February i, 1906.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



149 



5. I have preserved some of the latex exposed to tlu- air in an 

 open vessel for a year with no sign of putrescence or clKinical 

 change further than that produced by evaporation of some 60 per 

 cent, of water and residue of gum. 



(i. I have on hand 40 samples representing the results of that 

 number of experiments preserved for one year. Wherever the air 

 has penetrated into these samples they have turned to a hard and 

 brittle resin. 



7. In all my experiments I have never found any decisive evi- 

 dence that this latex is a rubber bearing substance. 



Without in the least presuming to be able to render a conclusive 

 verdict on this product I am still free to say that I now regard it as 

 properly not a rubber but a resin. 



Perhaps the best characterization of the value ot the gum, 

 or be it rather severe, and partly in fun, came from the head 

 of a large rubber manufacturing concern, who is very alert 

 in taking hold of new products. His report was: "As far 

 as I can see, this gum is worth about 4 cents less than Ponti- 

 anak." As Pontianak is to-day selling for about 3'< cents 

 per pound, the guui would seem to be valued at minus one- 

 half cent. 



RUBBER PLANTING IN THE CONGO. 



Die r.\ILS of tlie planting of India-rubber in the Congo 

 Free State with a view to offsetting the decline of the 

 production from natural sources have appeared inTnic Indi.\ 

 RrniiER \V()Ki<D from time to time, with the expression of 

 opinion that the results were less promising than in the case 

 of rubber planting in some other countries, for the reason 

 that (i) the suitability of rubber lianes or creepers for culti- 

 vation remains to be proved, and (2) the conditions of plant- 

 ing in general in the Congo state have not been developed 

 to a stage comparable with what prevails in Ceylon or 

 Mexico. Bearing upon this point Mr. George Benielmans, 

 of Ceylon, writes to the Tvopical Agriadturist : 



The rubber vines are planted in the forest cleared of jungle (un- 

 derwood ) at the rate of at least 2000 plants to the hectare (about 

 7.^2 acresj. Many die out, and up to date no results have been ob- 

 tained, although, as I stated above, the first vine rubbers were 

 planted in 1S99. Further, nothing proves that those creepers wmU 

 be successful, as they are only a finger thick — notwithstanding 

 their pretty good length. On the other hand, we must bear in 



mind that the nature of the rubber vines will never allow of the 

 tapping methods suitable for the Hevea. Consequently Ceylon 

 has still bright prospects before her! 



We do not know who this writer may be or his means of 

 being informed, but no information is forthcoming that would 

 point to any other view of the matter. It is true that of late 

 more attention is being given to the planting of Fiititumia 

 {Kickxia) elaslica, a rubber tree which has been proved in 

 German colonies to be well suited for cultivation, but an im- 

 portant point is whether the agents of trading companies 

 who are planting rubber, not of their own volition but merely 

 to comply with a state regulation, are likely to remain on the 

 ground — after the native rubber resources have been ex- 

 hausted — and give the newly planted trees the attention 

 necessary for their development and ultimate productiveness. 

 The condition in the Congo region as relates to the supply of 

 native rubber is indicated by the fact that the imports from 

 there at Antwerp have been declining so rapidly of late, al- 

 though there is no indication of decreased activity on the 

 part of the rubber trading companies in the collection of rub- 

 ber. The Antwerp itnports of Congo rubbers reached 5,417,- 

 456 pounds in 1901, and amounted in 1905 only to 4,442,607 

 pounds. 



PLANTATION " RUBIO.' 



PL.ANT.VTION "Rubio," situated on one of the affluents 

 of the Coatzacoalcos river in Mexico, is to-day prob- 

 ably the largest area of planted Castillon elaatica in the 

 world, there being more than 2300 acres planted, containing 

 approximately 2,750,000 trees. The illustrations on this 

 page show two views, one of 1902 planting, as what is 

 known as Camp Ojo de Agua. Here the trees are about 18 

 feet high on an average, and about 15 inches in circumfer- 

 ence, 5 feet from the ground. The second picture shows a 

 portion of the same territory, the planting being in the year 

 following. The trees, which in the picture look like bushes, 

 are really about 15 feet high and very thrifty. The fore- 

 ground of the picture shows cleared land prepared for corn 

 planting. Plantation "Rubio" is the property of The 

 Tehuantepec Rubber Culture Co. (New York), a name many 

 of the readers of this Journal are familiar with. This plant- 

 ation is worthy of remark in being rubber alone, no coffee, 

 cattle, gold mines, side crops or side issues being appended. 



PLANTATION RUBIO." 

 [Camp Ojo de .\gua, IMaiitiiig of 1902] 



PLANTATION •' RUBIO." 

 [1903 rianling; 1905 Clearing in Foreground.] 



