56 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[October 1, 1912. 



The Editor's Book Table. 



ANNUAL REPORT OF THE UGANDA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICUL- 

 tiire, for year ending March 31, 1912. Entebbe, 1912. C4to, 36 pages.) 



THROUGH the courtesy of S. Simpson, Director of Agricul- 

 ture, The Indi.^ Rurrer World has received a copy of the 

 above-named annual report, dealing with rubber, cotton, 

 coffee, cacao, and the other products of the Protectorate. 



According to the details given the area planted with rubber 

 is extending rapidly, the Hevea tree leading the way. The area 

 planted in the various rubber trees are : 



Acres. 



Hcvca Brasilicnsis 3,000 



Manihot Glasiovii 750 



Castilloa elastica 85 



Funtumia elastica 24 



Total 3,859 



The total acreage of the European plantations in Uganda is 

 about 6,000 acres, of which nearly 4,000 are thus in rubber; there 

 being about 2,000 in coffee and 200 in cacao. 



Rubber exports have been approximately as follows : 



Wild Rubber. Pl.^nt.-mion Rubber. 

 Pounds. Pounds. 



Year ending March 31, 1909 42.600 



Year ending March 31, 1910 94,500 



Year ending March 31, 1911 89,800 55,200 



Year ending March 31, 1912 27,700 210,200 



Plantation trees are thus evidently yielding increased quantities of 

 rubber. 



Ceara has found favor with various planters, but some of them 

 are beginning to grow skeptical as to its merits. As shown by 

 above table Hevea and Manihot are at present the only rubber 

 producing trees of any importance in Uganda. 



ANNUAL REPORT OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, TRINI- 

 dad and Tobago, 1910-1911. (Special Bulletin.) Trinidad, 1911. 

 (4to. 73 pp.) 



According to this interesting report, the rubber industry has 

 of late received a much larger amount of the department's at- 

 tention than had been the case in previous years. Reference is 

 likewise made to the experiments carried out with the centrifugal 

 machine of H. Smith, of Tobago, who had visited Mexico and 

 Central America. The Castilloa rubber industry has been mate- 

 rially stimulated by Mr. Smith's report on the subject. 



A. E. Collens has devised a simple method of coagulating and 

 smoking Castilloa, by which he has produced some fine specimens. 



As a record of the work of Professor Carmody, the director 

 and his associates, this report has a distinct interest, while its 

 ample statistical material is thoroughly well handled. 



COCONUTS: THE CONSOLS OF THE EAST. BY H. HAMEL SMITH 

 and F. A. G. Pape, London. 1912. "Tropical Life" Publishing Depart- 

 ment. [Cloth. 506 pp.] 



To those who have not followed the progress which has marked 

 the development of tropical agriculture, the above work will af- 

 ford a mass of information upon the subject. A specially prac- 

 tical feature of the book consists of the suggestions made by the 

 authors as to the management of large estates on which cocoa- 

 nuts flourish. In fact, the work will be found indispensable by 

 planters interested in that branch, being an exhaustive and com- 

 plete study of the cocoanut palm. The questions of nurseries. 



manuring and diseases are treated in detail, as well as catch- 

 crops. 



Another imiiortant feature of the work is the discussion of the 

 utilization of the products and by-products of cocoanuts, in- 

 cluding coprah, fiber and oil, as well as the possibilities of paper 

 making. How to deal with everything that can be made to pay 

 is the point kept steadily in view by the authors, and brought 

 out with perspicacity and clearness. 



While rubber is dealt with more or less incidentally, the refer- 

 ences to that subject have a distinct interest, particularly as to 

 interplanting. Regarding Samoa and New Guinea, it is stated 

 that interplanted cocoa and rubber have been tried with doubtful 

 success, such a plan not being recommended. At the same time 

 this combination would, it is remarked, restrict disease and dis- 

 tribute financial risks, if the soil and climatic conditions were 

 suitable. 



As to Papua, it is of interest to note that out of 7,740 acres 

 under cultivation, 5,365 acres are in cocoanuts and 1,702 acres in 

 rubber. 



In North Borneo, large areas have been planted in rubber, and 

 appear to be doing well. Moreover, land is still being planted 

 up with rubber and other crops, so rapidly that additional labor 

 is needed. 



HANDBOOK FOR INDIA-RUBBER ENGINEERS, by Dr. Werner Esch, 

 Editor of the "Gummi-Markt." Hamburg. 1912. [8vo, 135 pp., 

 cloth.] 



One of the chief requirements of a technical work is that the 

 information contained should not only be accurate and reliable, 

 but that it should he expressed in concise form. This has been 

 accomplished by Dr. Werner Esch in the above-named hand- 

 book intended for the guidance of those whose occupations or 

 interests call for more or less detailed knowledge of the pro- 

 duction and preparation of rubber. As described in the sub- 

 title it is "a practical manual for manufacturers, chemists, works 

 managers, and conmiercial men in the rubber and allied trades." 



Starting with the varieties of crude rubber, which are treated 

 in detail, the physical and chemical properties of rubber are next 

 discussed. Then follow the chapters dealing with the mechanical 

 cleaning of crude rubber, including washing, deresination and 

 drying. 



The following section treats of the further working up of the 

 dried rubber, conducting the reader through the processes of 

 mixing, weighing and calendering. In natural sequence, the 

 subject of vulcanization is then handled, with references to 

 vulcanizing heaters and sulphur bath installations. Next in order 

 come the vulcanization of proofed fabrics and the cold vulcan- 

 izing shop. 



Finally, compounding ingredients for rubber compounds are 

 dealt with, in connection with which subject a number of 

 standard mixing formulae are given. The descriptions of ma- 

 chinery used in the rubber industry are supplemented by effective 

 illustrations. 



It is of material importance, considering the scope of the 

 subjects treated, that Dr. Esch has written in English; the value 

 of his work being thus considerably enhanced. The whole treat- 

 ment of the subject reflects credit upon its author, and will add 

 to his established reputation as a rubber chemist. 



Should be on every rubber man's desk — Crude Rubber and 

 Compounding Ingredients ; Rubber Tires and All About Them ; 

 Rubber Trade Directory of the World. 



