JCNE 1- 1914.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



NOTES FROM BRITISH GUIANA. 

 Liy Our Regular Correspondent. 

 ■ I ■ 1 1 1'", aiimial ic]iort of Professor Harrison, Director of Science 

 •^ aiitl Agriculture, which has just heen issued, contains a 

 record of steady, if slow, progress in the rubber industry. .Xt 

 present it seems tliat the tapping of the indigenous balata trees 

 ofiers more attractions to capitalists than the establishment of 

 rubl)er jilantations, in spite of the fact that the heads of the 

 Agricultural Department have pulilicly annoimccd that there arc 

 nine million acres of easily accessible lands in the colony eminent- 

 ly suitable to rublier cultivation. The total numlier of acres 

 planted is still only 3,139 acres, against 2.259 acres and 1.740 

 acres for the two years preceding, revealing progress, but not 

 as rapid progress as the suital)ility of the climate would liave 

 justified. Of this acreage, 435 acres are on the west 'coast of 

 Demerara. 184 acres on the west bank of the Dcmerara River, 

 160 acres on the east bank of the Demerara River. 175 acres 

 on the higher reaches of the Demerara River, 914 acres in the 

 b'ssequibo River district (the larger proportion of which prob- 

 ably l)clongs to the Bartica .Agricultural b'statcs. Limited, an 

 .Viiurican corporation), and 6()5 acres in tlie northwest district. 



POPrr..\RTTY OF P.\K.\ KUlUiKR-F.MI.URE f)!' .'^.NPIUM. 



Professor Harrison, dealing with the state of cultivation in 

 liis report, says : "The rubber industry continued slowly to 

 expand; 3,139 acres are now under rul)l)er, including at least 

 2,f00 acres of Para rubber. The quality of rubl)cr was good 

 and the yields satisfactory. The growth of Para rubber trees 

 was satisfactory where they were planted under suitalile con- 

 ditions. The trees were free from any serious pests or diseases 

 during the year, and were but little affected by the severe 

 drou.glit. The rate of growth was lessened during the drought, 

 but not to the extent anticipated, the plants remaining in a 

 vigorous condition, except in wind-swept situations in the coastal 

 regions. The trees planted out in 1906-7 flowered in many dis- 

 tricts in the colony and supplies of seeds were available in the 

 Canje, Berbico, Demerara, Ponieroon and .\ruka river districts. 

 The Department imported 190,240 Para rubber seeds from Ceylon 

 and the Straits Settlements, from which 119,240 plants were 

 raised. Several llrms imported stumps from Ceylon and from 

 Surinam. These stumps were inspected at the Port of Entry, 

 and all of them (114,200) were found to be free from disease. 

 Some further experiments were carried out with Sapiuiii rubber, 

 but it is evident that there is no outlook for this kind of rubber. 

 Young trees give very low yields, while the rubber has to be 

 collected largely, if not entirely, as scrap. This cannot be com- 

 mercially remunerative and no further extension of planting of 

 Sapiuin wdl take place. The greater part, if not the whole, of 

 tliat planted will have to be abandoned as a total loss." 

 SOME TAPPING RESULTS. 



Dealing with the work at Issororo Experiment Station, Professor 

 Harrison says that the cultivation has made satisfactory progress, 

 as the average girth at three feet from the ground of the five- 

 year-old Para rubber trees was 19 inches in I'Vbruary. 1913, their 

 average girth in Feliruary, 1912, being 15 inches. In accordance 

 with directions issued by the Board of .-Vgriculture tapping 

 experiments were commenced with Para and Sapium rubbers 

 in June. 1912. The yields from the Sapium trees were most un- 

 satisfactory, the young trees yielding rubber only in scrap form. 

 Those with Para rubber were most satisfactory, but owing to the 

 inexperience of the tappers, the rubber obtained per tree was 

 low. averaging only one-fifth of a pound of dry rubber per tree 

 (luring the period over which the tapping extended (seven 

 months). The results for 1913-14 are far more satisfactory, a 

 return of 2'A lbs. of dry rubber per tree per annum being 

 obtained. 



