February 1, 1914.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



271 



Some Rubber Planting Notes. 



CEYLON S CULTIVATED AREA. THE PROPOSED COLLEGE OF TROPICAL AGRICULTURE. 



1i\ an interesting article the "Ceylon Observer" has shown the It will be recalled that the various projects for the establish- 



c<jnii)arative acreage under cultivation in Ceylon in December. nient of a College of Tropical .Vgricultnre culminated in the 



1911, and October, 1913. The results when tabulated are as formation of a general committee in London, under the presi- 



foUows : dency of Sir Menry McCallum (late governor of Ceylon). 



December October This committee has been endeavoring to obtain the support of the 



1911 1913 planting and commercial interests in England, and has made such 



.'\cres .Acres progress that it is hoped to give effect to the project during the 



Rubber 215.000 240,500 course of 1914. 



Tea 395,000 399,500 An opportunity of furthering the scheme is afforded by the 



Cacao 32,000 28.000 visit to Ceylon of Profes,sor Wyndham Dunstan, of the Imperial 



Cardamoms 7 300 7 000 Institute, London, who was to visit that island in January. 



Professor Dunstan will represent the London committee and will 



Xoi;,| 649,300 675,000 confer with the Ceylon Board of Agriculture as well as the 



Planters' .'Vssociation with reference to the college. 

 During the period of 20 months covered by the above returns. 



the number of properties increased from 2.144 to 2.19". 



The acreage under rubber for the live principal districts is LONDON Asiatic rubber and produce company, ltd. (federated 



shown as follows for 1913: MALAY states; 



Riiblier .\lone Rubber and Tea Prom a cultivated area of 4.342 acres out of its total hold- 

 Acres .Acres ings of 6.747 acres, this company produced in 1913 approximately 

 Kahitara 41.572 10.380 1,001,517 pounds of rubber. The total production during 



Kelani Vallev 38,343 25,177 1^12 was 706,942 pounds. The price realized in 1913 averaged 



Ratnapura 22,503 3.712 •^''- 0.59d. per pound, while 468,160 pounds have been sold for 



Kegalla 13,985 2,726 1*^14 at an average gross price of 2s. 6.54d. per pound. 



Galle 13,934 4,574 



Total 130,337 46,569 united serdang (Sumatra) rubber plaktations. 



Thus in the five principal districts, there is under rubber According to the directors' report prepared for submission 



alone about one-half the total rubber acreage, an additional at the meeting of the above company on December 18 the 

 quantity as shown, of "rubber-cum-tea." output had more than doubled in the past business year 



In 1878, it was estimated that the ma.ximuni area of Ceylon ending August 31. 1913. having amounted to 1,185,234 pounds, 

 plantations (then chiefly coffee) had been attained with 275,000 against a total for the preceding annual period of 534.979 

 acres. Within 35 years the cultivated area has increased to pounds. The crop realized an average of 3s. 6.67d. per 

 1,033,854 acres in its full extent; of which 675,000 acres are pound, while the cost including all expenses had been 

 under the four principal branches of the plantation industry, as Is. 7.95d. per pound. 



shown in the first of the above tables. The estimated quantity for the current year is 1.720,000 



pounds and the estimated cost is 11.19 pence, free on board, 

 exclusive of depreciation, bonuses to staff and coolie engage- 

 ment expenses. 



Further particulars given show that the total area of the 

 estates is 17,974 acres, of which 9,493?/2 acres are planted. 

 The crop for the year under report was harvested from an 

 average area of 3,589 acres which had reached the bearing 

 stage. 



In addition to an interim dividend of 15 per cent, a final 

 dividend for the year of 20 per cent, was recommended by 

 the directors. 



cost of plantation rubber production. 



One of the most interesting features of Grenier's "Rubber 

 Annual for 1913" is a comparative calculation of the cost of 

 rubber production at four leading points of the Middle East; 

 supplemented by the freight to Europe and selling charges. 

 These two items constitute the "all in" or inclusive cost deli- 

 vered in Europe. 



The figures are as follows, with tlieir American equiva- 

 lents: 



Ceylon. 



Eastern cost, free on board Sd. (16 cents) 



Freight to Europe and sale charges 214'^. ( 4J/1 cents) 



Total inclusive cost in London lO'Ad. (20J4 cents) 



Malaya. 

 Is. (24 cents) 



2 'Ad. ( 4J/5 cents) 



U. 2<Ad. (2854 cents) 



Sumatra. 

 lOJ. (20 cents) 

 Z'Ad. ( 5 cents) 



IZYid. (25 cents) 



Java. 

 U. 2d. (28 cents) 

 2'4rf. ( 5 cents) 



U. Ayid. (33 cents) 



These figures, it will be recalled, are the actual outlays at the 

 various stages, but include no profits. The freight and sale 

 •charges being about uniform, the differences in cost arise 

 from variations at the points of production. 



Any profits have to be made on the basis of the above 

 actual costs at the various stages. These figures, it is added. 

 •coincide with the general average as estimated by the Akers 

 Commission of a shilling per pound as actual cost of planta- 

 tion rubber. 



TAND.TONCi rubber CO., LTD. (SUMATRA). 



Of the total of 9,733^^ acres owned by this company, 4,439 

 acres are under cultivation, which produced in the last six 

 months of 1913 about 264,822 pounds, against 81,917 pounds for 

 the corresponding period of last year. 



PATALING rubber ESTATES SYNDICATE, LTD. (FEDERATED MALAY 



STATES). 



This company has a total cultivated area of 2,025 acres, of 

 which 1,422 acres are under cultivation. For 1913 the crop was 

 484,132 pounds, against 429,547 pounds in 1912. 



