Vol. V. No. 120. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



377 



inches; 1903,36-63 inches; 1902,27-45 inches : 1901, 

 29-52 inches; 1900, 23-59 inches. The average rain- 

 fall for the previous seven years (1893-9) was 24-61 

 inches. 



IIM ♦ - 1 11 



Gold Coast Agricultural Department. 



The Annual Report of the Botanical and Agri- 

 cultural Department of the Gold Coast, for l905, 

 records considerable progress in connexion with the 

 promotion of agriculture. 



In addition to the Botanic Gardens at Aburi, 

 there are a Botanic Station at Tarkwa, an Experimental 

 Cotton Farm at Labulabo, a Rubber and Kola 

 Plantation at Aburi, and a Cocoa-nut Plantation at 

 Christiansborg, while a site was chosen during the 

 year for a Botanic Station in Ashanti. 



From Aburi large numbers of plants and seeds 

 were distributed. In connexion with this part of 

 the work, reference may be made to the increased 

 demand for seeds and plants of rubber, indicating 

 a wide-spread interest in the cultivation of this product. 

 ' The successful raising of 13,000 Para rubber plants 

 for distribution is satisfactor}- ; the seedlings will shortly 

 be offered for sale at la. Qd. a dozen. There is no 

 doubt that the demand will be in excess of the supply, 

 and a larger number of seeds of this variety will be 

 planted during the present year.' During 1905, 4,019 

 rubber plants and 1,362,962 seeds of various rubber 

 trees were distributed from Aburi. 



Experiments with rubber, cacao, citrus fruits, 

 cottoE, and other economic plants were continued. 

 Valuable work is being done at the Experimental 

 Cotton Farm. 



A course of instruction in practical and theoretical 

 agriculture was held at the gardens in June and Jul)'. 



Ceylon Rubber Exhibition. 



According to the India-rahher Journal, the 

 rubber exhibition, carried out by the Ceylon Govern- 

 ment in the Royal Botanic Gardens, was an unqualified 

 success. It was the most complete rubber display the 

 world has seen, and its results are expected to have 

 a direct effect on the plantation industry throughout 

 the tropics. 



Two matters are referred to as the most noticeable 

 features of the raw rubber sections of the exhibition. 

 One is the superiority of ' block ' rubber over the 

 'biscuit,' and the other the proof that the cultivation of 

 Para rubber need not be confined to low levels. 



The ' blocking ' or compression of the rubber into 

 a block has been shown to be economical in packing 

 and shipping; it offers a m\ich smaller surface to the 

 risk of oxidization, and at the same time improves the 

 physical properties of the product. It is anticipated 

 that ' biscuit ' making will now give place to ' blocking.' 



The two samples of ' biscuits,' which between them 

 won the Ceylon gold medal and the open gold medal, 

 were grown at an elevation of from 2,500 to 2,700 feet, 

 while the best sample of rubber from India was grown 

 at an elevation of 3,500 feet. The growth of Para 

 rubber at high elevations is an important matter, 

 which is likely to receive much attention in Ceylon. 



St. Vincent Agricultural Products Protection 

 Ordinance. 



This Ordinance, dated October 2, 1906, was framed 

 to regulate the purchase of cacao, nutmegs, mace, and 

 cotton, and to jirevent thefts of these products. With 

 a few exceptions, these products can be purchased only 

 between stated hours and by licensed dealers, who have 

 to keep records of their transactions, subject to inspec- 

 tion. Search of suspected premises is permitted, and 

 persons found in possession of the above products and 

 unable to give a satisfactory account of their possession 

 of them, or persons purchasing the products from infants 

 under twelve years, or trespassers on land where these 

 crops are in fruit, are subject to penalties. Punish- 

 ments are provided for those convicted of stealing or 

 offering rewards to others to abstain from prosecuting 

 or informing. A part of the fines may go to the 

 informer. 



Production of Rubber in Brazil. 



In an article in the Ti-apeirptianzcr (July) on the 

 'Rubber production of Brazil and its probable future,' 

 it is stated that half of the world's supply of rubber now 

 comes from the valley of the Amazon. The production 

 of rubber from Para rubber {Hevea brasiliensis) does 

 not increase sufficiently to account for the increase in 

 the exports of rubber from Brazil, which is due to 

 production from Castilloa elastica, Scqjium Marmieri, 

 Hancornia speciosa, and (in middle and south Brazil) 

 mani^oba or Ceara {Maiiiliot Glaziovii). The quality 

 of these rubbers is inferior to that of Para. Castilloa 

 rubber comes from the upper reaches of the Amazon 

 and its tributaries, and already forms one-sixth of the 

 total exports. 



In the state of Matto Grosso the production of 

 Para rubber is increasing on account of the exploitation 

 of hitherto untouched forests. In the non-equatorial 

 states the production of other kinds of rubber is 

 increasing more rapidly. 



In the states of Brazil, the chief sources of 

 revenue are export duties. On account of the export 

 duties on rubber, it does not appear likely that rubber 

 plantations could succeed. It is shown that it costs 

 34 per cent, of the market value of the rubber to place 

 it on board ship, and trial plantations have failed to 

 pay on account of these duties. 



Hevea planted out in the forests and uncultivated 

 does not bear tapping until it is from fifteen to twenty- 

 five years of age. As money in Brazil will realize 12 

 to 24 per cent., such a period of waiting would not pay. 



The political considerations which lead to high 

 and rising taxes on exports seem unchangeable. Hence 

 other parts of the tropical zone, free from such imposts, 

 will provide for the world's needs in rubber. If the 

 price of the lower qualities of rubber should fall, it 

 seems probable that Brazil's rubber export will follow 

 its once flourishing exports of sugar and cotton, now 

 extinct. Its cofiee (subject to high export duty) was 

 greatly injured by the late tall in prices. Its meat 

 exports, too, have vanished, and it now imports from 

 La Plata. 



