July i, 1901.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



287 



LITERATURE OF INDIA-RUBBER. 



THE BOLIVIAN ANDES. A RECORD OF CLIMBING AND EXPLORA- 

 tion in the Cordillera Real in ihe years 1898 and iqoo. By Sir Martin Conway. 

 Illustrated. New Vork and London : Harper & Brothers. 1901. [8vo. pp. ix-: 

 4f>3'i'54 photosravures. Price $3 ] 



ALTHOUGH having for its chief purpose the recording of 

 the work of a scientific explorer, this book is far from 

 being a collection of dry facts. The author, who is one of the 

 most eminent of mountain climbers, has succeeded admirably 

 in "taking the reader with him along the road," letting him 

 see what appeals to the eye of the experienced traveler who 

 comes into a ne^r country, and withal imparting to him the 

 enthusiasm which sustains one in the most trying situations. 

 Apart from the interest of the book as a narrative of travel, and 

 its contribution to geographical knowledge, it is particularly 

 informing in regard to the resources of a little known country 

 and in regard to the conditions of life there. Bolivia is larger 

 than any country in Europe, except Russia, and possesses 

 many forms of natural wealth, but its landlocked position has 

 kept the country in a singularly backward state. It appears 

 inevitable, however, that the success of the few enterprising 

 foreigners who have settled in Bolivia will lead to a marked 

 growth in their number. " When the people come," writes our 

 author, "the wealth that they may take out of the ground is 

 almost limitless. There hardly exists in the world an area by 

 nature richer, or more beautiful, or better adapted for colo- 

 nization by white men than this splendid belt of the north- 

 eastern foothills of the Cordillera Real." 



A chapter is devoted to "The Rubber Industry," which Sir 

 Martin Conway deems capable of great expansion. The gov- 

 ernment is anxious to attract foreign capital, in order that the 

 rubber and other resources may be developed, and he believes 

 that investments would be protected. The rubber territory 

 described particularly is that in the upper Beni river region, 

 the production of which is known commercially as "Mollendo" 

 rubber. It is interesting to note that Sir Martin identifies the 

 rubber tree here as the Hevea lutea, which may account for the 

 difiference between Mollendo and the best Para rubber, which 

 is understood to be derived chiefly from the Hct'ea Brasiliensis. 

 The rubber from this district goes via Sorata, at the foot of a 

 mountain by the same name, which locality our author regards 

 as the " portal to a great gold region, not improbably as rich 

 and important as the Rand," and destined to attain world re- 

 nown. Whatever other resources may be utilized will have a 

 favorable influence upon opening the country to rubber gath- 

 erers, and it is encouraging to learn how well the native popu- 

 lation is adapted for the labor required. 



IN CURRENT PERIODICALS. 



Rubber in Mexico. By James Maunder. [Relates to making nurs- 

 eries.] =//»(7!rt« Gardening and Plantim;, Calcutta. VIII-2o(May l6, 

 1901.) p. 356. 



A Facial Restoration with Vulcanite. By J. A. Heidbrink. \\\\i%- 

 t.T3\.e.d.— Tke Dtntal Register, C\XiC\nm\.\. LV-5 (May 15,1901.) p. 

 249-251. 



Rendement en Caoutchouc du Manihot Glaziovii (Ceara). [Esti- 

 mates on proposed cultivation of this species in French Guinea. ]= 

 Rejuc des Cultures Coloniales, Paris. Vni-70 (February 5, 190IJ. 



pp. 77-70- 



Une Mission Agricole en E.xtr^me Orient. By Ed. Prudhoinme. 

 [Relates to planting enterprises in the East Indies, including experi- 

 ments with Caoutchouc and Gutta-percha. ]=AV7'h^ des Cultures Colo- 

 niales, Paris. VIII-78 (June 5, igo: ) pp 321-336. 



