November "i, 1910.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



49 



has been gained better results are expected. Thus this season 

 about 15,000 acres were planted with the same variety, and a 

 slight increase in length of staple has been obtained. Imperial 

 Valley is being irrigated e.xtcnsively, and climate conditions are 

 reported most favorable for cotton. It is pointed out that local 

 capital is not plentiful, and that it is considered that the best 

 results will be obtained by handling cotton as the orange crop 

 of southern California is now handled — entirely by growers' 

 associations. With cooperation in this form the cost of cotton 

 will be reduced to the minimum, and selling contracts can be 

 made direct with spinners. 



SEA ISLAND COTTON MARKET. 



John Malloch & Co., Savannah, report [October 14] : "Dur- 

 ing the week under review, supply has not kept pace with 

 demand. The result, as we predicted last week would be 

 the case under such circumstances, has been that prices have 

 advanced rapidly, and we are now seeing a market similar to 

 that which we had at this time last season, only in a more 

 aggravated degree. Cotton is moving very slowly. There 

 seems still to be a short interest here and at interior point.s. 

 Farmers are bullish, and unwilling to sell. The major por- 

 tion of the cotton coming to Savannah factories is ordered 

 held, with the result that each day's offerings are very lim- 

 ited, and buyers have bid the market up on themselves in 

 the endeavor to secure these small supplies. A rise of two 

 and one-half cents in a week, as indicated by our quotations, 

 means that nearly every order that has been accepted in the 

 interim has resulted in a loss to the seller, and has tended 

 to maintain the short interest which is driving the market 

 up. The market closes to-day without any alleviation of 

 these difficult circumstances, and until there is an accumula- 

 tion of cotton here looking for buyers we do not see what is 

 to stop the advance." 



Stocks on October 14 (in bales) were as follows: 



1908. 1909. 1910. 



Savannah 5,184 8,610 5,958 



Charleston 2,317 1,375 398 



Total 7,501 9,985 6,356 



BALATA IN RUBBER GOODS. 



T TNTIL within recent years balata gum was in little use, ex- 

 '^ cept in the manufacture of balata belting. Then it was dis- 

 covered to be a good substitute for gutta-percha, in the insulation 

 of submarine cables, as well as for many other purposes. Balata 

 has many of the characteristics of gutta-percha, and can be 

 treated in the same way, although, principally on account of its 

 being so intractable, it was left alone by the rubber manufacturer 

 in favor of the more easily worked gums. Contrary, however, 

 to the generally accepted opinion, balata can be vulcanized by 

 itself, and while it has not the elasticity that vulcanized rubber 

 has, it is very much stronger. 



For certain purposes, therefore, it has been of great value in 

 the manufacture of many articles. It was found by tests that 

 where great strength was required, as in friction tests, in air- 

 brake hose and other master car builders' requirements, balata 

 was a good thing to use, as well as in places that had to stand the 

 abrasion or contact with a wearing surface, as in vehicle tires. 

 It will not give good results if used by itself ; it must be used 

 either with some of the softer rubber, as Africans or guayule, 

 which the readers of this journal are familiar with, although it 

 has been successfully used with fine Para. Good results are ob- 

 tained by its use in connection with reclaimed rubber, without 

 any other rubber being used. 



The writer has found the following proportions to give good 

 results in friction for hose and belting, red and white machine 

 tubing, and practically in everything made in the mechanical 

 goods factory : Fine Para 50 pounds, Accra flake 25 pounds. 



block balata 25 pounds. Coarse Para, manigoba, or Centrals can 

 be substituted for the fine Para. As many pounds of this mix- 

 ture are then used as would have been used of the fine, coarse, 

 manigoba, or Centrals. The various rubbers and balata are 

 mixed together on a mill before being used, to insure their per- 

 fect union. I believe that this combination can be safely used by 

 concerns making insulated wire, as well as other lines, as, for 

 instance, the druggists' sundries line, and the boot and shoe trade, 

 for it cause? no more trouble in open heat cures than in any 

 other way. 



To summarize, balata has been and is now being successfully 

 used in the manufacture of frictions in rubber belting and hose, 

 solid tires and molded goods, tubing and fruit jar rings. In 

 many of these articles it is taking the place of much higher priced 

 rubbers, for, as before stated, it is successfully used without any 

 other rubber, where it is used with red, white or black re- 

 claimed stocks. 



The manufacturer who uses his brains will secure by a little 

 experimenting a rubber, or substitute therefor, that will give a 

 result equal to that he would obtain if he were using a higher 

 priced rubber. 



In the preparation of balata by washing the same care must 

 be used as in washing crude rubber. After washing in the regu- 

 lar way it will be necessary to go over the sheets, after they 

 have hardened, and pick out the bits of bark or wood, as these, 

 owing to the peculiar nature of balata, are harder to wash out 

 than is the case of crude rubber. wilmer dunbar. 



* * * 



"For ordinary compounding, or, perhaps, it is better to say 

 amalgamating, were balata 10 cents a pound and pontianak the 

 same figure, I should choose pontianak," said one of the most 

 expert manufacturers of rubber recently. "Balata fools manu- 

 facturers more than any other gum. Five per cent, of it in Para 

 rubber will reduce the elasticity ten times more than any other 

 cheap gum. It apparently adds strength, but it does not do it 

 really. To prove this, stretch a piece of pure Para rubber as far 

 as it will go. Then measure the attenuated strand, get its cross 

 section, and break it, measuring the breaking strain. Then 

 stretch a strip of rubber containing balata that shows the same 

 measurements in cross section under full tension as did the first 

 sample, and you will find it breaks much more easily. It is not 

 nearly as strong. Actually, there are very few places in ordinary 

 rubber manufacture where balata can be used to advantage. As 

 a substitute for gutta-percha or in admixture with it, however, 

 it is of great and constantly increasing value." 



TOO COLD, "PERHABS," FOR GUAYULE. 



\ FRIEND of this journal favors it with a communication 

 ^*- which is reproduced faithfully below, but from the post- 

 mark on the letter one is inclined to think that perhaps the 

 Guayulegras would not flourish in our correspondent's locality. 

 A region where even the typewriting machines catch cold — 

 see the spelling of "perhabs"- — is not likely to be adapted to the 

 cultivation of Guayulegras. The letter follows: 



To THE India Rubber World, New York — 



Gentlemen: J am interested in starting a Rubberplantation, specially 

 producinR Rubber from Guayulegras. 



A Friend of my did give me your address telling me that perhabs you 

 could give me some information, where J can get some litterature on 

 this subject, and perhabs some seeds or plants. 



J would be very thankfully to you, if you would be so kind and 

 help me to it. Naturally am J ready paie any price, that you will 

 charge me, for so doing. Very respectfully, 



An American consular officer in a European country reports 

 having inquiries for catalogues and lists from American manu- 

 facturers of (i) rubber goods — hot water bottles, gloves and 

 sanitary articles; (2) special machinery for the rubber industry. 



