October i, 1907.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



Savaii, who is also interested in rubber growing, planted quite 

 a number of Hcvca and Castilloa about seven years ago, and 

 seems satisfied with the results. 



All these experiments show that rubber growing in Samoa 

 might be taken up with success, and now the general attention is 

 drawn more and more toward this business and efforts are 

 made everywhere to introduce this new industry to Samoa on 

 a larger scale, especially as the climatic conditions of the group 

 and the soil seem to be favorable to the growth of rubber trees 

 of the various kinds. 



The Samoa-Kautschuk-Compagnie A.-G., of Berlin, formed 

 in 1905, and having now a capital of 2,000,CXX3 marks (^$476,000), 

 is under the direction of \V. Mertens, in Berlin, with R. Gebauer, 

 of Apia, agent for Samoa. This company has its land on the 

 northern slopes of the mountains beyond the native village of 

 Falefaa, a few miles west of Apia. The enterprise started with 

 the planting of Hcvca and Caslilloa. The trees are, of course, 

 not yet old enough for tapping. 



Another company is the Safata-Samoa-Gesellschaft, also of 

 Berlin, founded in 1903 and capitalized at 1,300.000 marks 

 (=$309,400). Herr Mertens is the director and A. Krause agent 

 in Apia. The property of this company is situated about two 

 miles south of -Apia. This concern is chiefly growing cacao and 

 palms, but has taken up rul)ber seriously. Two of the illustra- 

 tions are reproduced from photograplis taken on their planta- 

 tion. One represents a one year old Hcvea and another the same 

 tree after the growth of six months. The other illustrations are 

 sufficiently described by the lines underneath them. 



Two other companies to be named are tlie Tiavi-Kautschuk- 

 Pflanzungen auf Samoa, formed recently in Berlin, with 1,000,000 

 marks (=$238,000) capital, and the UpoUi Rubber Co., Limited, 

 about which the only information at hand is that it is admin- 

 istered from Glasgow, Scotland, is on a fairly large scale, and is 

 planting Fiiiituinia clastica, at least in part. 



The most serious problem for Samoa in connection with 

 planting is the labor question. For years the Deutsche Handels 

 company imported Solomon islanders as laborers for its own 

 needs, as the Samoans won't work. Some years ago experiments 

 w^ere made with Chinese coolies, which proved rather satisfactory 

 and the German government has taken the matter up now and 

 imports Chinamen on contracts of three years' duration for 

 the needs of the planters and settlers. If the coolies give continu- 

 ous satisfaction, the problem may perhaps be solved this way. 



PLANTATION RUBBER WASHERS. 



"T^ HERE is shown here a view of a machine for washing and 

 ■*■ sheeting rubber on plantations. This machine is generally 

 similar in design to a small ordinary washing machine used in 

 rubber goods factories. It is fitted with two hard, close grained 

 cast iron rollers, 6 inches in diameter and 12 inches long, with 

 diamond cut face and fitted with roller end wheels arranged to 

 drive the rollers at unequal speed. Larger sizes are also made. 

 A strong cast iron hopper is fitted over the rollers and water 

 drip arrangement with regulating cock and steam valve, so that 

 the drip water may be heated if required. The rollers are 

 mounted in heavy cast iron frames, with sliding blocks for front 

 roller and setting up screws. The driving arrangement consists 

 of a shaft at the back of the machine, supported from the frames 

 and fitted with large diameter ; two flywheels with handles in 

 rims, fast and loose pulleys, with belt shifting apparatus, for 

 belt driving and spur pinion driving into the large wheel on end 

 of back roll. An inclined tray of galvanized iron is fitted on the 

 stays beneath the rollers and a specially designed draining ar- 

 rangement is fitted to prevent the escape of latex or small pieces 

 of rubber. The approximate weight of the machine is 23 cwt. 

 The output will vary as the material, being between 3 to 5 cwt. 

 of washed rubber per day. Many of these machines are working 

 on rubber plantations in different countries. Where power is 



RiT.i'.ER \V.\siiiNi; .\ND Sheeting M.achixe. for Plaxt.\tion 



Work. 

 not available the smaller sizes are used, being operated by 

 hand. The makers are David Bridge & Co., Castleton, Man- 

 chester, England. 



The second of the illustrations herewith relates to an earlier 

 form of rubber washing and sheeting machine for plantation 

 work, formerly marketed by the same firm. Space is given here 

 to two views in order to illustrate, through comparison with the 

 newer machine, the advance which has been made in the de- 

 signing machine of this class. 



] MlB 





Ax E.VRLiER Form of Rubber W-\sher. 



The estates acquired by the recently organized Sumatra-Deli- 

 Rubber Estates, Limited, in eastern Sumatra, embrace 132,835 

 rubber trees six years old and over that are being tapped for the 

 first time this year and are expected to yield a pound of rubber 

 on an average. 



The United States consul general at Boma reports that the 

 condition of trade on the upper Congo is simply that of barter. 

 "The state and many of the concessionary companies make pay- 

 ment in salt and in 'mitakos' — /. e., brass rods about 6 inches in 

 length, regarded in bartering as possessing a value of 10 to the 

 franc [=19.3 cents]. There is, however, a certain amount of 

 cotton cloth used." 



