August 1, 1914.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



627 



NOTES FROM PARA. 



From an Occasional Lorrcspondcnt. 

 PAR.\'S ARBOR DAY AND THE LATE DU. HUBER. 

 "T^HE importance of the tree as an element of agricultural 

 ■^ progress has been officially recognized by the State of 

 Para in the form of tlie "Tree Festival." held on June 7 at 

 the Experimental Culture Farm of tlic Lauro Sodre Institute, 

 about half an hour's distance by rail from the city. The festival 

 was attended by the principal State officials and by representatives 

 of all social classes. Among tliose present were Dr. Eneas 

 Martins, Governor of the State of Para ; Dr. Dionysio Rentes, 

 Intendant of Belem, and Dr. Ferreira Teixeira. Scnhor Eneas 

 Pinheiro delivered the official address. 



More than twenty trees were then planted, each being asso- 

 ciated with the name of the donor and with the objects intended 

 to be perpetuated. The trees were all of practical utility for 

 Brazilian agriculture, and were presented by the Governor, Sra. 

 Martins, Dr. Joao Barbosa Rodrigues, Jr., delegate of the 

 Association for Brazilian Commercial Expansion, and many 

 others. One tree was given by the director of the farm, Sefihor 

 Leopoldo Teixeira, in memory of the late Dr. Huber, to whom 

 various symjiathetic allusions were made. 



Dr. Huber's share in the development of Para was, moreover, 

 the subject of an address by Dr. Ignacio Moura, at the con- 

 clusion of which a portrait of the deceased scientist was unveiled, 

 which was later in the day placed in the Museu Goeldi. A sub- 

 scription was then opened, applicable to the extension of the 

 Botanic Section of the Museu Goeldi. as a memorial to Dr. 

 Huber. An official visit was made to his grave during the 

 afternoon. 



This "Tree Festival," it will be seen, gave Dr. Huber's many 

 Para friends an opportunity which was not available at the time 

 of his death, on February 18, of expressing their sympathy. 

 STATE AGRICULTURAf, INSTRUCTION IN PARA. 



-•^t a meeting held under the presidency of Dr. Dionysio 

 Bentes. Intendant of Belem, an association has recently been 

 founded, with the object of promoting agricultural instruction 

 in the State of Para. In addressing those present. Dr. Ferreira 

 Tei.xeira described the result of such training in the United 

 States and other countries. The provisional board of directors in- 

 cludes Dr. Dionysio Bentes, Dr. Leopoldo Teixeira and Senhor 

 Napoleao de Oliveira. The president is Dr. Ferreira Teixeira 

 and the secretary Dr. Eneas Pinheiro. Deputy Vianna Coutinho 

 has published a number of suggestions for the operation of the 

 new association. 



THE PROPOSED INCREASED SUBSIDY FOR AMAZON STEAMERS. 

 In view of the increased subsidy asked by the Amazon River 

 Steam Navigation Co., the Para Commercial .'Association has 

 represented the necessity, in order to compete with private lines, 

 of the above-named company reducing its rates to the Upper 

 Acre and other points to a level which would still prove 

 remunerative, without diminishing the frequency of sailings. See- 

 ing that the company enjoys many favors under existing regu- 

 lations, the proposed additional subsidy is characterized as 

 needless. 



PERMANENT EXPOSITIONS OF BRAZILIAN RUBBER. 



The Commercial Association of Manaos has addressed a letter 

 to the State Governor, asking him to secure the co-operation 

 of the State of Para and of the Federal government in the 

 establishment of permanent expositions of Brazilian rubber in 

 the centers of consumption, .\rrangements are suggested of a 

 nature similar to those existing in Europe for Brazilian coffee. 

 In this way it is hoped to offset the efforts of English plantation 

 companies to promote the sale of rubber from the Far East. 

 CONGRESS OF CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE. 



Dr. Jose Rodrigues Vieria has been appointed delegate to rep- 

 resent the Commercial .Association of Manaos at the Interna- 



tional Congress of Chambers of Commerce and Commercial 

 .Associations, to be held in Paris next June. 



THE BR.\ZILIAN RUBBER CRISIS. 



Discussing in the columns of the "Folha do Norte" the recently 

 issued report of British Consul Michell, of Para, quoted in The 

 iNniA RiBiiER WuRLD for July (page .S62), Senhor J. Simao 

 da Costa remarks that the constant immigration of satisfactory 

 workers is not to be looked for in a region so full of climatic 

 and natural obstacles. He adds that Brazil could never have 

 attained its present importance as a rubber exporting nation 

 without the co-operation of those intermediaries to whom Consul 

 -Michell attributes the high cost of the article. 



Moderation has been urged by Brazilian Senators in state and 

 municipal loans, in which it is advised to refrain from taking 

 undue advantage of such credit facilities as may be available. 



A deputation of French bankers has had interviews with the 

 Brazilian Minister of Finance, Dr. Rivadavia Correa, the result 

 of which is said to have been an understanding that as soon as 

 the operation has been approved by the Brazilian Congress the 

 above-named bankers will advance to Brazil the equivalent of 

 $20,000,000 in gold. 



THE USE OF EXPLOSIVES IN AGHICULTUKE. 



The above topic formed the subject of a paper read by 

 Mr. Harold Hamel Smith, editor of "Tropical Life," at the 

 Third International Rubber Conference. In The India Rubber 

 World of April, 1913 (page 352), this paper was reproduced. 

 Since then experiments on the subject have been carried 

 out in Ceylon by Mr. Doolan, Australian representative of 

 Nobel's Explosive Co., Hamburg. While a large number of 

 planters were present, some of them were apparently of the 

 opinion that the ground chosen did not represent the soil in 

 which explosives are chiefly required, being of too loose and 

 deep a character. Mr. H. F. Macmillan, the superintendent, 

 subsequently conducted three other experiments, intended to 

 show the radial effects of dynamite in light and heavy soils, the 

 latter being of a type specially belonging to Ceylon. 



Another feature of the experiments was the blasting of stumps 

 under the direction of Mr. Macqueen. a dynamite expert of the 

 Nobel's Explosive Co., Glasgow. This took an equipment cost- 

 ing 75 cents, and required three coolies to work two and a half 

 hours to completely remove the shattered portions and roots. 



The blasting of obstructive boulders is one of the most dan- 

 gerous operations in connection with agricultural explosives, 

 owing to the risk of their exploding. Much can be done to 

 prevent this, however, by covering the boulders with leafy 

 branches. 



Mr. Macmillan's pamphlet forms Bulletin No. 8 of the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, Ceylon, for 1913, and is supplemented by 

 a dozen illustrations showing the various operations and their 

 effects. This pamphlet seems destined to carry this important 

 question a long step forward. 



THE WICKHAM PATENT PROCESSES. 



Satisfaction has been expressed in Ceylon at the premium of 

 about 35 per cent, at which shares have been changing hands 

 in the company which is working the Wickham patents. In pur- 

 suance of his right to nominate one member of the board, Mr. 

 Wickham has chosen Mr. F. Crosbie-Roles, well known on this 

 side of the Atlantic, and editor of the "Times of Ceylon." 



The Wickham process is protected throughout the world, and 

 it is estimated that an income of less than $12,500 a year will pay 

 all expenses and will furnish a profit of more than 20 per cent, 

 on the capital issued. A number of planters are shareholders, 

 which is regarded as a favorable sign. 



Should be on every rubber man's desk — The Rublier Trade 

 Directory of the World. 1912. 



