452 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[May 1, 1914. 



MEETINGS AND REPORTS OF IMPORTANT RUBBER PLANTING COM- 

 PANIES. 



Returns of the Katanui Rubber Estate, Limited, Federated 

 Malay Slates, sliow the production for the business year 1913 to 

 have been 139,377 pounds, as compared with 84,021 pounds during 

 the preceding annual period. The average net price realized was 

 2s. 9'/2d. (,67.91 cents,) per pound, against a cost of Is. V/zd. 

 (27.37 cents). Estimate for current year is 200,000 pounds. 



The Bukit Fanjong Syndicate, Limited, Federated Malay 

 States, in 1913 had an output of 195,265 pounds, against an esti- 

 mate of 190,000. Cost of production, f. o. b., was \s. Id. (26.35 

 cents) per pound, while average net price reahzed was 2.$. iiYAd. 

 (,61.32 cents.) A new issue of capital to the extent of $25,000 is 

 ■contemplated. 



Satisfactory progress and freedom from disease was the tenor 

 ■of the report of the V'al d'Or Rubl)er Estates, Limited, Penang, 

 which in 1913 produced 153,625 pounds at a cost, f. o. b., of 

 \s. S'/zd. (35.47 cents) per pound, as compared with a gross selling 

 price of 3s. A'/id. (82.10 cents). This company claims to have 

 reached a self-supporting stage. 



The output for the year 1913 of tlie Kamunting (Kedah) Rub- 

 ber Plantation Co. was about 90,000 pounds, the total cost of 

 which was Is. lOd. (44.60 cents) per pound. Cost had been re- 

 duced through the operation of the new machinery, while the 

 vield of the trees had increased. About 1,000 acres have been 

 planted, which left a balance of 500 acres for future requirements. 



As compared with an estimate of 125,000 pounds, the output of 

 the Sendayan Rubber Co. (Federated Malay States) for the 

 •business year 1913 was 154,320 pounds, while the estimated out- 

 put for 1914 is 225,000 pounds. The average cost was 2s. 0.83rf. 



(50.34 cents), wiiile the gross price realized was 



9.20d 



.(67.30 cents). 



Owing to the fact that the cost of maintenance and working 

 "would exceed any income obtainable from the sale of rubber, the 

 ■directors of the Meritini Rubber Estates, Limited, have decided 

 to discontinue the working and cultivation of their East African 

 Tubber plantations. In this policy they are following the lines 

 ■adopted by various rubber estates in British and German East 

 -Africa. 



A marked increase over the estimate signalized the business 

 jear of the Lumut Rubber Estates, Limited (Federated Malay 

 States), ending September 30. A quantity of 310,720 pounds 

 was produced, against 190,000 pounds anticipated. The area un- 

 der cultivation is 3,021 acres, while an additional 46 acres has 

 Tieen cleared. 



The total crop harvested in the financial year 1913, by the Castle- 

 field (Klang) Rubber Estates (Federated Malay States) was 

 .240,851 pounds, the cost of which was Ij. 7j4d. (39.53 cents) per 

 pound, while the average net price realized was 3^^. 2.3d. (77.63 

 -cents) per pound. Negotiations have been concluded for the 

 acquisition of the adjoining Rosapenna Estate, the cost of which 

 will be met by the issue of additional capital. 



More than 100 per cent, increase is shown by the output of the 

 Braunston (Malay) Rubber Estates, Limited (Federated Malay 

 States). The quantity for the year ending September 30, 1913, 

 ■was 156,500 pounds, as compared with 71,192 pounds for the pre- 

 ceding annual period. 



By the report of Pegoh, Limited (Malacca), that company is 

 in a prosperous condition. It has an area of 2,421 acres in rubber. 

 with a total of 403,095 trees, one-half of which are being tapped. 

 The product for 1913 was 347,498 pounds, as against an estimate 

 of 320,000 pounds. The total cost \vas Is. \0d. (44.60 cents), and 

 the gross average price realized 3.r. 2^d. (78.04 cents) per pound. 

