September 1, 1912.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



583 



In the report, the work of the existing model and experimen- 

 tal gardens was fully described, as well as the agricultural 

 shows held in various districts. The idea of holding an "All- 

 Ceylon" exhibition had originated with Mr. Drieberg, the 

 secretary of the society, but had been brought into promi- 

 nence through a resolution introduced at a meeting of the 

 board held in April, 1911, by Mr. John Ferguson, who had then 

 lately returned from England. Hence the close connection of 

 the society with the development and carrying out of the plan 

 lor the exhibition. 



MR. I.YNE'S PAPER. 



The chief interest of the occasion centered, however, in the 

 paper read by Mr. R. N. Lyne. director of the new Agricul- 

 tural Department of Ceylon. 



Mr. Lyne has had considerable agricultural experience, both 

 in England and in New Zealand, and was for some years Di- 

 rector of Agriculture in Zanzibar and Manager of the Govern- 

 ment PJdnlations. Two years ago, on the recommendation of 

 the Director of the Imperial Institute, he was lent, with the 

 approval of the Foreign Office, to the Portuguese Government to 

 organize a Department of Agriculture in the Province of Mo- 

 zambique. Mr. Lyne is the author of numerous reports and 

 papers on tropical agriculture, and is a member of the British 

 Committee of the International Association of Tropical Agri- 

 culture. 



DOMINANT MANURE FOR HEVEA. 



In his opening remarks, Mr. Lyne appealed to the indulgence 

 of tlie experienced rubber planters present, recognizing that it 

 would be presumptuous, witli liis short experience of Ceylon, to 

 address them on the cultivation of Hevea. Still he ventured to 

 assert that though rubber planting has been established on a 

 paying basis in Ceylon, there is very little known about the 

 right treatment of the Hevea tree. To use his own words : 



"Lawes and Gilbert pursued their patient researches for sev- 

 eral decades, before venturing to pronounce nitrogen the domi- 

 nant manure for wheat, or potash for clover. Wheat feeds in the 

 top few inches of the soil and occupies the land but a few 

 months. Hevea searches a vast area in comparison, and con- 

 tinues for three-fourths of a century, perhaps more. How long, 

 then, are we to be allowed before pronouncing upon the domi- 

 nant manure for Heveaf . . . There are many problems con- 

 nected with the cultivation and tapping of rubber, which the 

 new Department of Agriculture will, I hope, solve, or help to 

 solve." 



YIELD OF HEVEA WITHOUT MANURING. 



Mr. Lyne further discussed the question of the rich return 

 of a Hevea tree at Heneratgoda, giving eighteen pounds in 

 one month's tapping, and yielding in that proportion, more or 

 less, for six months or more in the year. In three and one- 

 third years it yielded 275 pounds of rubber, though it had never 

 been manured. His view was that in the tropics soil was of 

 less importance than a proper balance of sun and rain. Thus 

 eliminating the influences of individual peculiarity, manure and 

 soil, the vigorous tree-growth is due to three other conditions — 

 light, air and room. Manuring, he considered, might actually 

 have done harm. 



Dealing with the general aspects of the question, Mr. Lyne 

 expressed the opinion that we are possibly devoting too much 

 attention to the artificial side of rubber cultivation — manuring 

 and methods of tapping, instead of devoting our energies to 

 removing ^obstacles from the path of nature. He added that 

 each individual tree should be given full play for the' utmost 

 e.xercise of its functions. 



AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION. 



Among the objects to which the new department will be called 

 upon to devote its attention, is the question of the agricultural 

 education of the native population of Ceylon, in line with the 

 efiforts being made in other parts of the British Empire. In his 



opinion the material available in Ceylon compares very favorably 

 with that of the other countries within his ken. 



According to its report, the society employs nine instructors, 

 seven of whom are attached to the Singhalese districts and two 

 to the Tamil sections. 



PARA VS. PLANTATION RUBBER. 



ONE of the most salient features of the London market of late 

 has been the strong position of Brazilian rubber, and its 

 higher value compared with plantation grades. During the first 

 three weeks of August, the London price of fine Para ranged 

 from 4s. lOyid. to 5s. 2d., closing at the latter figure on the 21st. 

 That of pale crepe, on basis of first latex, varied between 

 As. 9'j4d., and 4s. llrf., reaching the high point on the 21st. Both 

 kinds started at 4s. 10!/2rf. on August 1, winding up on the 21st 

 with a higher price for Para of 3d. per pound. 



It is remarked that this difference in price will bring planta- 

 tion rubber more prominently under the notice of consumers, 

 hitherto prejudiced in favor of the BraziUan article. 



That this development has resulted is practically attributed to 

 the fact that Brazilian stocks are held in few hands. 



According to the report of the United States consul at Para, 

 quoted elsewhere, arrangements have been definitely concluded 

 by the Bank of Brazil to facilitate the disposal of the syndicate 

 stock to bona fide manufacturers, with a view to preventing it& 

 manipulation by dealers. Sales and shipments are to be made 

 to the customers direct from Para. 



The Para holdings of the syndicate, it will be remembered, were 

 2,240 tons on July 1. This quantity had been reduced by the 

 middle of August to 1,200 tons. It is understood that a large 

 part of the sales were to American dealers and consumers at 

 full rates. , 



Another element of strength in the market for Brazilian rubber 

 has been the continued deficiency in visible supply, as compared 

 with last year. On July 1 the returns stood: 1911, 10,950 tons; 

 1912, 6,370 tons ; the decrease being thus 4,580 tons. The figures 

 for August 1 were: 1911, 9,510 tons; 1912, 5,400 tons, the diminu- 

 tion in visible supply being thus 4,110 tons, nearly as much as 

 on July 1. 



WANT BALATA BELTING. 



A prominent British firm with ofiices in the Far East has writ 

 ten to one of the commercial agents of the Department of Com- 

 merce and Labor, Washington. District of Columbia — consular 

 report No. 9205 — that it would like to get in touch with a first-class 

 manufacturer of balata belting. If quality and price are right, 

 this firm feels certain that a good business can be done in this line. 



MltlTARY MOTOR TRUCKS GROWING IN FAVOR. 



Not the least interesting feature of the mimic warfare that 

 was waged around New York during the early part of August — 

 when the Red Army w-as seeking to swoop down upon the city 

 and destroy it, and the Blue Army was valiantly defending the 

 homes and hearthstones of 5,000,000 people — was the result of 

 the experiments in the use of motor trucks in army manoeuvres. 

 A large number of them were used by the invading army, and 

 in the general opinion of army men interested in the subject, 

 the motor truck is a vastly more advantageous means of con- 

 veying military equipment than the time-honored w-agon train 

 draw-n by the army mule. Two different styles of trucks were 

 used — one a 3-ton truck and the other a l;/-ton truck. They 

 were much more compact than the mule train, as they occupied 

 only one-third of the space, and consequently were only one- 

 third as much exposed when in motion to the attack of the 

 enemy. Moreover, while the mules had to be supplied with 

 provender at every camp-site, the motor trucks could carry 

 enough gasolene for a ten-days' march. The army muie is 

 evidently doomed. 



