April 1, 1914.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



347 



the characteristics and habits of the grasses is very necessary. 



Mr. Andre Goldei, a co-worker with the late Doctor Iluber 

 on this subject, has devoted many years to the study of the 

 various grasses indigenous to northern Brazil. After examining 

 and rejecting more than 100 such varieties, several varieties of 

 foreign grasses were sent for and placed under observation. 

 I'he result was the discovery of a grass which acclimatized 

 itself readily and developed desired characteristics. It was the 

 genus Farpalum Dilatatiiin for higli land ar d Farpahiin Vir- 

 galinii for the low land that gave the sought for results. 



'I'his grass is of the bunch grass variety thai is easily planted 

 Iiy simply inserting one of the tubers in a small hole in the 

 ground made by a pointed stick. It is not necessary to cover 

 the holes. The grass grows naturally to the height of only 

 18 inches, and when pastured it remains about 6 inches in height. 

 It prevents the growth of weeds and bush, without growing to 

 a great hci.ght as is the case with the indigenous grasses. Being 



Bunch Gr.ass to be Grown wnii llcvca Rubber. 



a bunch grass with comparatively short roots it has been dem- 

 onstrated that rubbers can be grown with it successfully, thus 

 eliminating the costly clearing operations. The grass itself is 

 .so succulent that cattle pastured among young rubber trees 

 prefer the grass. 



This system of a pasture cover is being used in tlie Iriiit 

 orchards of Europe with marked success. Will it not solve the 

 tropical problem of costly clearing in rubber culture when the 

 spontaneous growth and high cost of late.K make close clearing 

 prohibitory? 



It should be remembered that gutta pcrcha is growing scarcer 

 every year, and that balata is in many ways taking its place. 

 With the exhaustion of the supplies in Venezuela and the Guianas 

 will come an increase in price, and an exploitation of the great 

 balata reserves bordering on the Amazon. 



Perhaps the most hopeful sign is the interest that certain 

 capitalists are taking in banana raising. There are literally mil- 

 lions of acres of wonderful banana lands close to deep water in 

 the State of Para. Once the government is forced to keep its 

 hands off such a project the Brazilian banana will be foun<l 

 in New York and London, a close competitor with that grown i.i 

 Central America. 



With the whole tropical world hunting for good cocoanut land 

 it will not be long ere cocoanut-growing on the Amazon will 

 assume large diminsions. There is fine land, an ideal climate — 

 indeed, everything needed to make the crop a success. 



In Para the stores are well stocked with goods, and sales are 

 going right on. .\\\ of the civil officers receive — not money 

 (salaries are from one year to two years behind) but an ac- 



knowledgment of indebtedness. This is taken as cash by the 

 storekeepers, and turned back to the government in payment of 

 duties, taxes, etc. 



Laborers who in llush times handled rubber at $4 a day are 

 today contentedly working for 60 cents a day. The people are 

 surprisingly happy. They need not starve, they cannot freeze, 

 and the city is unusually free from disease. 



PROPOSED EXPOSITION TO PROMOTE TRADE IN CHILE, 



The Chilean American Permanent Exposition Co. has been 

 organized at Santiago, Chile, with a capital of $20,000 United 

 States gold, to establish a permanent exposition of American 

 |)roducts at Santiago. The exposition building erected for the 

 Chilean Centennial Exposition of 1910 has been placed at the 

 disposal of this company by the Chilean Government, and it is 

 proposed to rent to American interests space in this building at 

 so much per square foot per annum, including care, explanation, 

 demonstration and operation of articles and machinery left on 

 exhibition. The manager, A. Hamilton West, is visiting the 

 United States, to confer with manufacturers and others who may 

 be interested, and inquiries regarding this project should be di- 

 rected to him in care of the Chilean Consul General. Xew York. 



RUBBER CULTIVATION IN BRITISH GUIANA. 



A colonial report as to agricultural conditions in British Guiana 

 in 1912-13, shows the area planted in rubber is 3.080 acres, of 

 which 2,700 are in Hevca and the remainder in Fimtumia elastica, 

 Cistilloa clastica and Sapium. 



'iliere was a relatively active demand for Ilcvca plants during 

 the year, 64,000 small trees having been sold by the Department 

 of Science and .Agriculture, while the private import of stumps 

 numlierrc! 114.000. Seeds were also imported from Surinam and 

 the East. 



Experimental tappings of Hc-ca trees planted during 1907-08 

 and 1908-09 gave satisfactory results as to the quality and quan- 

 tity of the yield. Cultivation of rubber at the government e.xperi- 

 ment stations was .systematically carried out : a largi- number of 

 balata trees being likewise planted. 



GENERAL FOREIGN TRADE OF THE LEADING 

 TRADING COUNTRIES. 



CT.\T1ST1CS covering imports and exports of five great trad- 

 ►^ ing countries, viz., the United Kingdom, United States, Ger- 

 many, France and Belgium, are now at hand and make interest- 

 ing reading. From the figures which are shown below^ it will 

 be seen that the exports of the United States last year were 

 about equal to those of the United Kingdom and Germany, but 

 that the increase in exports was only half the increase of the 

 United Kingdom and less than one-third of the German increase. 

 In the volume of importations the United States shows hardly 

 more than one-half that of the United Kingdom, and about 70 

 per cent, of Germany's imports. 



IMPORTS OF LE.^UING COUNTRIES. 



Percentage compared 

 with 1912. 



United Kingdom 3.296,890.000 -f- 4.0 



Unhed States 1. 793.0.58,480 -}- 1.5 



Gcrman\- $2,629,285,000 -f- .03 



Prance 1,701,675,000 -f 3.2 



P'clgium 916,725,000 -f .63 



EXPORTS OF LE.-\DING COUNTRIES. 



United Kingdom 2.627.305.000 -f 7.2 



United States 2,448.576.614 4- 3.5 



Germany $2,478,150,000 -f 11.1 



France 1.. 375,075.000 + 2.3 



Belgium 715,365,000 — 6.2 



