Voi,. X. No. 228 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



31 



RUBBER FROM THE WEST INDIES 

 AND BRITISH GUIANA. 



iThe following summary describing samples of rub- 

 ber from the West Indies and British ( Jiiiana examin- 

 ed ao the Imperial Institute during 1909, appears in 

 Colonial Reports — Annual, No. 65(i, dealing with the 

 work of the Institute during the jear, and is reproduced 

 here for purposes ot record : — 



West Indies.-- Specimens of rubljer from Tobago, 

 St. Lucia and Dominica have been examined. 



A sample of Castilloa elaMica ruliber from Tobago was 

 in the form of a square black sheet about J -inch thick: the 

 material was clean, dvy, and well prepared. It contained 

 91 •! percent, of caoutchouc, and was valued at 4s. id. per lb., 

 with fine hard Para at 5s. per lb. This rubber wuuki be 

 easily saleable, and would realize a higher price if it could be 

 prepared lighter in colour. 



Further specimens of Castilloa ruliljer from Tobago were 

 stated to have been prepared by a new centrifugal process, 

 and were much paler than the preceding sample. The speci- 

 mens were excellently prepared, but a little weak, and were 

 valued at 6s. \Qd. and 6s. \\d. per lb., with tine hard Para at 

 8s. \0d. per lb. 



A small cake of Castilloa elastica rubber from St. Lucia 

 was almost black, but was clean, well prepared, and of good 

 quality. It contained 88-6 per cent, of caoutchouc and 9-1 

 per cent, of resin; it was valued at about 3s. 6d. per lb., with 

 fine hard Para at 4s. 3hd. per lb. The amount of rssin was 

 rather high, but this defect may possibly disappear as the 

 trees become older. 



A specimen of Castilloa rubber from 1 )omii)ica, which 

 contained 84 per cent, of caoutchouc, was also valued at 

 3s. 6d. per lb., with fine hard Para at 4.s. 3},d. per lb. 



A sample of Para rubber from Dominica consisted of three 

 biscuits of light coloured, clean, well-prepared rubber, exhib- 

 iting good elasticity and tenacity. It contained 93 per cent, 

 of caoutchouc, and was valued at 4s. 3d. per lb., with fine hard 

 Para at 4s. 3id per lb., and plantation Para biscuits at 4s. id. 

 to 4s. lid. per lb. The rubber compared favourably with 

 plantation Para rubber from the East, and there is no doubt 

 that the Para tree will furnish excellent ruliber in Dominica. 



BRITISH GUi.VNA. — The investigation of Sapiiim Jen- 

 mani rubber has been continued. Two samples of this material 

 shown at the International Rubber Exhibition in London 

 (1908) were examined. One .sample consisted of thin bi.scuits 

 of very fine, pale amber rubber, excellently prepared, and 

 much superior in physical properties to the specimens of this 

 material examined in 1908. It containt-d 93-7 per cent, of 

 caoutchouc, and was valued at 4s. 3d. per lb., with fine hard 

 Para at 4s. 3},d. per Iti., and plantation Para bi.scuits at 4s. 4rf. 

 to 4s. lid. per lb. There is no doubt that Sapium Jenmani 

 rubber is of excellent qualit}', and that if carefully prepared 

 it will realize very satisfactory prices in the market. 



The second sample consisted of a block of scrap rubber, 

 dark brown externally, but lighter within, and fairly clean 

 and dry. It was of good quality, but inferior to the preceding 

 specimen. It contained 88 per cent, of caoutchouc, and 

 was valued at 3s. to 3s. 3d. per R., with fine Para at 

 4.S. 3hd. per lb. 



AGRICULTURAL EXAMINATIONS. 



The second Intermediate Examination and the first Pinal 

 Examination in connexion with the Courses of Reading estab- 

 lished by the Imperial Department of Agriculture were held 

 in November last, commencing on the seventh of the month, 

 in Antigua, Barbados, Grenada, St. Kitts and St. Lucia. 

 Twelve candidates presented themselves for the Intermediate 

 Examination, of whom eight satisfied the examiners, seven 

 being in the second class, and one in the third. In the Final 

 Examination, the number of candidates was seven, of whom 

 two failed, while of the others, one gained a first class, three 

 a second clas.i, and one a third class. The list of .successful 

 candidates, with reference to both examinations, is as follows: — 

 Centre. Name. Intermediate. Final. 



Antigua a Court, L. W. D. H. 



McDonald, G. W. B. 



Shepherd, C. H. E 

 Barbados Cozier, J. L. 



Field, .1. H. 



Kirton, J. G. 



Peterkin, E. M. 

 Grenada Phillips, C. A. C). 1st „ 



St. Kitts Owen, A. E. 2nd „ 



Walwyn, H. H. 3rd „ 



St. Lucia Arrindell, W. M. 3nd „ 



Maturin, C. W. 2nd „ 



Niles, E. W. 2nd „ 



The oral examinations, in connexion with the inter- 

 mediate and final stages, were conducted in the ditTereut 

 islands by: — 



Air. A. St. G. Spooner 



,, R. S. D. Goodwin 



,, -J. Roden 



„ H. A. Tempany, B.Sc. 

 The Hon. F. J. Clarke, C.M.G.l 



,, „ G. L. Pile 

 Dr. Longfield Smith 

 Mr. J. R. Bovell, I.S.O. 

 The Hon. J. T. de la Mothe 

 Mr. W. G. Lang 



,, G. G. Auchinleck, B.Sc. 



,, A. D. C. Adamson 



Antigua 



Barbados 



Grenada 



„ C. Forbes Todd 

 „ W. R. Dunlop 

 „ F. R. Shepherd 



The Hon. E. G. Bennett 



Mr. J. C. Moore 



St. Kitts 



St. Lucia 



Rice in British Guiana. 



The last fortnightly report of Messrs. Sandbach, 

 Parker & Co., of Georgetown, on the rice industry of 

 British Guiana, dated January (3, 1911, gives informa- 

 tion as follows: — 



The weather during the fortnight has been fairly dry 

 and milling has been .steady. 



The local demand has been very strong and prices have 

 advanced considerably. 



Shipments to West Indian islands amounted to 1,350 

 bags during the fortnight. 



We quote to-day, f.o.b. Demerara, for good export 

 quality : — 



Nominally, 20s. 6(7. to 21s. 6c?. per bag of 180 ft), gross. 

 19s. to 20s. „ „ 164 „ „ 



