168 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[ February i, 1909. 



have been barely e.xploiled up to the present time in an effective 

 manner, and which have consequently not been utilized, may be 

 described as hiding veritable reserves of caoutchouc. It is 

 therefore probable, anticipating the opening up of rubber plan- 

 tations established at the instance of the Congo State, that the 

 annual output of the past years, which has, so to say, not varied, 

 will remain practically the same. 



"It must, at the same time, be noted that in certain sections 

 of the Belgian Congo, the quality of the rubber can hardly be 

 said to have improved. It will be recalled that the attention of 

 the authorities has been directed to this point and that special 

 recommendations have been made in Africa, with a view to the 

 remedy of a condition prejudicial to the reputation of Congo 

 rubber. 



"If the figures of the imports of the various qualities have not 

 materially increased, die cause is to be sought in the acute 

 crisis in the value of the article that has prevailed during the 

 year. If the economical conditions governing the exploitation of 

 the Belgian Congo have permitted, in spite of the low prices, 

 regular exportation, it has not been the same with the output 

 of other countries, where the regular exploitation has been 

 very much restricted, and is in some instances completely inter- 

 rupted, the low prices to which the product has declined not al- 

 lowing of its profitable exportation. If, however, the quantity 

 exported has been smaller, the quality has been better. This 

 fact is set forth in the relatively higher prices always obtained 

 for the better qualities. This is a valuable example for the future 

 and the producers will do well to be inspired by these considera- 

 tions, because if some day an increase in the volume of the 

 world's output of rubber should depress prices in a serious and 

 continuous fashion, only the best grades produced will be able 

 to retain a position in the market. 



''Plantations. — It is more and more evident that as far as 

 rubber is concerned, the future of the Belgian Congo depends 

 essentially on the plantations that are established there. It is 

 asserted that the equatorial forests generally, constantly placed 

 under contribution, are becoming more and more exhausted, 

 which is making the exploitation increasingly difficult. This 

 complex and troublesome problem has been definitely solved in 

 the Far East, where the success of plantations surpasses all 

 expectations, as much in the account of the vigorous growth 

 and continuous yield of the trees as in regard to the quality of 

 the product obtained. In addition, the output of these undertak- 

 ings has always been profitable, even at the worst period of 

 the financial depression, because of the low cost price ; this con- 

 tinues to decrease in proportion and extent as the trees increase 

 in size and yield more rubber." 



The report here relates to the details of rubber planting in 

 Ceylon and Malaya, covering, it is stated, 300,000 acres, and in- 

 volving an investment of £15,000,000 [i^about $75,000,000]. The 

 exports of plantation rubber from those regions increased from 

 7,910 pounds in 1899 to 2,468,000 in 1907. 



With regard to rubber planting in the Congo colony, as far 

 as the government is exclusively concerned, the number of trees 

 and vines set out may be summed up as follows : 



End of 1905. End of 1906. Endofipo;. 



Lianes (creepers) 8,575,000 10,150,000 11,564,077 



Manihot. Hevea, Ficus, etc 157,000 188,000 225,944 



Fiiiitumia elastica 753,000 1.187,000 2,417,631 



Total 9,485,000 11,525,000 :4, 207,552 



"The general results obtained in the Congo up to the present 

 time," Messrs. Grisar & Co. remark, "are especially encouraging, 

 as far as the cultivation of Funtmnia elastica is concerned ; so 

 much so, that it has been decided to accord the preference always 

 to this species in future plantations, and wherever local condi- 

 tions are suited to this particular culture. 



"The plantations of which we have spoken here are distributed 

 throughout the colonial territory. But it will suffice to refer 



particularly to three great centers established, respectively— in 

 the Lower Congo, the Ubangi and the Lualaba-Kasai. The first 

 of these, especially, located on the bank of Ganda-Sundi, is re- 

 garded as a model plantation. Established about two vears, with 

 a working force of about 300 people, it contains to-day 225,000 

 Funttiinia elastica, 20,000 Hcvea Brasiliensis, and 76,000 Landol- 

 phia Klainci vines, covering a superficial area of 346 hectares 

 [^855 acres]. The work under way allows us to state that 

 this agricultural center will take in, ne.xt spring, 200 hectares, 

 with 130,000 more trees, which extends the superficial planted 

 area of this agricultural enterprise to 546 hectares." 



CoMP.\R.\TiVE Antwerp Prices (Fr.\ncs per Kilo). 



Dec. 31, '07. Dec. 31, '08. Increase. 



Kasai, red, 1 9.00-9.40 



Loanda II kind 8.10-8.40 



Kasai, black 9.00-9.40 



Equateur, Ikelemba, 



Lopori, etc 9.00-9.40 



Upper Congo, ordinary.... 8.50-8.80 



Uruwimi Uele 8.50-8.80 



Mongala strips 8.50-8.80 



Red thimbles (root rubber) 4.25-4.50 

 a Para fine 3s. 4d.-3S. 6d. 



[a In English money, I'er pound.] 



[Ten francs per kiIogram=87^^ cents per pound.] 



RANGE OF PARA RUBBER PRICES. 



1906- 



1907 



1908_ 



CHART SHOWING FLUCTUATIONS IN ISLANDS SPOT FINE 



PARA RUBBER AT NEW YORK, FOR THREE YEARS. 



[Copyright, 1909, by Henry A. Cuuld.] 



When James B. Angell, professor of modern languages in 

 Brown University, over fifty years ago translated Dr. F. Lue- 

 dersdorff's essay on india-rubber from the German, it is doubt- 

 ful whether he appreciated the importance to rubber science of 

 its contents, or that he ever learned it later. It is probable, 

 indeed, that he has forgotten the whole matter, in view of the 

 busy life that he has led and continues to lead. For while Dr. 

 Angell celebrated his eightieth birthday on January 7, he still 

 fills the position of president of the University of Michigan, 

 which he has held since 1871, after having previously done much 

 work of importance in many lines — in the diplomatic world 

 as well as in the development of educational institutions. 