Rubber Planting in the West Indies. By J. H. Hart, F. L. s., super- 

 intendent, Royal Botanic Gardens, Trinidad. [Paper read before the 

 agricultural conference held in Barbados, January 5, igoi ; illustra- 

 ted.]^ W:^^/ Indian Bulletin, Barbados. II-2 (1901). pp. 100-113. 



OTHER PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED. 



COMPILATION OF NOTES ON THE MOST IMPORTANT TIMBER TREE 

 Species of the Philippine Islands. Prepared by Captain George P. Ahern, 

 9tli U. S. Infantry, in charjje of the Forestry Bureau Manila. P. I. IFlexiblc 

 leather. Small 4to. pp. 112 + 43 colored plates. Price J3 g< Id ] 



This is the most ambitious publication to date of the forestry 

 bureau at Manila, and gives further evidence of the activity of 

 Captain Ahern in attempting to make available the abundant 

 timber resources of the Philippines. The book was produced 

 at Manila, and its appearance in every detail is creditable to 

 those concerned in the work. We hope that by the time 

 another volume is ready for publication by the Manila forestry 

 bureau, it will be possible to include in it some more definite 

 information regarding India-rubber than is contained in this. 



THE WEST-AFRICAN YEAR-BOOK, igoi LONDON: THE WEST AFRI- 

 can Publishing Syndicate. Limiied. 1901. [Cloth. 8vo. pp. .xvi i jof'i. Illus- 

 trated. Piice. 5 shillings, net.] 



It does not require an extended examination of this book to 

 indicate the value, to all who are engaged in the African trade, 

 of the character of information which it contains regarding 

 financial, commercial, mining, and industrial interests in British 

 West Africa. Of course it is desirable that, in such a reference 

 book, the data given should be recent and accurate, and we be- 

 lieve that in these respects the volume before us leaves nothing 

 to be desired. The statistics of India-rubber contain every- 

 thing that is available from any authentic source for a series of 

 years back, and the other information contained in this " Year- 

 Book " will possess more or less interest lor the rubber trade 

 because of the light which it throws upon the general develop- 

 ment of West Africa, all of which assists in the expansion of 

 the rubber output. | 



SHADE IN COFFEE CULTURE. BY O. F. COOK [BULLETIN NO. =5. 

 United States Department of Agriculture, Division of Botany. [ Washington: 

 Government Printing Office. 1901. (Paper. 8vo. 79 pp J 16 plates. [ 



The conclusions of this writer point to the question of 

 shading coflfee as one to be decided by local conditions, shade 

 being a necessity in sjme localities, while positively harmful in 

 others. Mr. Cook considers in detail the characteristics of all 

 the various trees and plants which have been tried for coffee 

 shade, and is of the opinion that neither the Castilloa elastica 

 nor the Ceara rubber tree is suitable for this purpose. 



Industrial Chronology of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 

 [Parti. Report for 1900, Statistics of Manufactures.] Boston: igoi. 

 8vo. 60 pp. 



National Association of Manufacturers. Annual Report of the Pres- 

 ident, presented at the Sixth Annual Convention, Detroit, June 4-6, igoi. 

 8vo. 24 pp. 



Population of the United States by States and Territories, Counties, 

 and Minor Civil Divisions. Twelfth Census, 1900. Report on Popula- 

 tion, Part I. Washington ; Government Printing Office. 1901. 410. 

 xv-f-480 pp. 



THE "SOLICUM" SUBSTITUTE. 



THE United States consul at Copenhagen writes to his 

 government: "This office is deluged with letters from 

 American manufacturers in regard to a report emanating from 

 Bergen, Norway, to the effect that a chemist of Copenhagen 

 had discovered a process for manufacturing out of asphalt 

 a material called ' Solicum,' which serves as a substitute 

 for rubber. No process has been patented or discovered in 

 Denmark for manufacturing such a material out of asphalt. 

 A chemist named C. A. R. Steenstrup has recently patented a 

 process for making solicum from old rubber and oil. Its effici- 

 ency as a substitute for pure rubber has yet to be demon- 

 strated." The discovery of "Solicum" had previously been 

 announced by another United States consul. 



