458 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[Ji'XE 1. 1913. 



INTERESTING RUBBER SOUVENIRS. 



■ I 'HREE very interesting souvenirs, showing progress in rubber 



■^ preparation up the Amazon, were given to the Editor of 



The India Rurber World after the close of the New York 



FRENCH VIEW OF BRAZILIAN SITUATION. 



Sheet ok Amazonas Rubber Presented to Mr. Roosevelt. 



Rubber Exposition. They represented fine sheets of unsmoked 

 Hevea rubber, prepared in Amazonas, and were intended for 

 President Taft, Ex-President Roosevelt and the Editor of The 



Mr H. C PEARSON 

 i^RFSlDENT OF THE 3rd 

 INTERN.ATIONAL RUBBER 

 ^POSITION AT NEW Y." " 

 23tti Sept -3YcJ0ct 



Presented by the commercia 

 association of manaos 

 amazonas-- ■ 



Sheet ok A.mazunas Rubber Presenieu to JvIr. Pearson. 



India Rubber World. The illustrations show two of them 

 mounted- and framed; and as the first of their kind they are 

 certainly historic. 



THE CLYDE RUBBER WORKS CCS NEW PLANT. 



The Clyde Rubber Works Co., Ltd., of Glasgow, Scotland, has 

 just removed to its new plant at Renfrew, a short distance from 

 Glasgow. This new plant has been specially erected to meet the 

 company's requirements and is equipped with the most modern 

 machinery, electrically driven. These greatly increased facilities 

 will enable the company to meet the demand for its goods with 

 the utmost promptness. 



]\ /I < ). L.\BROV, a French engineer (who, ni conjunction with 

 IVl. ^i y Cayla, recently made a journey of investigation 

 through Amazonia, on behalf of the Brazilian government), 

 lately returned to France to purchase the plant necessary for 

 tile cimtemplated experimental stations. He has contributed to 

 the "Piulletin" of the Paris Brazilian Information Bureau an 

 article embodying his views on the situation and the measures 

 proposed for remedying it. 



In the first place he recalls the fact that the .'\niazon Valley 

 (which exported last season 40,000 tons of rubber) derived this 

 \aluable product almost exclusively from two varieties of trees, 

 which are still to be found in abundance in the vast forests in 

 the territory drained by the various rivers. This rubber-extract- 

 ing industry occupies annually more than 150,000 workers, or 

 scringncros, whose task is to collect the milk flowing from in- 

 cisions in the lower part of the trees, transforming this milk, by 

 the heated smoke of a fire of palm nuts and certain indigenous 

 woods, into a gum of industrial and commercia! value far ex- 

 ceeding that of any other description. 



In view of the spontaneous growth of new trees and the re- 

 serves of virgin forest, the writer expresses the opinion that the 

 Brazilian rubber-extracting industry is not in any immediate 

 danger from the exhaustion of supply; while even a marked re- 

 duction in present values would not materially affect the Ama- 

 zonan production. Still, the northern States of Brazil, which 

 derive their principal revenues from the rubber export tax. have, 

 in conjunction with the Federal government, decided to put into 

 force a series of economic measures tending to reduce the cost 

 price of rubber and at the same time to develop agriculture in 

 the different productive centers. 



The service of the "Protection of Rubber'' was organized last 

 year in accordance with the new law, due to the intelligent ini- 

 tiative of Dr. Pedro de Toledo, minister of agriculture. After 

 'Iiciding upon the creation of a rubber manufacturing industry 

 at Rio de Janeiro, the commission settled the important question 

 of coal depots on the Amazon and navigable rivers. A com- 

 mission of hydrographic engineers has been making surveys for 

 the improvement of the navigation of the Rio Branco and a 

 similar work will soon be undertaken on the Rio Negro. 



A trial of agricultural colonization is now being made on the 

 national fazenda of Sao Marcos, and will furnish indications of 

 value in future enterprises of this kind. 



While giving attention to the improvement of river transport, 

 the question of sanitation has not been lost sight of, commissions 

 of doctors under Dr. Oswaldo Cruz being engaged in studying 

 the various diseases prevalent among the .-Amazonian population. 



Finall}', agronomic stations are being established in the states 

 of Para, Amazonas, Matto Grosso, Bahia. Piauhy and Minas 

 Geraes. These stations will be specially devoted to the study of 

 various technical and scientific problems connected with the 

 rational production of rubber. Such establishments in the nat- 

 ural centers of production, with perfectly equipped laboratories 

 and installations, will prove an important feature in the plans of 

 colonization, in regions where agriculture is but little advanced. 

 The development of agricultural production is regarded as a 

 matter of primary importance, without which there is no lasting 

 prosperity to be anticipated. The Valley of the Amazon presents- 

 very favorable conditions for such development. 



It is pointed out that the cultivation of Hevea would be easily 

 supplemented by that of Cacao, young and old trees having 

 proved equally fruitful, notwithstanding the absolute lack of 

 rational treatment. Other products which could also, in M. 

 Labroy's opinion, probably be successfully raised are tobacco, 

 sugar cane, cocoanuts, rice and bananas. 



Such are a few of the features of the present movement which, 

 according to M. Labroy, are now being carried out for the direct 

 or indirect benefit of Brazilian rubber cultivation. 



