126 



THE INDIA RUBBER \A^ORl-D 



[January i, 1902. 



THE YIELD OF THE PARA RUBBER TREE. 



FROM the notes on this subject already printed in these 

 pages it will have been inferred that the yield of rubber 

 per tree is a widely varying quantity. There is one more ele- 

 ment that has not been taken into account— the length of the 

 tapping season. This has been stated by most writers as extend- 

 ing from August to January, inclusive, which would give about 

 six months, the limits being fixed by the division of the year 

 into the rainy and the dry seasons, the rains causing the rivers to 

 rise and rendering the rubber estradas less accessible. Other- 

 wise, it might be possible to tap the trees all year. As a matter 

 of fact, there is always some rubber tapping going on. For 

 instance, there will be rubber gatherers up stream who, by rea- 

 son of improvidence, have not the means, at the end of the regu- 

 lar season, to return home, and they will keep at work during 

 the rainy months, though of course at a disadvantage. Besides, 

 there are localities on some of the upper branches of the Ama- 

 zon where the rivers do not overflow to the same extent as 

 further down the valley, and here the work of collecting rubber 

 can be continued over a greater part of the year. 



From Bolivia and the upper Amazon Mr. Edward C. Hirst 

 brings to The India Rubber World the information that a 

 rubber district in which 25 arrobas of rubber can be obtained 

 per estrada (100 trees, more or less) in a season (six months) is 

 regarded as a rich field, whereas when the yield does not ex- 

 ceed 10 arrobas per season, the workers cast about for some- 

 thing better. Now an arroba may be 25 pounds or 32 pounds, 

 and an estrada may embrace 150 trees or less than 100 — so that 

 the yearly yield to be counted upon from the average tree still 

 remains to be figured out. But somehow more rubber is gath- 

 ered each year, and it would hardly be gathered unless the 

 business afforded a profit for those engaged in it, and, after all, 

 the yield per tree is not a matter of essential importance to any- 

 body now engaged in the trade. 



ANOTHER CONGO RAILWAY SCHEME. 



' I 'HE projected Upper Congo railway is intended to be 

 ■*• constructed by a company having a capital of $5,000,000, 

 reported to be already subscribed ; on this the state guarantees 

 a minimum interest of 4 per cent. Besides, dividend shares 

 will be allotted to the Congo Free State, which will be entitled 

 to half of any profits over 4 per cent. The arrangement is 

 really an equal partnership on joint account between the Congo 

 state and the company, both in the railway and in the colonial 

 domain to be developed. The state concedes 40,000 square 

 kilometers in the forests of the Aruwimi region, which area 

 will be increased proportionately with each addition to the 

 capital. The equatorial forests of the Aruwimi river are con- 

 sidered the richest in rubber of all the Congo state's forests, 

 but the density of their vegetation— so graphically described 

 in one of Sir Henry M. Stanley's books — renders the country 

 impossible of penetration without a railway. L' Independance 

 Bel^e (Brussels) estimates that from eight to ten years will be 

 necessary for constructing 900 miles of the proposed road, and 

 the embankment work and track laying will be undertaken 

 under a special arrangement by Congo state troops. Doubtless 

 the success of the Congo railway now in operation below Stan- 

 ley Pool, has lent encouragement to the idea of further opening 

 up the Congo rnbber resources by means of rail communica- 

 tion. The existing road has paid dividends from the beginning 

 and its ordinary shares of 500 francs are quoted on the Brus- 

 sels bourse at 1570 francs, in spite of the depressed market for 

 securities generally. 



RUBBER HOES FOR NEW YORK SCHOOLS. 



THERE are teachers who find amusement for themselves 

 and all the world besides in culling from the work of 

 young pupils surprising examples of " English as she is wrote." 

 No doubt equally good examples might at times be found 

 " hjgher up." In the catalogue of general supplies required 

 this year for the school system of the city of New York — a pon- 

 derous document of several hundred pages, supposed to have 

 undergone the scrutiny of several important departments of the 

 city government —are listed some items of rubber goods, from 

 which we quote verbalim : 



30 Hoes (Fire) |^ inch diameter, 7 feet long. 

 35 Hoes (Fire) 54 inch diameter, 8 feel long. 

 50 Hoes (Fire) }( inch diameter, g feet long. 

 15,000 ft. Hoes, Rubber, with coupling and nozzle, in 25 and 50 feet 

 lengths. 

 Perhaps these rubber " hoes " are wanted for some new line 

 of work in the kindergarten department. 



CAOUTCHOUC OIL FOR USE IN BOILERS. 



A CHEMIST in Hanover, Germany, who has carried out a 

 number of trials with caoutchouc oil, is reported to have 

 come to the conclusion that the action of the oil is purely me- 

 chanical, it being practically devoid of fatty acids. Anxious 

 to obtain conclusive proof on this point he tested the efficacy 

 of the oil in practical work. The boilers having been cleaned, 

 they were painted over, or sprayed with the oil on the inside, and 

 worked as usual. The same proceeding was repeated a month 

 later. When these were inspected after two months' constant 

 working, the walls of the boilers were found to be entirely free 

 of incrustation ; the oil had also eflfected a removal of the 10 

 millimeters thick existing deposit. The sludge was dry and 

 easily expelled. All the other working parts of the boilers, 

 such as tubes, valves, etc., were well preserved. With a large 

 boiler he had only used from five to six kilograms of the oil. 

 The daily application of small quantities, say yi kilogram, he 

 thinks would be an improvement. 



THE BALATA MOVEMENT. 



EXPORTS from Cuidad Bolivar, November 5, for Europe, 

 were as follows : 



Blohm & Co., for Havre kilos. 41,308 



Sprick Luis & Co., for Hamburg 11,604 



Do. for Southampton 9,294 



Dalton & Co., for Southampton 20,271 



Pietrantoni & Co., for Hamburg 9,529 



Monies & Monch, for Hamburg i,445 



E. Hahn, for Hamburg 1,821 



Pietrantoni Brothers, for Hamburg 17,116 



Wenzel & Co.. for Hamburg 7,088 119,546 



[Total in pounds, 263,001.] 



Exports from Ciudad Bolivar, November 19, for Trinidad 

 by the steamer Bolivar : 



Blohm & Co., for Havre kilos 30,713 



Wenzel & Co. , for Hamburg 8,896 



Dalton & Co., for Souihampton. . . 21,901 



M. Palozzi, for London 2,303 



Sprick, Luis & Co., for Southampton 3,842 



A. Kattistini & Co. , for Genoa 468 



J. Acqualetta, for Hamburg 1,820 



Pietrantoni lirothers, for Havre 13.037 



Pietrantoni & Co., for Hamburg 7, 806 90,786 



fTotal In pounds, 199.729.] 



The Venezuelan Herald (Caracas) of November 17 stated 

 that the exports were made at 1.85 bolivars per pound [ = 36.7 

 cents. United States currency.] " A sudden drop is expected 

 in view of the large arrivals expected in Europe for the 20th." 



