February 1, 1912.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



lU 



Rubber Planting at the London International Rubber Congress. 



IN these days of close investigation, a largo part of the benefit 

 resulting from technical congresses is derived from the 

 careful study of the addresses, not only by those who have 

 had the good fortune to be present, but by the far larger number 

 dependent on their subsequent reproduction in printed form. In 

 this way the proceedings acquire new life and bc'comc of per- 

 manent value to the cause of scientific research. 



More particularly do these considerations apply to the recent 

 London International Rubber Congress, which formed the cul- 

 minating point of the International Rubber and Allied Trades 

 Exhibition. In the volume just issued. "The Rubber Indus- 

 try," Dr. Joseph Torrey, and Mr. .\. .Staines Manders, the 

 editors, have rendered notable service by the reproduction in 

 groups of kindred subjects, of nearly forty lectures and addresses 

 delivered on that occasion, as well as of the subsequent discus- 

 sions. Taken in conjunction with the Official Guide Book and 

 Catalogue (containing forty-five copyright articles'), the new 

 volume serves to perpetuate the e.xhibition and to render it 

 of permanent value to the economic student and the rubber 

 manufacturer. 



An appropriate commencement of the volume is furnished by 

 the address of the president, Sir Henry A. Blake, delivered at 

 the opening of the conference on July 3, in which he drew 

 attention to the estimate that since the last conference (in 

 1908) the area planted with rubber in the Middle East had 

 risen from 450,000 acres to more than double that figure, w-hile 

 South and Central America and East and West Africa probably 

 show increases in equal proportion. He added that in estimat- 

 ing the probable output of the increased acreage, a considerable 

 deduction should be made on account of plantations established 

 under unsuitable conditions of situation, soil or climate. While 

 the planter had up to the present pinned his faith mainly on the 

 Hevea Brasiliensis, or Para rubber tree, the sometime despised 

 Manihot Glaj^iovii, or Ceara tree, is, according to his information, 

 about to have its vogue. He had heard from a reliable source 

 of at least one Ceara plantation which had begun to yield its 

 harvest at two years' growth, while great improvements had been 

 made in its tapping, which is a different proposition from that of 

 Hei-ea. As to Synthetic rubber, he urged that the demonstrated 

 possibility of its production should emphasize the necessity of 

 strict economy and of aiming at reducing the cost of production 

 of plantation rubber. 



The "Introduction — Historical and Descriptive," written by 

 Dr. D. Spence for the first volume, has been reproduced, forming 

 a valuable basis for the addresses reported. Besides an intro- 

 duction of a general character, it contains a summary of the dif- 

 ferent forms of coagulation. A further interesting section of 

 the introductory chapter is a table of all the important brands 

 of rubber, their geographical and botanical origin, and (as far 

 as known) their analytical and technical constants. 



THE RUBBER PL.\NTING PROBLEM AS IT PRESENTS ITSELF IN DIFFERENT 

 COUNTRIES. 



"Rubber in Uganda" is the title of a retrospective and pro- 

 spective paper by Mr. R. Fyffe. first assistant. Botanical, Forestry 

 and Scientific Department, Entebbe, Uganda Protectorate. He 

 dealt with the increase of Uganda rubber exports from 68.0(X) 

 pounds in 1902, to 105,000 pounds' in 1909, this increase being 

 due to the working of Funtumia elastica. Following the dis- 

 covery of that species in Uganda, steps were taken to preserve 

 the trees ; the forests containing them, which are fortunately 

 large, being leased only to responsible companies, which have to 

 observe regulations brought out by the government for the pur- 

 pose of conservation. From details quoted, Mr. Fyffe, however, 



deduces that although mature Funtumia forest trees yield rubber 

 in payable quantity, this is not a plant to be recommended for 

 cultivation, more especially when its rate of growth and yield 

 are compared with that of Para and Ceara rubber trees. With 

 exotic rubbers of proved plantation value in other countries 

 the prospect is said to be encouraging, and it is hoped that before 

 the exports of indigenous rubbers materially decrease, large 

 areas of these will be in bearing. The growth and yield of some 

 at an early stage are extremely gratifying. Within the last year 

 Ceara, which has been grown for ten years in the country, has 

 been recognized as a valuable rubber-yielding tree, and worthy 

 of extended trial. In thus expressing commendation of Ceara 

 rubber, Mr. Fyffe disclaimed any intention of attaching less im- 

 portance to Para, as he considered there was a great future in 

 Uganda for both varieties. Para he would recommend as a per- 

 manent crop, while for a quick return he would prefer Ceara. 

 The former, however, is the stronger tree, and would withstand 

 the effects of oft-repeated tapping better than would Ceara. 

 Owing to the liability of Castilloa to attack from a native beetle, 

 Mr. Fyffe considered it extremely improbable that any success 

 would attend the cultivation of that species in Uganda. 



In the discussion which followed the reading of Mr. Fyffe's 

 paper. Dr. Preuss expressed the opinion that Hevca is from 

 every point of view better for cultivation than Funtttinia. Dr. 

 Schidrowitz, while recording his experience of finding Funtumia 

 exceptionally rich in rubber (having found as high a proportion 

 as 45 per cent.) admitted that as a plantation species it has 

 many disadvantages compared with Hevea. The question of the 

 distance at which trees should be planted (suggested by jNIr. 

 Fyffe's paper) was discussed from different points of view by 

 various experts, including Messrs. Wickham, Wycherly and 

 Fetch. 



Another paper of interest was that of the Colonial Govern- 

 ment of Madagascar, which was taken as read, dealing with 

 results obtained at the Tamatave experimental station. 



M. C. Hugot, lecturer at the University of Bordeaux, read a 

 paper on "The West .African 'Varieties of Latex and Raw Rubber," 

 in the conclusion of which he remarked there is no agreement 

 as to the chemical and physical tests rubber must undergo, 

 regarding which the same progress has not yet been made as with 

 steel. This is due to the neglect to apply physical methods to a 

 substance which is never found twice exactly the same. 



"The Rubber Problem in French Western .\frica" gave Dr. 

 Aug. Chevalier an opportunity of showing what had been done 

 in the direction indicated. He cited the absence of technical 

 data as to rubber cultivation on the west coast of Africa, as 

 having deterred French capitalists from that field. He urged 

 the establishment of botanical and experimental institutes in such 

 a way as to provide for that region the advantages of that char- 

 acter enjoyed by the Middle East. 



In his paper on "The Rubber Plantations in French Cochin 

 China," M. Andre Cremazy, president of the Board of Agri- 

 culture of Cochin China, reported that Hevea Brasiliensis had 

 there acclimatized remarkably well, the trees attaining in five 

 years the necessary girth for tapping (20 inches), at a height 

 above the ground of 40 inches. The government of Cochin China 

 had made regulations very favorable to planters, with the view 

 of developmg the cultivation of Hevea, all that is now lacking 

 being European capital. 



The important question of the "Planting and Production of 

 Rubber in Ceylon" was treated in detail by Mr. Kelway Bamber, 

 who stated that the average number of rubber trees per acre in 

 Ceylon may still be taken at about ISO, and that for those countries 

 now planting Hevea. the wisest policy would be to plant at least 



