September 1, 1916.1 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



687 



among shareholders at the rate of one new share for two old 

 shares, taking part in the profits earned from October 1, 1915, 

 on. The Bergougnan company's profits for the fiscal year 

 1913-1914 amounted to 6,746.445 francs ($1,303,064). 



At a meeting recently held by the shareholders of the Societc 

 des fitablissemcnts Hutchinson, tire and rubber manufacturers, a 

 dividend of 30 francs [$5.79J per share was declared for the 

 year 1915 on preferred shares, while a 40-franc dividend [$7.72] 

 will be paid on common shares. In 1914 the common shares only 

 received 25 francs [$4.82] per share. The total profits of the 

 company in 1915 amounted to 2,531,525 francs [$488,525] of 

 v/hich a large amount was written off to the reserve fund. 



FRENCH GOVERNKENI SPEClrlCATIONS FOR RUBBER K&SBS. 



The French Government specifies the following composition 

 and tests for the rubber employed in the manufacture of army 

 masks : 



New rubber, not less than 50 per cent. Sulphur of vulcaniza- 

 tion, not to exceed 5 per cent of the rubber present. Free 

 sulphur, nut over 1 per cent. Mineral residue (ash), not over 

 35 per cent. Moisture, not over 3 per cent. Reclaimed rubber and 

 substitutes, none. Minimum thickness, 1 millimeter [.03937 inch.] 



The rubber must withstand a tensile strain of 250 grams per 

 sfiuarc millimeter without breaking, and be able tu stretch at 

 kast 225 per cent. 



Rubber Planting Notes. 



FUNGUS OF RUBBER IN KALAYA. „ ith cocoanut trees, the latter were cut out in order to allow 



IN the last two years the fungus UstuHna Zenata has attained the rubber trees to develop. In many small holdings, also, cocoa- 

 prominence in the Federated Malay States as the cause of a nut trees in good bearing have been cut out in order that rubber 

 root disease affecting rubber trees over ten years old. may be planted. This practice on the part of small owners is 

 This root disease was first noted early in 1913 by E. Sharpies, condemned by the Director of Agriculture, Federated Malay 

 mycologist of the Agricultural Department of the Federated States, who advises that it be discouraged as far as possible. 

 Malay States, but it was 12 months later that the fungus was .-Vbout the middle of the year a demand suddenly sprang up 

 isolated in pure culture and the fruit bodies found. Evidence among small cultivators for the seed of what was known as 

 obtained during the last year indicates that the fungus has been "getah chat," a species of rubber which was said to grow faster 

 causing damage for several years. A manager of a rubber estate and give better return than Hevea. The origin of the report 

 in Johore reports that he has been losing trees, owing to its had not been discovered, but inquiry proved that the tree in 

 attacks, since 1907. question was identical with the Ceara rubber tree, and steps were 

 This same fungus is the cause of a common root disease of taken to warn cultivators of its low economic value as a rubber 

 tea in Ceylon, though it is not yet certain that it attacks Hcvai producer. 



in that country. crude rubber exports from the gold coast colony. 



In Malava. the fungus is found on old plantations in everv , ,. • - ■ ^ ■ ,, , ^ 



^ J ., " ■ 1 I, „ 1 ij uu . • II •' .According to a report oi the Comptroller of Customs at 



part OI the peninsula. It attacks old rubber trees, especially in , n ■ ■ , ^ , , ^ ,- . , , , . 



f, . ;., r- M . ■ J 1 J 1 r -Accra. British Gold Coast Colony, the value of the total 



the region ot the Collar ; onlv in advanced cases does the fungus r , , . r ■ , . ■ 



, , ^ 1 ■ " ij I f , , exports of crude rubber from that colony during the year 



spread up the stem and it seldom reaches two feet above the m,- . j ^ j^tc i^-7 ra-m jvn j • > ,-o. ^,, 



.,,,„,,. , , • j: J . . 191j amounted to £25,167 [$122,475], as compared with £21,631 



soil level. The diseased wood, on exposure, is found to be dry ra-ioe o/tvi • mi-i u • • r o-i-j-i/^o 



... , , , , ,. , • [$105,267] in 1914; showing an increase of $17,208. 

 and tindery, and, running through the diseased tissues, con- 



.<^picuous black lines are to be seen. RUBBER trade of Java and Sumatra. 



Fungus appears to be one of the chief agents causing the rot- .\ccording to a recent report of the American Consul at 



ting of rubber stumps and logs left in plantations after thinning Batavia, Java, the United States bought 7,486,080 pounds of 



out operations. It enters the stumps and grows down them into plantation rubber from Java in 1915 and maintained for the 



the lateral roots. The roots of growing trees in contact with whole year its rank as the island's best customer, which it had 



these infected laterals are quickly attacked. uon in tlie January-June half of the same year. Great Britain 



Remedial measures against this root disease consist of was second with purchases of 4,818,240 pounds, and the Nether- 

 thorough cleaning of timber and jungle stumps when clearing, lands third with 2.885.120 pounds. The total for the year was 

 and of rubber stumps and logs at the time of thinning-out. 96 per cent larger than for 1914, amounting to a total of 16,705,- 

 Strict sanitation methods, thorough clearing, attention to 920 pounds, as compared with 8,581,440 pounds in 1014. 

 wounds, etc., should be strongly advocated lest fungoid diseases The Dominion of New Zealand has placed an export embargo 

 impair the future of the rubber planting industry. on crude and manufactured rubber. 



CRITDE R1TBBER INDUSTRY IN PERAK. RUBBER SAMPLES FROM NORTHERN NIGERIA. 



According to the annual report for 1915 by the British Resi- The Imperial Institute, London, England, has recently pub- 

 dent in Perak, Federated Malay States, the quantity of crude lished the results of tests made on a sample of rubber produced 

 rubber exported during the year was 16.663 tons as against •" Northern Nigeria. 

 11,041 tons in 1914, an increase of 5,622 tons. The sample lost 26 per cent, of its weight in washing (due to 



The acreage in rubber alone of estates exceeding 100 acres in the large amoun^ of impurities). The analysis of the residue 



area was 164,022 acres, with 2,226 acres in addition interplanted showed: 



with catchcrops; of this area 2.195 acres was planted in the Caoutchouc 49.2 per cent 



year under review. The crop tor this total area was given as Resin 47.7^er cent 



'-•"2 tons. . Proteins 2.4 per cent. 



RUBBER IN SELANGOB, Ash 0.7 per Cent. 



The annual report for 1915 by the British Resident at Sclangor, The caoutchouc that was separated was almost black and its 



Federated Malay States, recently published, contains some in- physical properties were poor. From the analysis the investi- 



teresting details concerning the rubber i)lanting industry in that gators concluded that the sample probably came from the Ficus 



state. vogclii. Samples of rubber produced from the latex of Ficus 



The approximate area under rubber was 255,326 acres. In xogclii growing in Gambia and on the Gold Coast had previously 



some estates in the Klang district where rubber was interplanted been tested at the Imperial Institute. 



