August 1, 1916.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



Rubber Planting Notes. 



COST or PRODUCING PLANTATION RUBBER IN MALAYA. 



FK()M a survey ol tlic annual reports uf the various ruljber 

 companies in the Federated Malay States, it would appear 

 that the average cost of production, f. o. b. steamer, in- 

 cluding all expenses except interest charges on investment, was 

 during 1915, approximately 25 cents per pound on well managed 

 plantations in full bearing. Some companies were al)le to pro- 

 duce their rubber at somewhat lower cost, but quite a number 

 of others reported higher costs which were in many cases due 

 to charging the expense of operating the entire estate, including 

 portions not in bearing, against the output of their productive 

 areas. One company figures its proportionate charges as fol- 

 lows : 



Cents Per Pound. 



Collecting and manufacturing 12.00 



istration charges, including superintend- 



ence and Singapore offices 

 Depri ■ 

 MisccIIa 



Total 25.00 



With the best grades of rubber ranging, during 1915, from 50 

 cents to $1 per pound, it is easy to compute the substantial profits 

 of rubber planting in Malaya. 



EASTEEN PLANTATION PRODUCTION. 



A report from United States Consul Harry Campbell, detailed 

 as vice-consul at Singapore, Straits Settlements, states that the 

 production of plantation rubber in the East has increased during 

 the last ten years from practically notKing to 70 per «ent of 

 the wonld's production. He gives the following figures in tons 

 of 2,240 pounds as a verification of his statement, which in some 



respects diflfers from 



statisticians' figures and estimates : 



Estimating the output for 1915 at an average of 67 cents per 

 pound, which the consul believes is slightly below the actual figure. 

 he pteces the selling value at $215,000,000, of which $155,000,000 

 is attributable tn the MitWle East plantations. As these have a 

 total capitalization of about $282,000,000, his estimate suggests 

 an average profit of about 50 per c«nt, covering all plantations, 

 both producing and non-producing. He believsB this is a fair 

 estimate, because many of the producing companies are reported 

 to be reaping profits of 100 to 200 per cent. 



RUBBER CULTIVATION IN HAINAN. 



The first exportation of rubber produced in tlie island of 

 Hainan. China, was shipped in 1915. 



Rubber trees were introduced in Hainan in 1910 by two 

 Chinese companies. There are 4.000 in the T-o Hui district. 

 2.000 of wkich began to be tapped in April, 1915. 



.\l>nut 4pO pounds of rubber was sent to Singapore between 

 June and the end of 1915, w'hich realized about 37 cents per 

 pound. The rubber is said to have been of first quality, but 

 faultily prepared and was therefore sold as second quality. 

 The introduction of machinery will doubtless improre the 

 pr«duct. 



Since 1910, Chinese intcreiite have planted 1"2,000 Hcfea 

 rubber trees in the vicinity of Modoa. Hainan, but tkese are 

 still young and are not expected to produce for another trwo 

 veats. 



SMOKING RUBBER. 



Replying to an inquiry in regard to the best wood for pro- 

 ducing dense smoke for curing rubber, our South India con- 

 temporary "The Planters' Chronicle," says: 



Any kind of Indian jungle wood may be used, but it should 

 not be too green a»s the smoke would then contain too much 

 moisture, with the result tliat the rubber would dry slowly and 

 be apt to be over-smoked. The best results are obtained with a 

 judicious mixture of dead, dry timber with green wood. Hevea 

 logs obtained from thinning out may be used, but they should be 

 first stacked in the sun to dry. 



It is not so much the kind of wood which is used, as the type 

 of furnace which produces the best smoke. A comparatively 

 slow rate of combustion should be aimed at. This produces a. 

 dense smoke, with a low proportion of fine ash to contaminate 

 the rubber in the smoke-house. The draught should be kept low 

 and the combustion regulated so that the wood glows and smoul- 

 ders, leaving a high proportion of charcoal at the end instead of 

 white ash. 



VALUATION OF RUBBER TREES. 



The "Straits Budget," Singapore, Straits Settlements, pub- 

 lished the following interesting information regarding the valua- 

 tion of rubber trees : 



"In response to an inquiry from a government department as 

 to the value planters placed upon rubber trees at varying ages, 

 a sub-committee was appointed which d*w up a standard valua- 

 tion as follows : 



The standard valuation presumes: (a) that the tree is well 

 grown on good soil; (b) that the tree is healthy: (c) that the 

 tapping has been careful and moderate: (d) that the planting 

 lies not been too close, or if originaHy too cl'ose that it has been 

 thinned out; (e) that the expenditure on the estate has been 

 normal; (f) that no pest has attacked the tree; (g) that the price 

 of best rubber is 2s. 4d. a pound [56 cents]. 



THINNING OUT RUBBER. 



Much has been wrjtten on the ssbject of thinning out rub- 

 ber, but it appears that no fixed rules have yet been deterjpined. 



.At a recent meeting of the Committee of Agricultural Ex- 

 periments at the Peradeniya School of Agriculture, Ceylon, J. S. 

 Patterson submitted some figures showing the result of thin- 

 ning out on a plantation 20 years old. These figures showed 

 that profitable results appeared to follow the thinning out of a 

 plantation even at this age. The original number of trees was 

 161 per acre and thinning out during three years brought the 

 number down to 105 trees per acre. The yield had at first dropped 

 from 439 pounds to 400 pounds of dry rubber per acre but had 

 risen to 439 pounds again and appeared to Be continuing upon the 

 upward trend. 



Questioned as to whether it would be more profitable to begin 

 thinning out at an early date or leave it until the plantation was, 

 say, 20 years old and then thin out, several, members of the 

 committee offered remarks, generally agreeing that there were no 

 data upon which to base definite conclusions on this subject. It 

 iepended upfin so many factors— the original spacing, climate 

 md price of rubber. Neverthsless, the consensus of opinion 



