November 1, 1911.] 



THE INDIA RUBBEJR WORLD. 



61 



PROGRESS IN BRITISH GUIANA. 



■ I "O THE Editor of The India Rubber World: All our riib- 

 '■ ber is looking splendidly from the oldest trees planted out 

 to the stumps in the nurseries. The measurements of the 

 oldest trees, taken when exactly 2yi years old, 11 inches in 

 circumference 3 feet from the ground, show for the best one 

 an average of 8 1-S inches, which I think is very good, as they 

 are now increasing in girth very much quicker than at first. 

 Then we have trees of 15 months up to 5 inches, and many 



"Hevea Brasiliensis" at B.\rtica, British Guiana. 



just a year old that are over 4 inches; in fact, we have not 

 one rubber plant on the estate that is unhealthy looking. The 

 young seedlings we put out a few months ago are all coming 

 along splendidly. 



We have just finished up three years from the time I com- 

 menced to take the rainfall her^, and for that period I should 

 say that it was about the best in the way of distribution of 

 the rainfall known on any rubber estate in the world. The 

 details I have sent to the New York office, and if they interest 

 you doubtless they will let you have a copy. Our longest times 

 without rain for the three years have been once ten days, twice 

 nine days, once eight days, once seven days ; so that only five 

 times in three years have we had a week at a time without 

 rain, and the rainfall for each of the three years is practically 

 the same, as follows: From September 1, 1908, to August 31, 



1909, 110.28 inches; 1909 to 1910, 111.06 inches, and 1910 to 

 1911, 110.54 inches. During the three years we have had 296 

 dry days and 799 days with rain, so that with that kind of 

 rainfall and all our other conditions taken into account, I do 

 not see how it is possible for rubber trees not to thrive. 



I find that I have a rough copy of the statement that I sent 

 to the office which I am enclosing. It was taken from our 

 book, which I am quite certain has been kept properly, as with 

 the exception of the past three months it has been kept by my 

 wife or myself, and during the past three months by my assist- 

 ant, who is a very good and reliable man. G. B. Withers. 

 The Hills Estate, Bartica, British Guiana. 

 Rainfall for Past Three Years. 



1908 to 1909. 1909 to 1910. 1910 to 1911. 



Rainfall. Inches. Inches. Inches. 



September 6.44 3.73 7.04 



October 6.51 10.14 5.37 



November 10.23 4.59 8.03 



December 15.14 10.52 3.83 



January 5.13 11.50 10.70 



February 12.37 8.81 10.12 



March 7.23 10.72 8.93 



April 5.95 8.10 12.99 



May 13.57 8.82 12.88 



June 11.68 15.42 12.78 



July 8.71 12.92 10.14 



August 7.32 5.79 7.73 



Totals 110.28 111.06 110.54 



* * ^ 



(Editor's Note. — Mr. Withers, who is superintendent of "The 

 Hills" estate, sends, in addition to the rainfall table, some very 

 interesting additional figures. For example, he has kept a record 

 of wet days and dry days. From 1908 to 1909 there were 122 

 dry days and 243 wet days. The next year there were 91 dry 

 days and 274 wet days, and the year following 83 dry days and 

 282 wet days, all of which is exceedingly interesting.) 



BRITISH GUIANA NOTES. 



BRITISH GUIANA AND THE LATE RUBBER EXHIBITION. 



THE presentation of the silver cups won at the late Inter- 

 national Rubber Exhibition by Mr. W. Hodgson of Pin 

 Nortgedacht and the Consolidated Rubber and Balata Estates, 

 Ltd., for rubber and balata exhibits, respectively, was made 

 with appropriate ceremony on September 22, at Georgetown, 

 by the Acting Governor of British Guiana. In the course of 

 his remarks he alluded to the fact that the judges had pronounced 

 Mr. Hodgson's samples to be equal to the very best they had 

 seen from the East. He likewise referred in complimentary 

 terms to the award of the balata trophy to the above-named 

 corporation. 



SIR FREDERICK HODGSON ON DEVELOPMENT IN BRITISH GUIANA. 



Commenting upon the general situation in British Guiana, 

 Sir Frederick Hodgson, the retiring Governor of that colony, 

 alluded to the good work being done by the Government agri- 

 cultural stations, adding: "The rubber industry is forging 

 ahead and several companies, backed by English capital, have 

 started work. The export is at present small, but rubber will 

 prove in the near future to be one of the most important in- 

 dustries of the colony." 



BRITISH GUIANA DOUBLES RUBBER ACREAGE. 



At a recent meeting of the British Guiana Board of Agricul- 

 ture, Professor Harrison reported that the area under cocoa 

 was a little smaller than recorded for last year, due to certain 

 people turning their attention to rubber. The rubber acreage 

 had about doubled. 



