122 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[December 1, 1913. 



company, through the good offices of the English consul, disposed 

 of the rubber. According to Mr. Cohen, the parties chiefly con- 

 cerned in this fraud were leading men in the politics of the 

 locality. 



Regarding the production of native scriiigaes, the speaker ex- 

 pressed the opinion that an absoUite increase was only possible 

 through a system by which the worker will contribute his con- 

 tingent of labor regularly during the ordinary crop season. Each 

 seriiigal should be worked a certain number of days, to be deter- 

 mined for each crop. Work should always be under contract, 

 and not optional, the object being the regular and maximum pro- 

 duction of the scringal. 



In continuation, Senhor Tcixeira urged that the transformation 

 as far as possible of the bulk of the latex extracted, into high- 

 grade products, and the methodical improvement of the un- 

 avoidable inferior types, call for the energetic action of em- 

 ployers. The necessity is urged of prohibiting by the necessary 

 regulations all extractive processes injurious to the seringucros, 

 and all systems of preparation impairing the characteristic quali- 

 ties of rubber — elasticity, resistance and purity. 



The suggestion is made for the Commercial Association to es- 

 tablish quotations for all new and old types of Para rubber, so 

 as to encourage the manufacture of the grades most in favor. 



Other portions of this interesting paper deal with the pro- 

 posed regulations as to Sernamby, the action of pubhc authorities, 

 the number of incisions per day, the character of the machadinho, 

 the introduction of new tapping instruments, and other subjects 

 of interest. 



In his final remarks, the speaker said that much could be 

 done to prevent these adulterations and abuses, which disturb 

 the existence of the important export industry of Amazonia, if 

 the responsibilities were rightly understood and rendered ef- 

 fective. This could be done by means of district committees, on 

 which would be represented proprietors and lessors of scringaes. 

 These bodies w-ou!d look after the rubber industry, both as to 

 cultivation and preparation, as well as to its industrial progress. 

 They would make reports to the State Department of .Agricul- 

 ture as to local needs with statistics of existing scringaes and 

 plantations. 



SOME NEW TAPPING KNIVES. 



DR. MtTLLERS WELCOME HOME. 



Prominent among recent events of international moment was 

 the visit to this country of Dr. Lauro Miiller, Brazilian Minister 

 of Foreign Affairs. As chronicled in the August issue of the 

 Indi.\ Rubber World, he returned to Brazil on July 16 on the 

 warship Minas Gcracs. taking with him the good wishes of his 

 many American friends. 



His reception at Rio de Janeiro was marked by appropriate 

 festivities, in the course of which Dr. Miguel Calmon, in the 

 name of the Reception Committee, delivered a cordial address 

 of w-elcome. In this address he expressed "the sentiments of 

 affection and respect entertained by friends and admirers for 

 the illustrious Brazilian statesman who had returned home, 

 crowned with the laurels bestowed on him by the greatest of 

 American nations. Brazil was not alone in these expressions, 

 being joined in them by the other South .American powers.'' 



Continuing his remarks. Dr. Calmon traced the public career 

 of the minister and his connection with such statesmen as Rio 

 Branco and Nabuco. He also referred to the work undertaken 

 by Dr. Miiller as president of the National Society of .\gricul- 

 ture. 



In his concluding words, the speaker said : "Dr. Miiller is one 

 of the greatest realities of the present time, and one of the 

 greatest elements of hope for the future. He is an honor to his 

 country." 



PROB.ABLY as much depends on tlie method and efficiency of 

 ■^ gathering the latex as on any of the subsequent plantation 

 processes for tlie successful harvesting of a season's rubber crop. 

 That designers realize this is demonstrated by the large variety 

 of designs in tapping knives that have made tl>eir appearance on 

 the market in the past. And new designs are still forthcoming, 

 as is shown by tlic recently introduced tapping tools illustrated 

 herewith. 



Rubber experts long ago realized that the indiscriminate cutting 



and slashing of the bark 

 only resulted in the 

 death of the tree or in 

 its greatly decreased ca- 

 pacity for yielding latex. 

 It is for this reason that 

 nuich attention has been 

 given to the design of 

 tapping-knives that will 

 prick the bark of the 



Fig. 1. The Ledebder Pricking Needle "'^'^ '° ^ P''°Pe'" depth 

 -j-ggj^ and at the same time 



leave.it uninjured. Two 

 diagrammatical views of such a new tapping tool, designed by 

 Adriaan J. M. Ledeboer, a planter of Kalisat, Java Dutch Indies, 

 are shown in Fig. 1. In similar devices, the teeth have usually 

 been broad and wedge-shaped. Owing to the breadth 

 of these teeth, only a few could be employed in a 

 row of certain length, so that only a limited number 

 of incisions could be made. Also, the breadth of the 

 teeth caused wide cuts. This new tapper or pricker 

 comprises a row of parallel needles A secured in the 

 holder B very close to each other. This holder may 

 be of iron or wood, and the needles are set only 

 about 1/16 inch apart and project about Yi inch 

 from the holder. In using this tool, only those cells 

 are pricked which are in the cortex, while the cam- 

 bium remains uninjured. The wood underneath is 

 also undisturbed, since it would be impossible, with- 

 out great force, to press all of the needles into the 

 wood. 



Another new tool, which takes the place of the 

 ordinary gouge for collecting bark parings, is shown 

 in Fig. 2. Ordinarily, bark parings contain about 

 18 per cent, of pure rubber. A laborer will take off 

 in an average day's work about one pound of par- 

 ings, so that for every 100 laborers tapping, 18 

 pounds of rubber will be wasted if the parings are 

 not collected. The cutter of this new tool is in the 

 shape of a hollow tube, attached to a large hollow 

 handle which acts as the bark collector. By taking 

 off the parings with this instrument, the bark is 

 prevented from falling to the ground. This prevents sand, gravel 

 and dirt from becoming mixed with the parings and contributes 

 to the life of the macerating machines, since a great part of 

 their wear is attributed to the action of these foreign substances 

 on the rollers. This tool is marketed by the Planters' Stores & 

 Agency Co., Ltd., in the Malay States, Straits Settlements, and 

 Cevlon. 



Fig. 2. 

 New B.ark 



P.ARING 



Collector. 



Official statistics show Brazilian imports for 1912 equal to 

 $316,869,855, and exports $360,000,000. 



NEW GRADE OF BRAZILIAN SHEET RUBBER. 



The "Revista da .^ssociaQao Commercial do .Amazonas," Ma- 

 naos, states that Messrs. B. Levy & Co.. the w^ell-known export- 

 ers, have recently made a shipment to London of some 200 

 pounds of superior quality rubber from the Rio Madeira, pre- 

 pared in sheets, according to the "Tamboir" system. It is added 

 that shipments of this grade will shortly follow from other 

 exporters. 



