April 2, 1883.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



So 7 



HARVESTING CINCHONA. 



Several planters havint; expressed surprize at the 

 figures lately given by a Dolosbage planter for the daily 

 average shaving of red bark trees by his coolies, as 

 being so much more than usual, we referred the same 

 back for further report. The result shews that there 

 was no mistake in the figures. Our friend writes:— 



" 42 coolies got 5,()34 lb from 6,463 trees planted 

 in June 1880 and consequently rising 3 years. Of course 

 I naturally chose a period when the coolies had got 

 their hands well in (average for first four days was 

 only 66) and when they were operating on the best 

 piece in the clearing. I have now finished the field 

 and give you the totals :— Extent of clearing 25 acres, 

 24,346 trees, 18,772 tti, 156 coolies, average per tree 

 1'2'33 oz. average per cooly 120 lb. Planted in June 1880; 

 ahaviug commenced 26th January 188.3 ; finished 7th 

 March. Average age therefore two years eight months. 

 Of course, you may furnish any sceptic with my name, 

 though I did not send it for by publication with my 

 letter." — We suspect that here we have the largest crop 

 of cinchona shavings ever h.arvested from the same num- 

 ber of trees in so short a period. Dolosbago ehoukl 

 be the paradise of red bark trees. 



THE PROSPECTS OF INBIARUBBER. 



(From our London Correspondent.) 

 I had a long talk recently with Mr. J. H. Roberts, 

 of the firm of Messrs. S. Rucker & Co., on the sub 

 ject of indiaruhhcr, a friend of mine having told 

 me that he shouhl be obliged to give up a large 

 portion of his manufacture — i.e., insulated telegraph 

 wire — if he could find no fresh source of indiarubber 

 supply. And he added : "The extension of our business 

 which could be made, if such further supply was ob- 

 tainable, you can hardly realize." He was prepared 

 to largely extend his manufacturing plant but for 

 this disaljility ; but, as he argued, " where would be 

 the use of my going to that expense, if, when in- 

 curred, I am landed in a difficulty for want of the 

 material to be worked ujjon ?" iSlr. Roberts told me 

 so much that was of interest as to tlic market position 

 of indiarubber in London that I asked him if he would 

 kindly — as on a previous occasion he did with re- 

 ference to cocoa — let me have his remarks in such a 

 form that I could submit them to your readers. To 

 my application he kindly consented, and the following 

 is what he has written for me on the subject : — 

 " Tlic adverse circumstances which have so forcibly 

 operated during the past few years against the 

 yield of the coftce crops in Ceylon liave tended 

 at all events to stimulate efforts to develop Ihe 

 capabilities of the island in the production of 

 other articles, to many of which it seems to be ad- 

 mirably adapted. At the same time, it would be 

 taking too gloomy a view to suppose that cofTee in 

 Ceylon is to be a thing of the past. 



" While tea and cinchona are certainly the two 

 largest articles which are following cofifee, cocoa and 

 indiarubber (caoutchouc) demand an amount of atten- 

 tion which they should certainly have given to them, 

 and the efforts already made for their cultivation 

 should be strongly further encouraged. With regard 

 to the latter (indiarubber) there is no doubt that 

 with due care its cultivation would become remuner- 

 ative. The existing increased demand for the 

 article throughout the world, the present supplies are 

 anything but adequate to meet ; nor is there any rea- 

 son to doubt, if there were a certainty of increased 

 supplies, that the demand would still he further ex- 

 tended. Evidence of such increased demand has de- 

 veloped itself during the past two or three years, 

 and prices have materi,Tlly advanced ; those for Para 

 ubber, whioh ragged for a long time in the neigh- 



bourhood of 2s 2d to 3s per lb. having during the 

 past year been gradually advancing, and , after touch- 

 ing 43 lOd and 43 lid, are now still at ahout4s 5d per lb. 



" It is not intended in offering these observations 

 to attempt any instructions to planters ns to the best 

 species for growth, cultivation, or collection, as these 

 items so much depend upon the nature of different 

 districts, and can better he ascertained through sources 

 which, like the Tropiml Agriculturist oi Ceylon, have 

 already most ably treated the subject. 



"Great stress has been laid on care being taken 

 not to incise the wood of tbo tree, but only the bark. 

 One important feature, however, from a commercial 

 point of view, may be here mentioned, and that is to 

 collect the rubber as clean as possible, so that it m.ay 

 be free from bark and dirt, whicti are two most 

 objectionable things, by the presence of which the 

 value is most injuriously affected. ParA rubber de- 

 servedly stands highest on the list, as it possesses all 

 the properties requisite for its use in the highcBt 

 class of manufactured articles, and its cleanliness also 

 entitles it to the standard it occupies. 



"Attention is also much directed in the London 

 market to Madagascar rubber as possessing qufdities 

 which are mucli appreciated, and some excellent 

 sorts have also reached here from Upper Assam. 

 Experience, with time, can alone develop which sorts 

 are best suited to Ceylon, but up to this time it would 

 appear thiit the ' (.'ear.l ' descriptions promise the most 

 favorable result. Samples already received from Ceylon 

 approximate Ceara scrap rubber more than any other 

 kind, and this is now worth 3s per lb. 



" It is certainly well worth the attention of all 

 those who have invested capital in Ceylon and who 

 seek a handsome remuneration for their investments 

 not to neglect so encouraging an article as cnoutchnuo, 

 or, as it is more generally known, induu ubber. It 

 is to be feared that the rough treatment to which 

 the tapping of tlie trees are subjected in some nf the 

 South American districts will ultimately render .supplies 

 from tliat quarter even more precarious than at 

 present, as collection further inland must necessarily 

 add to its cost. In this we have another re.von why 

 this induBtry in Ceylon will be beneficial, linlh to the 

 grower and the consumer, au cjeinplificaticm of ciiuilar 

 mutual beiielit being already given by the locally ginwn 

 cinchona, which is most successfully competing with 

 South American barks." 



Remarks of the above character from one of the 

 partners in a firm of such standing as tliat of Messrs. 

 S. li'uckcr & Co. will deserve attention from those 

 who arc now commencing the culture of india- 

 rubber in Ceylon. We all here iit hoine read with the 

 greatest interest all we can find in the Uljatroer and the 

 Tropical Agriculturist which informs us as to the pro- 

 gress being made with it. As yet this appears to be 

 slow, but it is hoped things will soon take a rapid start. 



Indiarubeee. — We call attention to the very 

 encouraging report on the prospects of this product 

 contained in the letter of cur London Correspondent. 

 We are hopeful that Ceylon will do a good deal ere 

 long to supply the demaud for the raw material. But, 

 meantime, have planters generally noticed what a keen 

 observer reports that there are Ceari rubber trees 



and Ceaii'i rubber trees ? That is, some of those 



now growing in Ceylon do not seem to yield rubber 

 at all, wliile others give an abundant supply consider- 

 ing their age. This point requires careful examin- 

 ation in order that trees of a poor or utterly bad type 

 may be pulled out. 



MANILA NEWS : EXPORTS. 

 ( TrcinsUUcd from Spanish newsjjapers for the "Slrail- 

 Timcs" ) 

 The C'oiitLrico, in reviewing the export trade from 

 the pttts of Manila, Oebu.aud llloio, lastje ai, tit 



