u 



THE AGRTCULTUPvAL NEWS. 



Mari'ii 21, 1908. 



RUBBER EXHIBITION IN LONDON. 



The piDpdsals that have been made to huld an 

 International Rubber Exhibition in London during 

 1908 weie mentioned in the AgriruUur<il Ni'ivs of' 

 September 21 last (Vol. A'I,p. 297). The initial suo;ge.s- 

 tion.s met with such i-eady response from planter.s and 

 manufacturers, as well as from Govenmient ofiticials in 

 rubber-jjrodueing countries, and other y)ersons inter- 

 ested, that the proposals have taken concrete form, and 

 nrrangements have already been made to hold the 

 exhibition at the Ro3al Horticultural Society's Hall, 

 L(]ndi)n, iVcim September "21 to 2(j next. 



The great .■<ucces,s wliicli attemled the Ceylon rubber 

 exhibition of lOOG led to tlie snggestion that sach meetings 

 sliiailil l)f hcM I'ciiodicaliy, and the pro.spects for the London 

 exhibition of tlir jireseiit year are certainly promising. Tlie 

 main objert of the show is naturally to attract public atten- 

 tion to the great advances made by the rublier producer and 

 manufacturer during recent years. Even since 19U6 many 

 Tiew features and iiiiiirovcmi'iits have been introduced which 

 are still unknown to maiiN ulio would be interested. 



The preliminary pro.spectus of the exhibition that Las 

 lately been issued contains a list fif the various articles, 

 materials, etc., for which classes will be provided. The large 

 uumlier of these classes indicates the extensive nature of the 

 exhibition, whieh will I'over the whole of the rubber industry, 

 and include manufactured goods of every de.scription, 

 machinery \\!^i--i\ \>} nianuracturers in the preparation of 

 rubber goods, as wfll as all kinds of planters" accessories, 

 suck as tapping kni\rs, latex cup.s, coagulating agents, 

 jiresses, |)acking ca.ses, clc There will also l>e classes for 

 crude and prepared inlihci- of e\eiy description, mlilici- seeds, 

 and S]ieciinens of all known rid)lic'r \ i(d(rnig plants. 



Another interesting feature ill coniHxion with ihi' show 

 will be the illustrated lectures and addre.sses. for lln' dejixery 

 of whii-h the connnittcc are making arrangement-. It is 

 ho|ied tliat |danters and proilucers will attend these lectures, 

 and liy taking |iart in the discussions, assist in the inter- 

 change and dis.seinination of information on subjects conned ed 

 xvith the rubber industry. A cluh room will lie arranged in 

 the Exhibilion Ibdl solely for the use ot e.vliiliitors and Iheii- 

 friends. 



The aibautages ot pailicipal iiig in exhiliitions of lln- 

 kind desi rilied ale being rcali/.c.'d in the West ladies, wlii'ie 

 I'ennanent Exhiliiliou Committees ha\e been organized in 

 iiio>i ot llie islands to hriug together representat'.xc collections 

 ol proiluce of the coliiiiies, and forward them to suil.ilili' meet 

 ings of this kind in England and Canada. 



I>illle can be expected in the way of rubber exhiliils 

 from the individual colonies of the West Indies, since in those 

 islands in which the iiidusliy exists at all, it has advanced no 

 farther than the I'Xperiniental .--tage. The se\eial islamls and 

 IJritish (iuiaiia, however, might wi'll co operate to illustrate, 

 by a collective exhibit, the rubber producing possiliilitics of 

 thisjiart of the liritish Empire. 



.\1 least tliri'c kinds of rubber trees are being grown in 

 .several of the islands, notalily in Trinidad, .lamaica. Dominica, 

 and St. Lucia, while l!iilisli (iuiaiia lia>, in addition, 

 indigenous species of the S'tj.iuiii genus. 



Tlieri' exists Iheicti lie, I lie jiossibility ot pre|iaiing and 

 forwarding aii interesting collection to the London show. 

