194 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[January 1, 1913. 



ing school for private undertakings, being thus in a position 

 to always supply the requisite quantity of seeds at the right 



time. 



STORAGE AND SHIPMENT. 



On the coast there had been erected a special storage ware- 

 house with a cemented basin large enough to hold about 4 tons 

 of gutta percha. After being prepared in the forest, it was 

 brought to the coast in bags by the first opportunity, being kept 

 cool and shaded from the sun's rays. On reaching the coast it 

 was stored in the above-mentioned basin and kept under water 

 up to the time of shipment, the basin being boarded over in 

 order to be kept in darkness, .\mple ventilation was, however, 

 provided. 



NEW GUINEA'S RUBBER VINES. 



Dr. Schlechter discovered six rubber vines, of which only four 

 have been technically described, belonging to the Apocynaceae. 

 The most important of these is the Paramcria Wariana, of the 

 Waria territory, which is very long and often as thick as a man's 

 arm. It often climbs into the tops of the highest trees, from 

 which it spreads over several others. The branches are very 



I'l; 





-.. 1 URE.ST ON THE UpPER ]\IoROBE RiVER, I.\ WHICH THE 



Paramcria JVariana Vine is Found. 



slim and have a large quantity of leaves. Besi<lcs these four 

 Apocynaceae there are two Ficus vines in Kaiser Wilhelm 

 Land: Ficus Hypaphaca, and Ficus SupAana. In the annexed il- 

 lustration is shown a forest on the upper Morobe river, in which 

 the Paramcria Wariana rubber vine is found. 



The report is supplemented by some effective illustrations, a 

 few of which are herewith reproduced, showing the various 

 stages in the gathering and preparation of gutta percha in Kaiser 

 Wilhelm Land. 



late.K from a young Ceara tree, the abundance of the vine and 

 its remarkable powers of recuperation are factors which more 

 than make up for the low percentage of rubber to waste. 



KTTBBEB PROSPECTS IN PORTUGUESE EAST AFRICA. 



There is every reason to believe that rubber will soon be- 

 come an exceedingly important industry in Portuguese East 

 Africa. The rubber forests are extensive, and the Laudolphia 

 vines from which the rubber is extracted are profuse. With 

 organization and working capital there is no reason why the 

 export of rubber should not jump within two j'ears to over 500 

 tons annually. While the percentage of rubber to waste in the 

 vines is small as compared, for instance, with the output of 



THE WORLDS PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION OF RUBBER. 



In July last, it will be recalled, Mr. Arthur Lampard, chair- 

 man of the Rubber Plantations Investment Trust, estimated the 

 current year's production as about 91,000 tons and the consump- 

 tion as about 103,000 tons. Closer data now available enabled 

 him at the December meeting of the United Serdang Rubber 

 Plantations to revise his estimates, which now stand respec- 

 tively at 104.700 and 108,250 tons. 



Details of the estimates are as follows : 



PRODUCTION, 1912. December 



July Estimate. Estimate. 

 Tons. Tons. 



South America (East Coast) 39,000 40,700 



South America (West Coast) 2,000 



Central .Vmcrica and Mexico 5,000 5,000 



Africa 15,000 15,000 



Assam, Rangoon and Borneo 2,500 2,500 



Guayule and Jt-lutong rubber 10,000 



Plantation 28,500 28,500 



All other sources 1,000 1,000 



Total tons 91,000 104,700 



coNsu.MPTioN, 1912. * December 

 July Estimate. Estimate. 



• Tons. Tons. 



-\merica 47,500 48,000 



Great Britain 15.000 17.250 



Germany 15.000 16,000 



France " 10,000 10,000 



Russia 7,000 7,000 



Belgium 1,500 2,000 



( )ther countries 7.000 8,000 



Total tons 103,000 108,250 



Tlie increase in figure of production is in great part only appar- 

 ent, chiefly arising from guayule, and jelutong rubber having 

 been omitted in the July estimate. With that rectification the 

 quantities would stand thus : December 



July Estimate. Estimate. 

 Tons. Tons. 



Production 101,000 104,700 



Consumption 103,000 108,250 



Excess of consumption over production 2,000 



3,550 



Increased consumption is thus shown; the excess of consump- 

 tion naturally finding its level in the position of the visible sup- 

 ply, which illustrates Mr. Lampard's figures. On November 1, 

 1911 it stood at 11,104 tons and on November 1, 1912, at 8,818 

 tons ; the reduction having been 2.286 tons in the twelve months. 

 By December 1 it had been further reduced to 7,832 tons, the 

 falling off being 3.272 tons ; this figure practically corresponding 

 with the estimate of an excess of consumption in 1912 over pro- 

 duction of 3,550 tons. 



These figures bear out Mr. Lampard's contention, that con- 

 sumption is going ahead quicker than production. 



DIVIDENDS PAID BY THE HIGHLANDS AND LOWLANDS CO. 



The Highlands and Lowlands Para Rubber Co.. Ltd., whose 

 plantation is in the Federated Malay States paid a dividend 

 of 50 per cent, during 1910, and interim dividends of 22;/2 per 

 cent. ; with a final dividend of IS per cent., making 37;/; per 

 cent, in 1911. It also paid two interim dividends in July and 

 October of 1912 — aggregating 15 per cent. 



