upper part of the tree. Periods. The tree is usually tapped four times during the first year of its maturity, and the intervals of rest are gradually diminished, until it can be tapped monthly. The rubber tree is the milch cow of the vegetable kingdom; its yield continues to increase with frequent and skillful milking until it reaches its maximum. Properly cared for, a tree will yield steadily up to its fortieth year; in some instances, as long as fifty or sixty years. The yield of gum, as well as the market price, is variable; but, as before stated, a healthy tree should yield a revenue of $15 to $20 per annum. COAGULATION. The two methods of coagulating most in vogue among the people are by smoke and heat of the sun; both are defective. In order to expel the large amount of whey in the gum, it is necessary, where the first method is employed, to bring the rubber so close to the fire that it loses its elasticity, becomes waxy, and is discolored. The second method is likewise faulty; a few hours after its extraction the rubber commences to putrefy, loses some of its properties, requires from fifteen to twenty days to dry, and emits an offensive and unhealthy stench. To obtain rubber of pure quality, the following method of coagulation is best: The tappings of the various trees should be thoroughly mixed in a vessel with aqua ammonia, in the proportion of 5 ounces of the latter to i gallon of the gum; this preserves the gum in its milky state for an indefinite period, and allows it to be easily strained and the dirt and mold to be removed. After straining, a little 36° proof alcohol should be stirred into the mixture; immediate coagulation ensues. It is then put into a press and the whey squeezed out, after which it is placed in the air until thoroughly dried, which requires |