324 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



lAiRii 1. ]9]2. 



characteristics of Manihot rubber, at first not sufficiently com- 

 prehended, arc now more fully understood, that variety being 

 regarded as just the material for articles to be subjected to 

 pressure and friction. 



The joint investigations of Dr. Marckwald and Dr. Frank 

 have led to the discovery of the fact that the mode of prepa- 

 ration was of far greater importance than had been at first sup- 

 posed. Certain acids or plant products act in such a manner 

 during the coagulation of Manihot rubber, as to make it firmer. 

 Among the various coagulants tried, none seem to have given so 

 good a rubber as the juice of the wild lemon. In addition to 

 articles to be subjected to pressure and friction, it is claimed 

 that "patent rubber" goods can be advantageously produced from 

 Manihot ruliber. M the same time, Manihot should not be 

 strongly worked mechanically in the Tropics, the goods made 

 from it being thereby proportionately depreciated in value. 



If a robust rubber like Manihot is so strongly modified by 

 variations in the coagulant and the mode of preparation, how 

 much more true is this of the sensitive Funtumia. which it has 

 taken years to get accepted in the cultivated form? Today, wlien 

 chemical and physical methods are available for determining 

 the value of raw rubber, the proof is furnished that rubber goods 

 can be made from Kickxia, which are not only elastic but "nervy" 

 as well. Such a result is, however, only obtained by employing 

 methods adapted to the local circumstances. 



.Among the various detailed points emphasized by Dr. Frank 

 are those of plantation costs, artificial fertilizers, preparation on 

 the plantations, preliminary working, shipping and storage. In 

 conclusion he remarks that what has been said of Manihot and 

 Kickxia also applies to Hcvca, Castiltoa and Ficiis, it being of 

 importance that the special conditions of the particular plan- 

 tation should be taken into account at the start as well as at 

 every stage of production and preparation. To use his own 

 words: "By systematic work, it would be possible to find for 

 every plantation a method of preparation which would meet its 

 special conditions, in such a manner that .perfectly first-class 

 grades fully equal to wild rubbers, would be produced." 



Such are a few of the leading points in Dr. Frank's valuable 

 paper, which merits careful perusal by those interested in the 

 subjects treated. 



RUBBER PRODUCTION OF THE GERMAN 

 COLONIAL POSSESSIONS. 

 A CCORDING to the official report on the German Colonial 

 ■'^- Possessions for the year ending with April. 1911, the perio.l 

 under review had been in general favorable to their development 

 1 h.s was largely due to the construction of new railways, while 

 scarcity of labor proved a difficulty at various points, especiallv in 

 the more closely planted districts of East Africa. 



In view of a recent noticeable reduction in the interest previ- 

 ously taken by German and English capitalists in German colonial 

 investments, the Imperial and colonial administrations have been 

 jointly investigating how the abuses which have occurred in con- 

 nection with certain new incorporations could be prevented in the 

 future. 



Under the influence of the high prices current in the earlier 

 part of the official year 1910-11, German colonial rubber exports 

 display a marked increase in comparison with those of the pre- 

 ceding annual period, as will be seen by the following figures : 



RUBBER E.XPORTS FOR YEARS ENDING .\PRIL. 1910 .A.M) 1911. 



1910. 1911. 



^a^f"""" tons 1,517.635 1,961.756 



German East Africa 474.348 743.706 



'^°S0 136.785 134.919 



German New : iGuinea 6.616 8.649 



Total from German possessions. /OH J 2,135.384 2.849.030 



K.\MERU.\. 



Kamerun took first, place, nearly the entire quantitv from that 

 source in 1911 going to (iermany. 1,747.540 tons; England taking 

 195.900 tons, and other countries the balance, 18.320 tons. 



Rubber formed in value more than one-half of the 43^ million 

 dollars' aggregate of Kamerun exports for the year 1910-1911. 

 The total number of rubber trees in Kamerun at the end of 

 April, 1911, was 5,744,248. divided as follows: 



Kickxia trees 4.915.865 



Hcvea 786,270 



Manihot 19,343 



P''^"^ ■ 16,686 



Castilloa 7 584 



Sundry varieties 3,500 



Tctal 5.744,248 



It is stated, however, that the yields from Kickxia have not been 

 encouraging, and that while its cultivation has been materiallv 

 reduced as compared with former years, that of Het'ea has re- 

 cently made great progress, planters finding advantage in such a 

 course.^ Herea Brasiliensis gives a larger yield, is less e.xacting 

 than Kickxia as to soil, and is very suitable for intermediate 

 planting with cocoa, this combined plan of cultivation now being 

 more or less generally carried out. Owing to the necessary quan- 

 tity of Kamerun seed not being available until 1912-1913. most of 

 the young plants have at present to be imported from India. 

 When this necessity no longer exists, a considerable extension of 

 Kamerun planting is anticipated. 



GERMAN E.XST .\FRIC.\. 

 The following results are shown for the year 1910-1911 : 

 Exports to Exports to 



Germany. other countries. Total. 



Plantation rubber .tons 359.85 54.04 413.89 



Wild rubber 268.37 61.45 329.82 



'l'"tal tons 628.22 115.49 743.71 



In rubber cultivation Ccara seems to have assumed the first 

 place, hitherto occupied by Manihot. 



.\ purifying establishment for crude rubber is being operated 

 at Muhcja and is said to be well occupied, while another is being 

 inst.-illed at Tanga. In many cases the crude product is rolled 

 and at the san e time washed on the plantations. 



TOGO. 



I he wliole of the exports of rubber went to Germany and 

 were alxuit the same in quantity as during the preceding year. 



GERM.AN NEW GUIXE.^. 

 1 lie surface under cultivation with rubber in New Guinea in 

 April, 1911, was 6,040 acres, distributed as follows among differ- 

 ent varieties; 



■P''""^ acres 4.237 



Me-iCa 1,150 



Castilloa 540 



Manihot, etc 13 



Total 6,040 



While these figures only deal with the year ending April 30, 

 1911, they are indicative of the present tendency of rubber culti- 

 vation in the German colonial possessions. 



PREPARING FOR PANAMA. 



With the object of preparing for the augmented financial re- 

 quirements involved in the expected Panama Canal traffic, the 

 Hamburg-.American Steamship Co. has increased its capital by 

 $6,250,000, bringing it up to $37,500,000. 



