536 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[May 



before the war, that it is useless lo speak of profitable results 

 from Kickxia in a tropical agricultural sense, but that at best 

 we can consider only the value of the individual trees, which 

 can be realized only on their being tapped to death, but which 

 in comparison with the clearing necessary to open up a new 

 form of cultivation amounts practically to nothing. This led 

 one Kamerun planter in an excess of rage to set lire to his whole 

 Kick.via possessions. 



Thus, to use Picht's words, h'ukxia was the most unpleasant 

 chapter in the history of Kamerun plantation, and it must be 

 looked upon as a great piece of good fortune that the amount 

 of capital invested in this cultivation is comparatively small and 

 that the estates, which at first turned extensively to Kickxia, 

 for the most part were diverted at the right time to other cul- 

 tures, so that the Kickxia portion in them sank to the rank of an 

 unimportant side culture. Moreover, we should mention here 

 what Picht does not state, tliat at the beginning great plots 

 of Kickxia were planted which did not belong to the species K. 

 elastica, but were obtained from specimens of the wholly value- 

 less species K. africana, as was only discovered later. 



In another article (•■Tropcnpftanscr," January, 1920), Picht 

 treats of the prospects of profits from the Hevea hrasiliciisis in 

 Kamerun and forms a wholly different judgment. In view of the 

 amazing profits obtained from the rubber plantations of Eastern 

 Asia and of the increasing lack of confidence in the results of 

 the Kickxia, the Kamerun planters' turned to the cultivation of 

 Hcrea. After they had succeeded in obtaining Hcvca stumps in 

 large quantities from Eastern Asia and transporting them to West 

 Africa, there was no difficulty in raising this tree, especially as the 

 ground and the rainfall conditions in Kamerun were in every- 

 way favorable. 



At the outbreak of the war large llcvca plots in Kamerun had 

 reached an age that permitted tapping. Picht. who made a jour- 

 ney to Ceylon and the Straits Settlements in 1910-1911, was in a 

 position to make comparisons between the growth of the Hevea 

 there and in Kamerun. He was unable to see any difference. 

 Later he was able, on the basis of experiments which were made 

 on the plantations under his care, to give figures which allow 

 safe inferences to be drawn on the profitable character of Hcvca 

 cultivation in Kamerim. He prints a table taken from the 

 "Straits Times" on the average yield of Hcvca of various ages, 

 and then gives more detailed accounts of what the Kamerun 

 Hevea yielded in comparison. The results of the figures follow : 



Niimher of Tapiiings Rubber Yield Straits Figures 

 AgeofHeveas. (Renewed Cuts) Per Tree, for Comparison. 

 No Years. Per Tree. Kilos. Kilos. 



1 6 2K 1.16 0.725 



2 5 125 0.5 0.3S 

 The yields in Kamerun are, therefore, substantially greater than 



in the Straits, which is the consequence probably of the richer 

 soil in Kamerun and the better rainfall condition there. It should 

 be mentioned also that the above tappings were made with' an 

 extremely careful regard for the bark, such as has gradually 

 been shown to be the best thing in Asia. Hevea in Kamerun is 

 generally planted mixed with cacao— about 180 Hcvca and 542 

 cacao trees to a hectare. 



Picht presents more detailed estimates of profits and comes to 

 the conclusion that in Kamerun, whose negroes have shown them- 

 selves to be an industrious and relatively cheap form of labor, 

 Hevea cultivation should profit by the expensive experience gained 

 in other countries, with results no less successful than in East 



Asia. ■ 



AFRICAN NOTES. 



From the Gold Coast of Africa comes an interestmg report 

 of the Agricultural Department for 1918, which shows a steady 

 purpose of building up again the rubber trade under discour- 

 aging circumstances. Less than ten years ago West Africa was 

 exporting over 14,000 tons of rubber and seemed to have an 

 even chance with the plantations of the Far East. The govern- 



ment keeps up nine agricultural stations which report on rubber 

 cultivation. Those at Tarquah and Cormassie have 78 and 60 

 acres, respectively, devoted to rubber; the others are much 

 smaller. On all, elaborate experiments are being made in tap- 

 ping, in planting, in the distance from each other of the trees, 

 and the diseases which seem to be unduly prevalent, are studied. 

 Small farms, planted with rubber, are prepared for the natives, 

 who cannot be made to take an interest in them; the while plant- 

 ers, too, care little for rubber. 



The cause of the depression is ascribed to the war, but it is 

 more likely due to the hopelessness of contending with the tri- 

 umphant Asiatic plantation rubber. Still the statistics demon- 

 strate that on the Gold Coast and in the surrounding territory 

 the physical conditions for growing Hevea rubber, as well as 

 ihat of the indigenous Ftintumia elastica are very favorable, if 

 the proper supply of labor can be obtained, and that England 

 can fall back on these possessions for her rubber supply in case 

 any political or other disaster were to deprive her of her East 

 Indian and Malayan territories. 



Exports from French W'est Africa, of which rubber forms an 

 important part, were interfered with on account of the deficiency 

 of vessels in the period following the armistice. The figures 

 were: 



Pounds. Value. 



French Guinea 1,559,800 $683,730 



Ivorv Coast 547,800 240,406 



Senegal 719,400 315,994 



Totals 2,837,000 $1,240,120 



In 1917, French West Africa exported 2,873,200 pounds of rub- 

 ber, valued at $1,260,396. Only $5,734 worth of rubber from the 

 Ivory Coast went directly lo the United Stales. 



SINGAPORE GUTTA PERCHA EXPORTS. 



As an example of the upward tendency in the prices asked for 

 gutta percha, it may be stated that "Pahang red," which five 

 years ago cost approximately $158 per picul (133 1-3 pounds), 

 rose to $312 at the close of 1919, with supplies even at this 

 price practically miobtainable. Similarly, "Banjirmassin" in- 

 creased from $85 to $142 during the same period, and this may 

 be taken as a fair average of the advances made on all grades 

 of gutta percha during the past five years. It will thus be seen 

 that increases of 80 to 100 per cent have taken place. 



Gutta percha to the amount of 1,469 long tons, valued at $1,- 

 468,792, was imported into Singapore during the year 1918. Of 

 this amount 1,372 tons, at a value of $1,358,764, were imported 

 from the Dutch Ea-st Indies, while only 91 tons, valued at 

 $107,431, were imported from British North Borneo, Sarawak, 

 and the Federated Malay States. 



Of gutta inferior, 5,243 tons, valued at $518,975, were imported 

 into Singapore during the year 1918, most of which came from 

 Dutch Borneo and Sarawak, Sumatra furnishing only 300 tons. 



The following table shows the quantities, values, and countries 

 of destination of gutta percha and gutta inferior exported from 

 Singapore during 1918 : 



CiTTA Perch.v. 

 Countries of destination Quantity Value 



United Kingdom tons 1,596 $1,556.3.57 



Canada .. 138 44,895 



France 113 43,909 



Italy .TO 11,447 



Japan 33 22,7.55 



United States _U30 362,736 



Totals 3,140 $2,042,099 



Gl-tta Inferior. 



United Kingdom 99 9.,539 



Canada 71 • 6,3& 



Australia 17 1.797 



Other British possessions I 42 



France 10 1.022 



Japan 144 16,009 



United States 8.34 89,959 



Other foreign countries 2 i2/ 



Totals 1,178 $124,960 