REPORTS ON SAMPLES SENT TO LONDON. 



Samples from Issororo were sent to the Imperial Institute, which 

 reported as follows: Para Rubber Biscuits. — From 4',j to 5-vear- 



uld treci at lb»uroro. Weight, 1 lb. 3 ozs. Small thin biscuits, 

 light brown to a reddish brown in color, clean and in good con- 

 dition. The rubber was .slightly weak, but. considering the age 

 of the trees from which it was obtained, its physical properties 

 must be regarded as quite satisfactory. Results of Examiuation.-- 

 Loss on washing (moisture and impurities) 1.0 per cent. 

 Coiiiposilion of Dry Washed Rubber. 



Caoutchouc 95.3 per cent. 



Resin 2.0 



Proteid 2.5 



Ash 0.2 



This rubber is very satisfactory in chemical composition, con 

 taining over 95 per cent, of caoutchouc in the dry material, and 

 m this respect it is quite equal to plantation Para ru1)1)cr from 

 the East. 1 he strength of the rulibcr will no doubt improve a> 

 llic trees become older and the product will then be of excellent 

 quality. 



NO 1)KM.\NU l-()U M.\NlHOT GLAZIOVIL CASTILLOA OR 

 FUNTUML\. 

 The report upon the "Economic Work" at the Botanic Gardens 

 states that during the year 151,927 seeds were imported from 

 Singapore, of which 96,0,59 germinated, a percentage of 63.22 per 

 cent., and that 40.000 seeds were imported from Ceylon, of which 

 23,184 germinated, a percentage of 56.82 per cent.; a total of 

 192,927 seeds, of which 119,243 germinated. During the year of 

 a total of 68,992 economic plants sold from the Botanic Gardens. 

 51,058 were Hez'ea ruliber plants. Manihot Glasiozii continued 

 to produce seed, but there was no demand for it or for plants, 

 nor for Caslilloa, Sapiuin or Funtumia. 

 INSECT PESTS. 

 The Government Ixonomic Biologist, Cj. E. Bodkin, issues a 

 separate report upon insect pests attacking cultivation. He states; 

 "Heavy infestation of the larvae of the W'ell-known Cassava hawk 

 moth (Diloplionoto ello) ocurrcd early in the year and the Para 

 and other rubber trees in most districts received a serious setback 

 'biouyh continuous defoliation liy these caterpillars." He adds: 

 "This moth will attack nearly every species of plant belonging 

 to the family Euphorbiacae and is thus well able to complete its 

 life history on the plants growing in the native forest and on 

 waste or uncultivated lands. .\ very thorough investigation was 

 conducted into methods of elimination of this pest. Spraying 

 with a mixture of lead arsenate and water at the rate of 4 lbs. 

 of lead arsenate to 50 gallons of water was found to l)e the most 

 efifective method where large areas were concerned. Hand-picking 

 the larvae in small areas was also found effective. This pest 

 increased in numbers in a most alarming way and most serious 

 reiuilts were anticipated. Fortunately, how-ever. the appearance 

 of a small egg parasite gradually reduced the pest to normal 

 numbers. Up to the present time Hevea Brasilicnses, as grown 

 in British Guiana, has shown itself to be a plant peculiarly free 

 from the attack of insects. This immunity from insect attack 

 may safely iic taken as a sure index that the trees are making 

 vigorous and healthy growth, for in plant life insect attack is 

 often associated with weak and unhealthy growth." 



TAPPING EXPERIMENTS IN BRITISH GUIANA. 



The experimental work of tapping indigenous Hevea trees is 

 being carried out at the Hills estate. British Guiana, by C. K. 

 Bancroft, assistant director of Science and .Agriculture. That 

 variety of rubber tree grows in some abundance at the location 

 indicated. 



An organization has been formed among the manufacturers 

 of Sonneberg and Saxe-Meiningen for the purpose of making 

 an exhibit of their products at the Panama-Pacific Interna- 

 tional Exposition, and government aid has been asked to 

 make this display as elaborate as possible. Representation is 

 also expected from toy manufacturers in other parts of the 

 world. 



