Vol. XII. No. 303. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



393 



■^^We scarcely think this inference is altogether 

 justified, for it was only this particular set of. Egyptian 

 studies that was referred to and the reviewer clearly 

 stated his appreciation of the value of abstract research 

 in general, provided it led to the discovery of princi- 

 ples, facts and relations of wide application and 

 significance. 



To continue the main point at issue, the writer of 

 the reply emphasizes the importance of pure biological 

 research to India, for although it would be unthinkable, 

 almost impossible, to cut adrift from Europe . and 

 America, most of the important, contributions of 

 science in these ei:)ntinents are not negotiable in the 

 peculiar physical, social and financial conditions of 

 India. India has to work out it.s own economic salva- 

 tion. Pure research is a neressary condition there 

 for economic advancement. 



^agricultural Progress in Curacao and Its 

 Dependencies. 



Although geographically in close proximity to the 

 British Islands, not a great deal is heard locally 

 ooncerning developments in the Dutch West Indian 

 Islands. For such information the reader is referred 

 to Diplomatic and Consular Reports, No. ol9.5 — 

 Annual Series, on the trade and commerce of Curasao 

 and its dependencies for the year 1912. Agriculturally 

 « "urarao is interesting in view of its possessing large 

 phosphate deposits. These mines have lain idle for 

 about twenty-eight years, but since they have now been 

 sold by auction they w-ill be steadily worked and 

 offer continuous employment to a number of native 

 labourers. 



One of the latest institutions in Curarao is the 

 new ostrich farm which was established in August 191 2 

 with a paid up capital of £(j,2.50. At the time, twenty 

 fine birds were imported from Egypt and three have 

 since died; but fourteen chickens have been hatched. 

 As the climate is excellent, the general belief is that 

 it is well adapted to the raising of these birds, and the 

 feeding, which in very dry months may be a ditticult 

 .problem has so far given no trouble. 



In St. JMartin and St. Eustatius one of the chief 

 agricultural industries is cotton growing, but on account 

 of the severe drought in 1911 the yields from the crop 

 were low but of excellent quality. In St. Eustatius 

 much confidence is placed in cotton cultivation, and 

 already several large stock-rearing estates have been 

 Converted into prosperous cotton fields. 



In connexion with the industries not strictly 

 speaking agricultural, reference may be made to the 

 hat-making and hempen sandal industries, and to the 

 production of orange peel from which the extract of the 

 renowned Curarao liijueur is distilled. 



The severe drought of 1911-12 was the cause of 

 very great distress in the Dutch West Indies. Appeals 

 from Curai;ao to the Netherlands met with a most 

 generous response, about £3,000 having been received 

 from Her Majesty Queen Wilhelmina, and from several 

 other sources. As the whole amount was not immedi- 

 ately required a distress fund was started, though in 



view of the fact that normal prosperity has been quickly 

 regained, there is little likelihood that for the present! 

 this will have to be drawn upon. 



Where Ceylon Has the Advantage of BraziL 



It may appear somewhat startling to compare 

 Ceylon with Brazil, yet the two places have some- 

 thing in common -rubber is an important product of 

 each. As intimated in the India Rahher World 

 (November 1, 1918), the differentiating feature is that 

 the great staple of Brazil is coffee, whereas that of 

 Ceylon is tea. Both countries have been confronted 

 with the same danger -the over-production of their 

 staples. Ceylon's situation in this respect is much 

 more favourable than that of Brazil, for in Ceylon as 

 fast as tea threatens to outstrip the demand it can bo 

 changed forthwith to the production of rubber. Butj 

 the situation in Brazil is different. Over-production 

 of coffee in Brazil is an actuality; yet if Brazilian.-} 

 could transform some of their coffee estates into rubber 

 plantations the problem would be solved, but unfortu- 

 nately they cannot, for their rubber comes from the 

 north and their coffee from the south. Hence in this 

 respect Ceylon has the advantage of Brazil. 



Tapping Castilloa: Investigation Required. 



Economically the rubber industry in general is 

 in a very unsettled condition, but with regard to 

 Castilloa, a special difficulty of production has arisen 

 in connexion with the tapping of this tree. It was 

 thought possible that the machine described in th& 

 Agricultural Xevs under the name of 'Valour' might 

 prove useful for purposes of extraction, but recent 

 communications have made it evident that this 

 machine is of no use for the purpose, at any rate hom 

 a commercial point of view. 



The Hon. W. L. Thornton, of Tobago, for instance, 

 writes to say that although a Castilloa tree when 

 coppiced regularly sends up fresh shoots which grow 

 very rapidly, it has not been found possible to extract 

 good rubber from these cuttings. Bark from fourteen- 

 year-old trees has been passed through the rollers of a 

 sugar mill and although a milky liquid, looking much 

 like latex can be squeezed out, only traces of rubber 

 are recovered by any process that has so far been 

 tried. The latex is no doubt mixed with other juices 

 from the tissues, and these may possibly interfere with 

 coagulation. 



From all accounts of the condition of Castilloa 

 cultivation in Trinidad, Tobago and other islands, there 

 is urgent necessity for attention being directed towards 

 effecting some improvement in the methods of remov- 

 ing the rubber from the tree. In considering the 

 matter, it must be borne in mind that in the mechani- 

 cal extraction of rubber from Landolphia and Manihob 

 it is actual rubber which is removed, whereas in the 

 case of Castilloa, it is only the latex that is separated. 

 This seems to present physiological difliculties, for the 

 amount of latex yielded by tapping is, of course, not 

 directly proportional to the amount of bark removed 

 whereas in the case of a mechanical extraction it- 

 would be. 



