April 1. 1912.; 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



343 



Some Notes on Rubber Planting. 



TWO MONTHS' RESULTS OF PROMINENT MALAY RUBBER COMPANIES. 



THt)L'(jll only applying to a relativi.-ly liniiteil number ot 

 companies, the following return.s dealing with the first 

 two months of 1911 and 1912 will be found of interest: 



TOTAL CROP FOR JAXU,\RV AXD FEBRUARY. 



Acreage planted. 1911. 1912. 



Acres. Pnuiids. Poiinils. 



Anglo-.Malay 3,521 115,910 133,292 



Pataling 1,422 49,931 65,818 



London .•\siatic 4.283 46,343 83,921 



Golden Hope 850 12,477 22,554 



Selaba 1,846 23,039 45,875 



I'.ikam 700 12,083 21,821 



Aggregate 12,622 259,783 373.281 



By this showing, 1912 seems to be starting favorably for the 

 above prominent companies. 



SCOTTISH MALAY RUBBER CO.. LIMITED. 



Out of the 2,440 acres owned by this company in Selangor, 

 Federated Malay States, 1,403 have been gradually planted with 

 rubber .since 1505. That the earlier plantings are now reaching 

 maturity is shown by the recent output of rulilier: 



P cm lids. 



1910, Twelve months 31,002 



1911, Twelve months 102,017 



1911, January 5.237 



1912, January 9,519 



1911, February 10,126 



1912, February 17,088 



These figures seem to augur well for this \ear's prospects 



RIVERSIDE (SELANGOR) RUBBER CO., LIMITED. 



The 1.455 acres under cultivation of this company's total hold- 

 ings of 2,241 acres were planted to the extent of 437 in 1906-7, 

 the latter area being at present more or less near the bearing 

 stage. Tapping commenced about the end of 1910. the quantity 

 harvested in February, 1911, being 5,700 pounds. The figure of 

 20,361 pounds recorded for February, 1912, shows that this con- 

 cern is making progress. 



UNITED SERDANG I SUMATRA) RUBBER PLANTATIONS. LIMITED. 



Of the 11.282 acres owned by this ^company, 8,161 acres are 

 planted; 60 per ceufi of the latter acreage since 1906 and 1907. 

 The quantity harvested during the year ending August 31, 1911, 

 was 218,530 pounds, while that recorded for the six months ended 

 February 29, 1912, was 212,972 pounds, the output having thus 

 been almost doubled. The estimate of 433.000 pounds for the 

 year endin,g August 31, 1912, seems likely to prove correct. 



VALLAMBROSA RUBBER COMPANY. LIMITED. 



The production of this company, owning 3.429 acres in Selan- 

 gor, Federated Malay States, has not materially varied during 

 the last three years. Figures published show ; 



Pounds. 



Twelve months to March 31, 1910 371,316 



Twelve months to March 31, 1911 411,476 



Eleven months to February 29, 1912 393,950 



DR. HUBER IN THE EAST. 



A small but distinguished party has been visiting the East, 

 composed of Dr. Jacques Huber, the well-known rubber authority 

 and director of the Goeldi Museum and Botanical Garden at 

 Para; Mr. C. E. Akers, representing British capitalists, with 

 Mr. A- Ulenast and Mr. T. Lugones, both long connected with 

 the Bolivian rubber industry. After visiting Ceylon, they con- 

 tinued their iournev to Malava and the Dutch East Indies, from 



which points they expect to return to Ceylon early in May. They 

 have been looking rather into the commercial than the scientific 

 aspect of the rubber industry. 



DR. WILLIS' CHANGE FROM CEYLON TO BRAZIL. 



In an editorial under the heading of "Ceylon's Loss, Brazil's 

 Gain" the "Ceylon Observer" pays an appropriate tribute to the 

 services rendered by Dr. J. C. Willis to the island as Director 

 of the Royal Botanic Gardens and in other responsible positions. 

 These services will now, as already noted, be rendered to the 

 Republic of Brazil as Botanical Director, Agricultural Adviser 

 and Planting Expert at the Rio de Janeiro Gardens. 



In an interview before leaving Ceylon Dr. Willis said : 



"As far as soil and climate are concerned, my general im- 

 pression is that rubber in Ceylcn does not d6 very well for the 

 first six or seven years, but after that it does very much better. 

 There is no doubt that the ?)Ialay States can beat us for six or 

 seven, possibly ten, years, but I am quite convinced that, after 

 ten years, Ceylon rubber grows as well as any.'' 



"With the high price of rubber, naturally it pays to have the 

 yield coming in when the trees are young, but I am pretty sure 

 that after about ten years the trees will begin to catch up with 

 those in the Malay States. How long *hey will take to catch up, 

 of course, I cannot say." 



THE FUTURE OF SUMATRA. 



In European expert opinion Sun)atra has a bright future, the best 

 estates there being considered very good indeed. Sumatra has the 

 advantage of better soil than in the average of the Straits pos- 

 sessions ; the properties there being, moreover, generally well 

 organized, .\uthorities believe that Sumatra will be heard from 

 a good deal more as to rublier. 



MALAYAN VS. CEYLON COOLY IMMIGRATION. 



Malayan figures mdicate that the superior attractions of the 

 Federated Malay States have led to a larger immigration of 

 coolies there than to Ceylon. Free passage is said to aid in the 

 result attained, while in various points Malayan planters en- 

 deavor to improve the condition of their workers. 



BORNEO GAINING BY RUBBER. 



In his speech at the British North Borneo dinner, recently 

 held in London. Sir J. West Ridgeway, the chairman, said that 

 the shareholders of the company had been acting the part of 

 empire makers and were now reaping the results. 



"The charter," he added, "involves great responsibilities. The 

 policy is one of- vigorous development. The company has done 

 its best and, thanks to rubber and the railway, we are now 

 on velvet." 



BRITISH ESTIMATE OF BRAZILIAN COSTS. 



A.ccoRDiNG to a calile communication from London to the 

 "Times of Ceylon," Mr. Jesser Davis, who went to Brazil to re- 

 port on the estates of the Diamantino Rubber Plantations. Lim- 

 ited, is not iinpressed with the prospects, and stigmatizes the 

 government subsidy as a mirage. He estimates that the cost of 

 the rubber landed in London would be 2s. 5d. = (58 cents) 

 per pound. 



PHILIP FRANCIS RYAN. 



Much regret has been expressed by the Indian press for the 

 untimely death, through a bathing fatality, on December 31 last, 

 of Mr. Philip F. Ryan, acting editor of the "Ceylon Observer." 

 He had previously been assistant editor of the Calcutta "Eng- 

 lishman" and editor of the Madras "Times" and of the Lucknow 

 ' Daily Telegraph." His career gave proinise of a bright future 

 in his profession. 



