21 12 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



| March i. 1910. 



AFRICAN PLANTATION RUBBER. 



BY C. VAX DEN KERCKHOVE.* 



\X/'' s ' la " '" tne course of this article refer only to the sys- 

 "" tematic culti I African rubber-producing plants, 



i. 1- . to the cultivation of such plants as have produced prac- 

 tical results. As a mattci oi course, I shall first of all refer to 

 the lianes, these plants, and more especially the / andolphia, being 

 actually under cultivation in Central Africa, in the Belgian Congo 

 Not long ago I had occasion to inform the readers of the 

 Gummi-Zeitung that millions of rubber-producing lianes had 

 been planted in the Belgian colony, not only by private enterprise, 

 but also by the colonial government. The problem now to be 

 solved is the finding of a method by which this large supply of 

 lianes may be rationallj worked, as it is a well-known fact that 

 the systematic tapping of Landolphia lianes is a very difficult 

 matter — at least as long as the plants arc young. 



It appears opportune to call attention to the useful measure 

 in furtherance of the planting of the Funtumia submitted by the 

 Belgian secretary for the colonies to the chamber of deputies, 

 upon his return from his African journey of inspection. The 

 government proposes to devote annually 2,000 hectares [= 4,04-' 

 i of land exclusively to the cultivation of rubber-producing 

 plants, and demands for this purpose an annual appropriation of 

 1,000,000 francs [— $193,000] for a term of ten years. The plan- 

 tations already in existence, as well as the further areas which 

 the government intends to devote each year to rubber cultiva- 

 tion, may consequently be expected to throw in the near future 

 large amounts of plantation rubber, produced in these parts of 

 Africa, upon the European market. For this purpose, however, 

 it will first be necessary to determine which rubber-producing 

 plants are best adapted to cultivation in the said districts. 



The question whether the Funtumia elastka is available for 

 cultivation on a large scale in Malaysia and Central Africa 

 remains to be solved. The rather restricted number of tapping 

 experiments in cultivated Funtumia, which up to the present 

 time have extended only over brief periods, have as yet not pro- 

 duced sufficient data for determining whether the said rubber- 

 producing tree will be able to withstand systematic tapping 

 permanently. It therefore still remains an open question whether 

 the rational annual tapping of cultivated Funtumia trees will 

 produce a sufficient output of latex. There is a difference of 

 opinion in regard to this matter, and a final decision can only be 

 reached in the near future, when cultivated Funtumia trees, 

 grown to the age of three or four years, will be available for 

 experimental purposes on a large scale. 



'1 he Funtumia undoubtedly develops rapidly and produces a 

 satisfactory output of latex, which, when carefully prepared, pro- 

 duces in turn a good quality of rubber. "Uganda" Funtumia 

 rubber, the product of Mabira Forest (Uganda) Rubber Co., 

 Limited, prepared by the smoking process, and tested by me some 

 time ago, was worth 25 francs per kilogram [= $2.19 per pound], 

 according to market prices current at the time. The said 

 Funtumia rubber, and the Hevea rubber previously mentioned, 

 were the best African grades which 1 have had occasion to test 

 during the past 20 years. 



I The latter rubber referred to was produced on the planta- 

 tion "N'Galli-Goko" of the Compagnie Produits Vegetaux du 

 Haut-Kasai, in the Belgian Congo, mentioned by the same writer 

 in Gummi-Zeitung, December 10, 1909— page 358. The product 

 of trees 9-10 years old realized 26 francs per kilogram = $2.28 

 cents per pound. | 



The rational tapping of the Funtumia trees is one of the most 

 important factors in the successful development of the cultivated 

 Funtumia. The incisions should always be longitudinal, in the 

 shape of herringbone cuts. The single herringbone cut is to be 

 used for young trees, and the double cut only after the trees 

 have attained a certain age. Care must be taken to have the 



ribs of the herringbone cut as far apart as possible, and due at- 

 tention should, furthermore, he paid to the fact that the Fun- 

 tumia requires rest, and that even comparatively old trees must 

 not he tapped to,, frequently or to,, abundantly. 



RUBBER IN MADAGASCAR. 



/"\NE of the latest appeals for British money in respect of 

 ^-' rubber is that of the Madagascar Rubber Co.. Limited, 

 registered in London on January j?, with a nominal capital of 

 £53,000 [= $257,924.50]. The declared object is to acquire special 

 grants over 212,000 acres of forests in the island of Madagascar, 

 given by the French government, and to work in conjunction 

 therewith (under an exclusive license for Madagascar) ma- 

 chinery invented by Leon Guignel, of Lyons, France, for extract 

 ing rubber direct from the vines, and for purifying rubber pro- 

 duced by crude native methods. The French patent is Xo. 399,896 

 ( May 7, 1908), issued to Societe pour l'Exploitation des Caout- 

 chouc au Congo. 



The rubber to be dealt with is described as the product of 

 vines, which are cut off and subjected to decortication, after 

 which the rubber is extracted in the form of clean, well washed 

 crepe. It is estimated that new shoots, resulting from the vine 

 roots, will become producers of rubber at the age of 10 years. 

 The first step proposed is to deal with a tract of 10,000 hectares 

 [= 24,710 acres], cutting off the vines from 1,000 hectares an- 

 nually, so as to work the whole area in 10 years, after which 

 the vines first cut down will have become renewed. One extract- 

 ing machine and one purifying machine, it is stated, have been 

 sent to Madagascar, at a cost of about £1,504 [= $7,319.22]. They 

 are to be worked under license from the company named already 

 as owners of the patent. 



This initial tract lies in western Madagascar, in the Menabe 

 region, between the Morondava and Manambolo rivers; the ven- 

 dors and promoters of the company are the Menabe Syndicate, 

 Limited, registered in London, December 11, 1909. Options are 

 held by the new company on two other tracts, and in case of their 

 being exercised it is proposed to increase the capital of the Mada- 

 gascar Rubber Co., Limited, to £350,000 [= $1,703,275]. The 

 prospectus is based upon a selling price of 3 shillings per pound. 



The public issue of the Madagascar Rubber Co.'s shares was of 

 50,000 participating preference shares. The secretary announces 

 that it was necessary to send letters of regret in respect of 

 1,060,000 shares applied for. In other words the applications were 

 for $5,168,490 worth of shares in excess of the issue. 



TWO SWINDLING TOURISTS. 



Gummi-Zeitung, Berlin. XXIV-13 (Dec. 24, '09). P. 427. 



""pilE attention of The India Ruhber Would has been called to 

 ■*■ the fact that members of the rubber trade in the United 

 States have been called upon by a man claiming to be connected 

 with a British rubber company of the first rank and displaying a 

 detailed knowledge of the affairs of that company and of the 

 trade in general. He has accepted hospitality and obtained ad- 

 vances of money for which he has failed to make any return. 



Quite apart from this adventurer, and while letters were cross- 

 ing the Atlantic to The India Ribber World showing him to 

 be a swindler, the office of the paper itself as well as various 

 gentlemen connected with the industry in the United States, were 

 visited by a man seeking temporary favors on account of his 

 alleged relation to important members of the trade at Man- 

 chester, but without being able to confirm satisfactorily his 

 claims. 



It is hardly probable that a bona fide member of any important 

 rubber factory in Great Britain, or of any rubber manufacturer's 

 family there, will find it necessary to appeal for aid after the 

 manner of the two persons here referred to. 



The friends of this journal in Great Britain will welcome 

 any further information regarding the adventurers mentioned 

 that niav be available on this side of the water. 