 Por 1914 the crop is estimated at 425,0(X) pounds. 



An increase from 153,295 pounds in 1912 to 212,48! pounds in 

 1913 is recorded for the Bikam Rubber Estate, Limited (Fed- 

 erated Malay States). The avera.ge gross selling price was 3s. 

 2.08d. (77.20 cents), and 57.1X10 jinunds have been sold for delivery 

 in 1914 at 2s. 7.Q9d. (63.02 cents). 



NEW PROCESS OF TAPPING IN GERMAN EAST AFRICA, 



According to the "German East African Gazette," a new process 

 of ta|>ping has been discovered by Herr Migdalski, director of 

 the Prinz Hcino plantation al Morogoro, East Africa. 



Subsequent to the tapping on the Lewa system, there is ap- 

 plied to the incised parts a piece of strong, coarse and heavy' sail- 

 cloth, 28 inches long by 4 inches wide, impregnated with a solu- 

 tion of vinegar. When complete adhesion has been obtained by 

 stroking with the hand, the material is withdrawn. The latex 

 which has flowed from the incisions adheres to the fabric and is 

 gradually coagulated into a pellicle of the same dimensions, which 

 is easily removed and even comes off of itself when its weight 

 reaches about 11 ounces. 



It is claimed for this process that it is not needed to make as 

 many incisions as by the old methods, it being thus possible to 

 tap more frequently. The rubber obtained is said to be much 

 purer than that previously received, while it can be cleaned by 

 hand instead of requiring the use of a machine. The skill hitherto 

 called for in the work is not required. 



It is also claimed that the yield thus obtained is double or triple 

 that previously received. Before it is used, the sailcloth ought to 

 be steeped for twelve hours in a solution of vinegar of about one 

 part in two hundred. Practice has, however, shown that a new 

 sailcloth need only be steeped in the ordinary coagulating solu- 

 tion at the time of its employment. 



This new process appears likely to diminish the cost of opera- 

 tion and to be of material assistance to planters in their present 

 difficulties. 



AN ENGLISH CONSUL ON WEST AFRICAN RUBBER. 



A British consular report states that a good deal of trouble is 

 being taken by the government to instruct young natives on the 

 Ivory Coast in the cultivation of rubber, they being scientifically 

 taught as to its tapping and culture. The report adds that valu- 

 able rubber is known to exist in the forest region, the supply of 

 which has been reported to be almost inexhaustible. Unfortun- 

 ately, in the past, much damage was done to the young trees by 

 the natives cutting them down and tapping them indiscriminately. 



BELGIAN CONGO PROSPECTS. 



In an official statement, the Belgian minister of the Colonies 

 has reported a prospective deficit equaling about $4,000,000, re- 

 sulting from the abolition of the domain system and from the 

 rubber crisis. The minister expressed the opinion that oil, and 

 not rubber, would in future be the chief product of the Congo, 

 believing, moreover, that gold would be found in various parts of 

 the Ituri region ; while the discoveries of coal, diamonds and 

 petroleum had prospects of economic importance. On all these 

 points the development of railways was mentioned as an es- 

 sential feature of administrative policy — possibly with loans 

 guaranteed by the Bcl.gian government. 



PROSPECTS OF NEW CROCODILE RIVER fSELANGOR' RUBBER CO. 



The above company is essentially controlled by North of Eng- 

 land capital, and has the advantage of being under the immediate 

 purview of Eric Macfadyen, for some time chairman of the Plant- 

 ers' Association of Malaya. The area under rubber is 2,149 acres, 

 from which the product last year was 180,000 pounds, with a 

 prospective yield of 307,000 pounds this year, 445,000 pounds in 

 1915 and 570,000 pounds in 1916. Mr. Macfadyen estimates the 

 f. o. b. cost for 1914 as Is. Id. (26.35c.), Further reductions are 

 anticipated, until the increasing maturity of the estates brings 

 down the cost to about lOd. (20.27c.) per pound. These results, 

 it has been pointed out. would leave a margin of ,W per cent, on 

 the capital of the company. 



