78 



THE INDIA RUBBER V/ORLD 



[December i, 1906. 



RUSSIAN RECLAIMED RUBBER. 



TO THE Editor ok The India Rubber World : I no- 

 ticed in your issue of Octoher i (page 23) an article 

 on reclaiming Russian galosh waste. 



If it is of any interest to your correspondent, I beg to 

 inform you that I am the sole representative of the Firma 

 " Prowodnik " in Riga, Russia, for the sale of their reclaimed 

 galoshes, and their daily output of this article is 40 tons. 

 The plant necessary for this large output is very up to date, 

 and is constantly being increased. Their requirements for 

 this branch necessitate about three quarters of the whole of 

 the old galoshes collected in Russia, and the centers where 

 Russian galosh waste is obtainable. 



The grades this firm make are as follows: (i) E.xtra 

 prima, made from pure detachable uppers and soles ; (2) 

 prima, made from clean old galoshes, free from canvas ; and 

 (3) second qualitj- reclaimed, made from a mi.xturc of old 

 galoshes and mechanical goods. 



My firm guarantees that neither of the three kinds contain 

 any admi.xture of minerals, oil, or chemicals, and that the 

 same is clean and unadulterated. 



As I have stated above, this output, besides the amount 

 reclaimed by other factories in Russia for their own require- 

 ments, e.xhausts an\- surplus of old galoshes, the export of 

 which has become somewhat difficult owing to the export 

 duty which has been placed thereon by the Russian govern- 

 ment. Therefore, the suggestion of your correspondent to 

 start a works with a view to reclaiming old galoshes in 

 Russia does not seem very feasible. 



There is, I believe, an import duty on reclaimed rubber in 

 America of about 30 per cent, ad valorem. Your correspon- 

 dent's calculation for the cost of the erection of a reclaiming 

 factor}- in Russia is verj' far below the actual cost, which 

 would be at least 7 to 10 times the amount mentioned bj- 

 him. 



At the present time the reclaimed being made by the Firma 

 " Prowodnik " is being largel}' used by English and conti- 

 nental firms, who have thoroughly satisfied themselves as 

 to its merits, as the mere fact of its being guaranteed to be 

 made from nothing but galoshes, and the reputation which 

 the Firma " Prowodnik " has now gained for the excellency 

 of the various articles the}' manufacture, is an additional 

 safeguard that they are not likely to jeopard their reputa- 

 tion in any way by manufacturing or supplying an inferior 

 article, and thereby risking the receipt of the large orders 

 which they receive, and must obtain, in order to keep em- 

 plo}'ment for the 7000 work people which constitute at the 

 present moment the number at their works, johx laxg. 



I.oiulon, October 23. 1906. 



[The importation into the United States of "reclaimed 

 rubber," the product of rubber scrap, is subject to duty at 

 30 per cent, ad valoyem as a manufacture of rubber, not spe- 

 ciallj- provided for, under paragraph 449 of the Act of July 

 24, 1897.] 



RUBBER PLANTING IN SOUTH AFRICA. 



T 



O THE Editor of The India RuiuiER World : I am a 

 farmer here and a reader of j-our paper, and I hope 



minds about rubber. We would like to go in for it, but we 

 do not know what to plant. 



In the northern parts of North Eastern Rhodesia there is 

 Landolphia rubber (vines) growing naturally, but it seems 

 that the artificial cultivation of vines is a process far too 

 slow, and I may add, too uncertain, to suit us. Tree rubber 

 seems better, but then one authoritj- tells us that Funtumia 

 elastica (Lagos rubber) will do here, and another authority 

 tells quite the contrary. Ceara rubber {Maniliot) grows here 

 very well almost in any soil and does not require much care, 

 but on the other hand it does not seem a practical proposi- 

 tion, as nobody has yet succeeded in doing anj' good with 

 the Ceara tree. Perhaps we do not know how to go about 

 it, both as for the way of collecting the latex and the proper 

 season to choose. It seems to me that neither the Brazilian 

 method of tapping nor the one used by the natives in getting 

 rubber balls from the Landolphia vines will do for CearS, 

 but if somebody would invent a process, mechanical and 

 chemical, b}' which the j-oung Cearii tree could be cut down, 

 passed through a roller to get out the latex just as it is done 

 with sugar cane, and the juice could then be so treated as to 

 extract from it all the available rubber contained in it. Then 

 our prospects would be very bright. Two year old trees 

 could be cut down, and an equal area at once planted afresh, 

 so that the suppl}' would be continual or at anj- rate bien- 

 nial. 



None of us in this far away corner are in a position to keep 

 up vvitli the latest notions in rubber planting and latex 

 treating and should therefore feel exceedingly obliged to you, 

 Sir, if \ou would ':ondescend to give us some valuable ad- 

 vice. 



I enclose herewith a climatological table referring to our 

 district, which may be of use or interest to you. With best 

 regards, I am, yours faithfully, A. i'Aolucci. 



Senigallia Farm, Fort Jameson, North Eastern Rliodesia, South Africa, Oct- 

 ober 12, 1906. 



[In all probability our correspondent's planting must l:e 

 done either with Fiitiliimia or Ceara rubber, the rainfall in 

 his region being too light for Hei'ca or Castilloa. The sug- 

 gestion as to annual crop production of Ceara is of interest. 

 Quite a number are at work now on this line, though so far 

 nothing valuable has resulted. I'ltiinatel}', however, this 

 doubtless will be found practicable. .\s for planting vines 

 {Landolphia), the experiments thus far at the botanical gar- 

 dens have been failures. — The Editor.] 



R.VTS IN Ri'BBER. — Manufacturers of wire netting should 

 increase their trade with rubber growers in Ceylon and else- 

 where, says Home a?td Colonial Mail. Rats are a serious 

 nuisance, as thej- attack the roots of the young rubber trees. 

 The method of the Ceylon Tea Plantations Company, in 

 using coarse wire netting round the steps, is being followed 

 by other growers. It not onlj- saves the rubber from the 

 rats, but keeps the trees, when planted among tea, from 

 being damaged by weeders and pluckers. 



My fellow farmers and m\ self are much exercised in our 



A British novelt}- in the way of a fire appliance is a 

 cradle for holding hose in position ready for use in case of 

 emergency. When a fire breaks out a valve is opened and 

 the hose is unwound by gripping the nozzle and pulling it 

 toward the spot where it is to be used. As the coil unwinds 

 the water fills the hose. 



