20 



THE FUTURE OF RUBBER. 



(From a Special Corrcsp07ide)it in "Madras Mail, llth October.") 



We may be certain that present prices are enabling the Ameri- 

 can Rubber gatherers to exploit very out-of-the-way districts, in- 

 volving heavy transport charges ; and yet the increase in output is 

 not serious, the rise in exchange no doubt taking away much of the 

 benefit from the enhanced price. So that it looks likely that, if 

 Brazilian exchange is maintained at its present level, a compara- 

 tively moderate drop in prices would render it unprofitable to work 

 much of the country that is now being tapped, in which case a 

 really serious drop would be deferred for an uncertain number of 

 years. Supposing, however, that the continual planting up of 

 Rubber in the East finally brings this about, and there is a struggle 

 ending in the survival of the fittest, the only possible result can be 

 the knocking out of wild rubbers and the transference of the indus- 

 try into the hands of the planter, who could, if necessary control 

 output. 



This is looking far ahead indeed, but both in cinchona and tea 

 the maintenance of some control over output is recognised, and as 

 the rubber supply will eventually be chiefly in British hands, the 

 possibility of such a control, if ever required is evident. It is use- 

 less at present, to attempt careful estimates of rubber production. 

 In Ceylon, apparently all tea land under some 2,000 ft., and much 

 other land, is going into rubber, but what will it do and what the 

 yield will be is another question. Mr. Burgess holds the view that 

 the Straits must eventually excel Ceylon in production on account 

 of the fine land that is being opened in the former country. But 

 against this is the great accessibility of all the Ceylon districts, 

 and transport is a very important point after leaving the sea. No 

 doubt the more sanguine estimates of yield will not be realized, 

 and I hear that the large trees at Peradeniya, which Mr. Wright 

 expected would give some I2lb. of rubber each per annum under 

 the latest method of tapping, have stopped their flow of latex to a 

 great extent. I am satisfied with the, to me, unavoidable conclu- 

 sion that a good class of rubber, under suitable conditions, will 

 yield large profits for many years to come. 



MR. BURGESS' VIEW. 



Mr. Burgess, the Straits expert, states that Eastern plantation 

 rubber is found not to be as resilient or of such recuperative power 

 as the wild product (Amazon Para). This is hardly surprising, 

 seeing that, practically. Eastern rubber is all from young trees, 

 whilst the American is from picked forest giants ! The same 

 reason may, perhaps, partly account for the fact that some Eastern 

 rubber at any rate has shown signs of not keeping after a couple 

 of years, though Mr. Burgess is inclined to think that the acetic 

 acid or formalin used for coagulation has produced this effect. 

 This is a matter for the chemist and experience to decide ; I cer- 

 tainly have samples of rubber, taken in India four years ago, 



