September 1, 1912.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



593 



Some Rubber Planting Notes. 



BAH LIAS TOBACCO & RUBBER ESTATES, LIMJTED; EAST COAST OF 

 SUMATRA. 



THE lirst meeting of this company, formed in 1911, took place 

 on July 23 at the London offices, 49 Eastcheap. It had been 

 formed to take over concessions of the total area of about 

 40,000 acres, of which at the end of January 1,540 acres in the Bah 

 Lias section had been planted in rubber ; the 207,000 trees having 

 been planted 18 x 18. It is contemplated to plant a further 

 700 acres this year; the preparation for which has been making 

 rapid progress. This block is situated in the middle of the 

 estate and when planted will render the whole area one solid 

 block of rubber. As to the Soengei Brohol portion, it was not 

 contemplated to make further clearings, but intended that the 557 

 acres planted between 1900 and 1911 should be got clean and in 

 excellent condition. It was further proposed to plant 300 acres 

 under Para rubber in the Soengei Brohol section during the 

 current year. 



BAMBRAKELLY (CEYLON) TEA AND RUBBER COMPANY. 



The progress being made by this company is shown by the 

 fact that the yield of rubber, which for the nine months ending 

 December, 1911, was 32,011 pounds, is estimated by the annual 

 report as probably amounting for 1912 to 75,000 pounds. This 

 anticipated increase of yield is accompanied by an estimated 

 cost of Is. 5}4d. per pound, as compared with Is. 9y2d. actual 

 cost for 1911. More rubber at lower cost will doubtless favor- 

 ably affect the results of the current year, which have already 

 shown increased profits for 1911. 



MALAYAN OPINION OF AMERICAN RUBBER rROSPECTS. 



The following opinion of a Malayan expert is quoted by the 

 "Malay Mail." 



"The forthcoming New York exhibition is of paramount im- 

 portance to Malaya and the rubber industry. Just now the 

 Mexican supply is giving out and what America wants to know is 

 whether Malaya can supply what she is buying at present from 

 Brazil. We say yes, and provided America is suited with 

 our rubber, another boom is I can almost say, probable. Amer- 

 ica will not buy the wild article from Brazil any longer when 

 Malaya's exhibits have been seen and tested. Brazil's supply 

 will not expand — it cannot — but the producing capacity of this 

 country is unknown, it is so vast." 



AMERICAN AUTOMOBILES IN MALAYA. 



The American automobile appears to be making its way 

 very rapidly in the Malay Peninsula. The American Vice- 

 Consul General at Singapore states in a recent report that 

 "a local firm which was until recently the most formidable 

 competitor of American motor cars in this district, and which 

 had the best facilities and connections for extending the trade 

 of foreign makes of cars, has just obtained the services of an 

 American motor-car expert to take charge of its garage. This 

 firm now holds agencies for three American cars and has 

 practically abandoned its British and Continental business. ' 

 From this and similar instances, it is -evident that the market 

 for American goods is here and obtainable, provided it is 

 sought for in the proper manner." 



LIVELY TIMES IN MEXICO. 



Rubber planting in Mexico has been attended with a good 

 many unusual, not to say, exciting episodes during the last year. 

 It is a decidedly lively occupation as will be seen from the fol- 

 lowing extract taken from a letter recently received in this of- 

 fice from a well-known rubber planter in that republic: 



"Our Hcvea at this place is very fine, and I am now setting 



out from last year's nursery some 30,000 trees. I have some 

 trees here 19 tnonths from seed in position — that is to say, not 

 transplanted ; hence, not checked — that have reached in the time 

 indicated a height of 18 feet, with trunks 8 inches in circumfer- 

 ence at one foot above ground — 6 inches in circumference at two 

 feet above ground and Syi inches at 3 feet above ground. This 

 is not beaten a great deal anywhere. In due season I shall send 

 you some photos, if you would like to have them. Brigandage 

 is pretty bad hereabouts. Day before yesterday a small band 

 dropped in just at dusk. We numbered four rifles, and we gave 

 them a warm reception. Net result — one dead bandit, one 

 wounded. No casualties on our side. We captured two horses, 

 one rifle and one pistol — about 50 shots exchanged. And now 

 today after hot wires and mails for three months, there arrived 

 the long-promised protection — a detachment of mounted rurales; 

 and another detachment eii route from Ardoba to clean out this 

 infested district." 



SANTA MARIA DEVELOPMENT CO. 



The Santa Maria Development Co., of St. Paul, Minnesota, 

 whose directors include a number of well-known business men 

 of that city, is engaged in developing a rubber plantation in 

 Mexico. In the summer of 1910 the company purchased what 

 is known as the Santa Clara tract, containing over 6,000 acres 

 in the Soconusco district. In addition it bought a nearby plan- 

 tation consisting of 400 acres — half of which had been planted 

 to rubber trees, having 60,000 trees ranging from three to ten 

 years of age, over 30,000 of the trees being nine and ten years old. 



During the season of 1911 the company cleared 650 acres of 

 the Santa Clara tract, planted it to rubber, built over fifty houses 

 for laborers and raised 500 acres of corn. The company will 

 send illustrated literature to anyone who is interested in the 

 project. The home office is in the Oppenheim Block, St. Paul, 

 Minnesota. 



A GOOD WAY TO CAERY LATEX. 



The time honored way of carrying latex from the trees on the 

 plantation to the coagulating house, has been to use a five-gallon 

 kerosene can. Sometimes it has been carried in cans upon the 

 head. Here is a "Latex Barrow," which is a wonderful time saver, 



A Latex Barrow. 



as it holds 30 gallons, and in larger sizes 40 gallons, and saves a 

 great many unnecessary trips. The mechanism at the side is 

 for convenience in emptying the barrow. [Robert Warner & Co., 

 London, England.] 



