Sei'Tember 1, 1914.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



679 



RUBBER CULTIVATION IN BURMA. 

 By C. G. Williams, Rangoon. 



' I 'HE rubber growing districts are Lower Biirnia. including 

 •^ Tenasserini, which is subdivided into smaller districts 

 e. g., Amherst and Maulmain, Attaran, Lower Mcrgui, Tavoy 

 and Victoria Point, some 200 miles further south. 



The soil is principally a light or dark reddish yellow friable 

 sandy loam, with occasional districts which have a subsoil of 

 laterite. The ground is slightly undulating and in nearly all 

 cases is protected from the southwest monsoon by high ranges 

 of hills varying from 700 to 1,000 feet. The land is easily 

 drainable. 



The rainfall varies slightly in different districts. The yearly 

 average is as follows : 



Tenasserim North 110 inches. 



Maulmain and Amherst 150 " 



.\ttaran 180 



Mergui 120 " 



Tavoy 200 



Victoria Point 160-180 • 



There are two seasons : December to April, the dry or cold 

 season, and May to November, the wet or monsoon season. 

 There is no fear of a prolonged drought. The driest months 

 are February and March, when there is very little or no rain — 

 say about 2 inches per month ; but there arc heavy Scotch mists 

 and dews which compensate for the lack of rain. The climate 

 in all districts is very healthy, more so than in the Malay States, 

 the temperature being 88.8° F. in the day time (midday) and 

 74° F. at night — the mean temperature for the year being about 

 80° F. 



Labor is principally Indian. Koringhis and Ovriyas are very 

 plentiful. Burmese and Chinese contractors are usually engaged 

 for felling, etc. The scale of pay is about half the price paid 

 in the Malay States, varj-ing from $4 to $5 United States gold. 

 The highest rate is $7 gold per month. This is in Victoria 

 Point, the extreme south end of Burma. 



Land is granted for a lease of 30 years, with a renewal of 

 20 years, as well as 8 years' exemption from taxes. No fixed 

 tax has been levied as yet by the government. The matter is 

 under discussion among the planters' associations. 



The growth of trees is excellent, quite as good in every way 

 as in the Malay States. All trees can be tapped in 4 years from 

 date of planting, the girth average 3 feet from the ground being 

 18 to 24 inches and more if planted 20 x 20 feet. There are 

 trees 15 years old having a girth average of 60 to 80 inches, 

 and some trees 35 years old 80 to 90 inches and over, yielding 

 12 to 15 pounds per tree per year; the average yield for 4 year 

 to 6 year-old trees being lyi pounds to 3 pounds per tree per 

 year. The rubber produced is diamond pattern, sheet or biscuit 

 (smoked) and blanket crepe (smoked). The sheets are even, 

 of uniform color and excellent quality. 



Tapping can be done now practically all the year round by 

 using patent gutters placed over the vertical channel and 

 oblique cuts. It is principally done by Burmese girls, as they 

 are not migratory like other classes of labor, and are cheaper 

 and more satisfactory. 



All planting is stump planting about 9 months to 1 year old. 

 The plants attain a height of from 10 to 12 feet and a girth 

 average of 2>2 to 4 inches in one year from date of planting. 



Transportation is fairly good in all districts. Those near the 

 coast have fortnightly steamers running to Rangoon. Inland, 

 the communication is by carts or boats to the railway. 



Capitalization is from i22 sterling to ;£25 per acre to bring to 

 bearing, say $110 gold to $125 or $130. the latter price being at 

 Victoria Point, where labor is dearer — whether contract or 

 otherwise. Maulmain and Tenasserim are the cheapest. The 



total acreage under cultivation, including native holdings and 

 private estates, is about 34,000 acres. 



The following is an extract from a report by Mr. A. B. Milne 

 of Malay States fame : "Each successive trip to Lower Burma 

 serves to increase my opinion of that country as a rubber pro- 

 ducer, the rubber produced being the best hand made, second 

 grade rubber I have yet seen. The clearings have exceeded my 

 most sanguine expectations and are remarkably good in com- 

 parison with the Federated Malay Stales." Mr. Maurice Maude 

 has also visited the country and expressed his opinion about 

 its suitability for rubber cultivation. The average cost of pro- 

 duction is about \s. 6d. to \s. XQ'/id. (36.49 cents to 45.61 cents) 

 per pound. 



REPORT OF GOLD COAST GOVERNMENT FOR 1912. 



A CCORDING to the latest report of the Gold Coast Govern- 

 ■**• ment — for 1912 — applicants during the year received of 

 Para rubber 39,407 plants and 347,890 seeds, and of Fuutumia 

 1,560 plants and 900,0(K) seeds. The distribution of Para rub- 

 ber seeds showed a marked increase on that of the previous year, 

 and it was anticipated that larger supplies of Para plants would 

 thus be available during the next season. The total quantity of 

 rubber sold was 2,808 pounds, realizing an average of about 

 4s. 3d. (103.38 cents) for sheet. Exports of rubber, however, 

 showed a very large decline. 



Fair progress continues to be made by the Para rubber on the 

 several experimental stations, the average annual yield of 30 

 trees at four centers being 3-34 pounds per tree, or nearly half a 

 pound more than in the previous year. The yields from Funiumia, 

 though limited through a misunderstanding, were among the best 

 yet obtained from experimental tappings on cultivated trees and 

 are considered to give promise of better returns as the trees in- 

 crease in age. The Funtumia has given over 56 per cent, of its 

 total yield at the first tapping, in contrast with Para, where the 

 quantity of latex tends to increase after the first tapping, this 

 development being known as "wound response." 



European plantations were making fair progress, the Para 

 rubber growing rapidly, but Funtumia showing only a slow rate 

 of growth. The planting of the latter variety on cocoa farms is 

 becoming quite general in the central province of .-^shanti, but no 

 progress has been made in tapping the trees and preparing the 

 rubber for market. 



Besides the report of Mr. VV. S. D. Tudhope, Director of Agri- 

 culture, separate reports in the form of appendices were sub- 

 mitted by the Government entomologist, the traveling inspector 

 and the agricultural stations of .\buri, Tarquah, Coomassie, As- 

 suantsi, Tamale and Kibbi. 



The following table shows the e.vports of rubber from the Gold 

 Coast Colony during the ten years, 1903-1912: 



Years. Pounds. 



1903 2,258,981 



1904 4.013,837 



1905 3,633,106 



1906 3,649.668 



1907 3,549,518 



1908 1.77333 



1909 2.764,190 



1910 3,223.265 



1911 2.668.667 



1912 1.990.699 



Mr. Tudhope expresses the opinion that it will be some years 

 before much rubber will be produced on native Para plantations. 



NEW AGRICULTURAL SCHOOL IN JAVA. 



In addition to the existing agricultural schools at Wonosobo, 

 Poerworedjo, Soreang and Ploembon, a new school of that char- 

 acter is projected for Poerwokerto. Funds have been donated by 

 the Resident at Banjoemas, who has given the equivalent of 

 $12,800 towards the establishment of the school, instruction at 

 which will be of a special character. 



