^2 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[December i, 1905. 



THE SCRAP RUBBER MARKET. 



LITERATURE OF INDIA-RUBBER. 



CURRENT conditions are believed to favor a maintenance 

 of the sustained position of the market for old rubber 

 boots and shoes, and while prices are likely to show fractional 

 fluctuations during the next few months under influences of a 

 normal market character, no material changes in values are 

 awaited. The present basis of quotations is not regarded as 

 fictitious, but founded on legitimate conditions, to which some 

 reference may be timely in this connection. The compara- 

 tively low range of prices which had prevailed for five years 

 before the turn of a few months ago was the result of an under- 

 standing among the largest consumers of reclaimed rubber, 

 whereby the sources of supply were apportioned to effective 

 advantage. 



This arrangement fully served its purpose, and the market 

 followed a fairly even course, but in the meanwhile conditions 

 were developing which were destined to play an important part 

 in asserting the inevitable influences of supply and demand. 

 The market for crude rubber had been in upward tendency 

 during this period, and the fields of consumption for reclaimed 

 rubber had shown substantial growth, absorbing to a consider- 

 able extent what surplus stocks had been accumulated. 



Then, the development of the industries from which little 

 returns were made lent a decided influence to the stronger ten- 

 dency of the situation. The growth of the electrical indus- 

 tries has been especially great, and there had been a marked 

 improvement in the carriage cloth trade, particularly in the 

 West. The ultimate returns from this field in the shape of 

 old rubber amount to almost nothing. There were other me- 

 chanical industries which were enlarging their operations, the 

 returns from which were small and of inferior qualities. Then 

 for the last two winters the boot and shoe trade had been ac- 

 tive, enhancing considerably the consumption of reclaimed 

 rubber. 



Another factor which has been mentioned in this connection 

 is the condition of affairs in Russia during the last year or 

 more. This country had proved a source of comparatively 

 large supply within recent years, but with the outbreak of hos- 

 tilities and the attending disturbance of mechanical and agri- 

 cultural conditions, the receipts of old rubber boots and shoes 

 were largely curtailed. Under the conditions which have been 

 mentioned, the general average advance of between 40 and 50 

 per cent, on all grades of scrap rubber since the opening of the 

 present season would seem to be based on logical premises, and 

 while the general state of trade throughout the country is of 

 such a satisfactory character, the market for reclaimed rubber 

 will be likely to maintain a firm position. 



The range of quotations for old boots and shoes so far this 

 season has touched extremes at sU and 9 cents, but the season 

 of 1898-9 brought even a wider range of prices, which fluctu- 

 ated between 6j+ and iiX cents. The large consumers hold 

 fair stocks and are not apt to prove a factor in the market un- 

 til the opening of the new season, but the requirements of the 

 smaller dealers over the balance of this season are likely to ag- 

 gregate good proportions, reducing holders' stocks to an appre- 

 ciable extent. 



The course of the crude rubber market is attracting much 

 interest, and as the effect of the higher level has already been 

 noted in the increase in the consumption of reclaimed rubber, 

 the position of crude may prove of further significance. The 

 outlook for next season's supplies of scrap is not to be consid- 

 ered at this time, conditions being too indefinite to permit even 

 a forecast. But meanwhile the demand for reclaimed rubber 

 is constantly increasing. 



(IRCULARS AND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL 

 Botanic Gardens. Cevlon. Vol. Ill — No. h, July. iqo5. ParS Rubber in 

 Ceylon. By Herbert Wright and A. Bruce. Colombo: 1905. [8 vo. Pp. 55-S6.] 



THIS is a careful summary of scientific investigations which 

 have been applied to questions relating to climate, soil, 

 elevation, manuring, and other like questions in connection 

 with rubber culture, in a region which, longer than any other 

 has been the seat of this industry, some of the trees which 

 figure in these investigations being now 29 years old. The 

 questions here considered have not been so thoroughly treated 

 in any other report ; besides which they have a practical value 

 in their application. It might be added that a Colombo pub- 

 lisher announces having in press an extensive work on the 

 Para rubber tree and its culture, by Mr. Wright, who long has 

 been on the staff of the Ceylon botanic gardens, and filled the 

 position of director during the recent absence in England of 

 Dr. Willis. 



THE CEYLON HAND BOOK AND DIRECTORY. AND COMPENDIUM 

 of Useful Information for 1905-06. To which is Prefixed a Statistical Sum- 

 mary for the Colony and Review of the Planting Enterprise up to Julv. 1905. 

 Compiled and edited by J. Ferguson, c. m. g., m. l. c. Colombo ; A. M. & J. 

 Ferguson. 1905. [Cloth. l6mo. Pp. XL-i-i364+XLV-i-folding tables. Price, 

 IS rupees.] 



While not issued with any special relation to the rubber 

 interest, this has become a most important record of rubber 

 culture, to which the comp lers of the work, connected as they 

 are with T/ie Tropical Agriculturist, have for some years past 

 devoted careful attention. One year ago the " Hand Book " 

 reported the plantations of rubber alone in Ceylon at 10,034 

 acres, exclusive of an estimated equivalent of 26,201 acres of 

 ruTber planted with other crops. One year later the figures 

 given are 23,285 acres for rubber alone ; 8598 acres rubber in 

 connection with other crops ; and 2,600,000 rubber trees in other 

 crops, the acreage of which is not estimated. 



IN CURRENT PERIODICALS. 



L'Hevea Brasiliensis ; sa Culture et sou Exploitation dans le Sud 

 Annam. By G. Vernet [chetnist of the Pasteur Institute at Nhatrang. 

 A comprehensive summary of the characteristics of the " Para" rubber 

 species and the conditions favorable for its cultivation, with a summary 

 of results obtained to date in French Indo-China ; with comments by 

 G. Capus ; illustrated]. = .S«//e'/!K J^ronomique, Hanoi. VIII-44 (Au- 

 gust, igos). Pp. 687-734. 



La Production et la Consomination Mondiales du Caoutchouc. By 

 H. Brenner [assistant director of agriculture and commerce of Indo- 

 China ; credit given to The India Rubber World for statistics.]^ 

 Bulletin ^cotiomiguf, Hanoi. VIII-44 (August, igo5). Pp. 735-742. 



The Preparation of Rubber at Mergui, Tenasserim. [Experiments at 

 a government station in Burma. ]= T"/;!- Indian Forester, Allahabad. 

 XXXI-9 (September, 1905). Pp. 530-534. 



A SOLVENT FOR INDIA-RUBBER. 



THE specification of British patent No. 6471 (1904), issued 

 to Robinson and Clift foran India-rubbersolution, states 

 that pyridine and like bases or heavy bases from coal tar, bone 

 oil, and the like are used as solvents for rubber in making rub- 

 ber solution or in extracting rubber from waste. This is prefer- 

 ably done in a number of tanks into which the rubber within a 

 cage is successively lowered, or by placing a cage in each tank 

 and circulating the solvent through the latter so that fresh sol- 

 vent first comes in contact with the nearly dissolved rubber. 

 The rubber is precipitated by acid. Coal tar, benzol, naphtha, 

 or other solvents not precipitated by acids may be added to 

 take up the rubber after neutralizing, and wood spirit or amyl 

 alcohol may be used instead of acid for precipitating, provided 

 benzol, naphtha, or the like have not been used. 