 This might well consist of botaiiical s]xcin.ens. seeds of native 

 and introduced lubl er ]ilants. and al.-o small or large speci 

 mens of luhlier from such plants. The I'eimanent Ivxliibitii n 

 ( 'i niiiiillei- ot ihe several inlands should lonsiil.T mIicI lier 



they might not, with advantage, lend their assistance 

 in connexion with thi exhibition, since even at this early 

 ■stage of develo]iment of the West Indian rubber industry, it 

 W'ill he well to keep thepo.ssihle resources of the colonies well 

 before the London niAiket. 



It may he mentioned that the Advisory Committee of 

 the E.xhibitiou includes the names of ISir Daniel Morris, 

 Mr. Algernon E. A.spinall (Editor of the West India 

 Cniiitiiiffn- Cirriihtr), a.nd ^\\-. H. Hamel Smith (Editor of 



BRITISH GUIANA AND THE AGRI 



CULTURAL CONFERENCE. 



In the course of their reply to the Governor's 

 speech, the members of the Combined Court of British 

 Guiana made thei following reference to the West 

 Indian Agricultural Coid'erence of January last: — ■ 



It is to be hojied that among the important results 

 ensinng fi-om the recent West Indian Conference at Barbados 

 will be an enlargemebt of trade, not only intercolonially, but 

 also with Canada, a country which seemingly has reciprocal 

 inclinatioirs in this xlirection. We shall look forward with 

 much interest to the' further holding of such Conferences, 

 feeling assured as we. do that much good will follow. We 

 cordially unite in support of the suggestion to hold the next 

 Conference in this colony, and any sum that your Excellency 

 may deem fit to reipiire us to vote will be most willingly 

 con.sidered 



DISC PLOUGHS. 



Disc ploughs are being successfully experimented 

 with in parts of the West Indies, notably in Antigua. 

 The uses of this implement were discusserl in a short 

 article in a recent number of the West India Gom- 

 iiilttee Circular, from which the following particulars 

 have been taken : — 



1 ii-.c ploughs are at the present time playing an ini])ortant 

 I'arl in the cultivatjon of dry, arid soils by reason of their 

 adaptaliilitv tor hreaking up and thorougiily pulveri.sing land 

 which is in a dry, hard condition, and preparing it to receive 

 the lirsi rains. It is a well-known fact that in many dry and 

 hoi climates the land has to be left unploughed until the rain 

 lias softeiieil and piepared it for the .share l)lough. This often 

 causes seiio.rs delay, in seeding, late crop.s, and .sometimes 

 failure, as the first heavy rains rnn off the land into the 

 streams, instead of soaking into the soil. It has been jiroved 

 by ex()eriencc that the land |ilimghed in a dry state retains 

 moisture for a much longer period than land ploughed in 

 a Wet condition. .Among the many other advantages claimed 

 for the disc plough in arid and Imt climates .are : (1) It is 

 lighter in draught, iliie to the fad that it is carried entirely 

 on wheeL, whieli iluis ivducestlie liotlom and side friction 

 ton miuiinuni, uliilethe revohing a<-tion of iheilisc blades 

 also givi's a liglitei- cut than the di'iving action ot' the share 

 and coidter of the ordinary plough. (2) The wc.ir and tear 

 of a disc plough is, .also considerably less than tliatof an 

 oriliuary ]>lough, asdhe life of a disc is about twebc times 

 thai ot a steel shaif. while the cost is le.ss than doidde. (3) 

 l-'or Weedy lauds, peat, or other soils infested with fibrous 

 roots I lie disc plough is nusurpasscil, a.s it cuts timaigli ami 

 clears ilselt ot all' obstacles, hi tad there i- liitle land, 

 exi-cpl \eiy .-toii\. ,,!• YtTN wel anil -lick\ soil-, which 

 cannot le aiU.uitaueoUsly iiloiighed with a disc plough. 



