106 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[XoVEMBF.R 1, 1918. 



Rubber Planting Notes. 



DUTCH EAST INDIAN RUBBER EXPORTS. 



APllE.\OME.\.\L inci-caso in the Javanese rubber exports 

 to the United States for 1917 over those for 1916 is re- 

 ported by United States Consul H. J. Dickinson at Batavia, 

 Java, the reasons being the interruption of steamer service to 

 iiurope and the prohibitive freight rates to European markets. 

 The result is that the American importer and the Dutch East 

 Indian exporter have established direct relations of mutual benefit. 

 Mr. Dickinson thinks it doubtful whether Holland will ever 

 regain the strong position she formerly held as distributer of 

 her colonial produce to American consumers. 



From Batavia the rubber exports to the United States were 

 33,450,281 pounds, value $18,063,325, for 1916, and they rose to 

 54,352,904 pounds, value $30,937,317, for 1917; from the same 

 port jelutong exports rose from 777,148 pounds, value $29,619, 

 ior 1916, to 1,757,651 pounds, value $151,220, for 1917. 



From Soerabaya the rubber exports to the United States were 

 -only, 7,224,262 pounds, value $3,886,835, for 1916, and they ad- 

 vanced to 14,001,766 pounds, value $8,710,336, for 1917; from 

 the same port jelutong exports increased from 2,312,003 pounds, 

 value $70,757, for 1916, to 6,712,178 pounds, value $310,665, for 

 1917. Soerabaya also sent us 574,644 pounds of gutta percha, 

 valued at $35,158, in 1916, but this port forwarded to us 1,585,614 

 j)ounds, value $112,359, in 1917. 



A NEW TAPPING METHOD. 

 iV. van Brakel describes a new method of tapping, successfully 

 employed by him on the Basilam Estate, Bindjei, East Coast of 

 Sumatra. The usual system followed in this district is two cuts 

 over a quarter, from left to right above each other. Mr. van 

 Brakel considered that in this way the flow of latex to the upper 

 cut was somewhat held back by the lower cut, and to prove this, 

 the direction of the cuts was changed. The upper was placed 

 to the left of the lower so that the latex flowed into the cup via 

 the lower cut. Experiments carried out during three and a half 

 months on two plots of 2,700 trees each showed an increased yield 

 of about 12 per cent under the new system, while it was further 

 iound that ihe coolies could tap the same number of trees. In 

 the rainy season, this method causes greater loss of latex, but 

 ■even so it is said to be more profitable than the old one. 



CUBING RUBBER PRIOR TO BALING. 

 A correspondent suggests in "The Malayan Tin and Rubber 

 Journal" that rubber planters should make their smoked sheet 

 into five-foot cubes, which would be easy to do when the sheet 

 <;omes out of the smoking-room, as only few estates would have 

 more than a few to make daily. No ribbing would be required 

 ^nd the name and brand of the estate could be pressed into the 

 *ube to a depth of say half an inch. More rubber could be put 

 into a bale this way than when a dealer at a port presses sheets 

 into a baler as he does now. Only the outside of the cube could 

 possibly mold, the mass would be an obstacle to pilfering, and 

 if the outside covering were torn oflf the "chop" of the estate 

 would still be there. 



THE CEYLON RUBBER INDUSTRY. 



The Annual Report on the Blue Book for 1917 states that the 

 area under Hnra rubber in Ceylon is now about 251,500 acres. 

 :Rubber is gradually displacing cinnamon in the western province 

 in the Matara district, large areas formerly under citronella are 

 -now being planted with rubber, while in the Kalutara district 

 .£ven rice lands are being converted into rubber estates. The 

 report regrets the diminished production of foodstufifs, says that 

 the rubber is sometimes badly planted, easily becoming diseased. 



when it becomes a danger, and states that increased idleness 

 and crime follow the change from rice to rubber growing, as it 

 is far less troublesome to grow rubber than to grow "paddy." 

 Rubber is being interplanted with tea in the low country with a 

 view to replacing tea by rubber. 



A notable increase, amounting to 15,910,700 pounds, is reported 

 in the rubber exports of 1917 over 1916. Exports since 1912 

 have been as follows : 



I9I2 founds 13.236,900 I9t5 pounds A3.57A.8Q0 



1513 22,649,100 1916 48,669,000 



1914 30,672,400 1917 64.579,700 



In 1917, the United States were supplied with as much rubber 

 as the United Kingdom. Other countries supplied (in order of 

 importance) were: France, Italy, Russia in Asia, Japan, South 

 America. China. All exports are under license owing to the war. 



BALING PLANTATION RUBBER A SUCCESS. 



UNDER the stimulation of a request by The Rubber .Associa- 

 tion of America that rubber prepared in the Far East for 

 shipment to this country be packed in such a manner as to save 

 cargo space to the fullest possible extent, the rubber shippers 

 in that district are rapidly adopting the methods of baling rubber 

 which had their origin in 1915 on the plantations of the United 

 States Rubber Co., in Sumatra. These methods of baling mark 

 the successful conclusion of a long series of experiments to 

 perfect a method of preparing the rubber for transport which 

 would provide a compact, strong package to withstand the long 

 voyage to America, and allow the crude rubber to arrive at its 

 destination in first-class condition, as well as reducing the orig- 

 inal cost of the containers to the lowest possible figure. 



Previously, plantation rubber was as a rule shipped from the 

 Far East in wooden cases. These were for the most part "momi" 

 cases — wooden boxes of white wood made in Japan for the 

 tea trade — and rough redwood cases. Their use was unsatis- 

 factory because they were frequently broken due to a shrinkage 

 of the wood which was often green lumber, so that dirt and 

 splinters found their way into the rubber. .An elTort to strength- 

 en the boxes by using wire and iron straps had little effect in 

 preventing breakage during the voyage. Another difficulty con- 

 nected with the use of the boxes was that it was deemed in- 

 advisable to weight them to their full capacity because of their 

 lack of strength. 



When the late E. H. Pound went to the United States Rubber 

 Co.'s plantations in 1914 as director of the technical depart- 

 ment, he took out with him various kinds and sizes of bags, 

 sacks and drills, with which he made an effort to determine 

 the best form of package. Rubber packed in these containers 

 arrived in New York in good condition, showing that it was 

 not necessary to use wood as a covering. Experiments were 

 also made with fiber coverings, but the excessive moisture caused 

 these to deteriorate rapidly, even when well-varnished. 



In February, 1915, the company began to ship rubber in gunny 

 sacks lined with cheap cotton cloth procured from India and 

 treated to protect against mold and decay. At this time a num- 

 ber of old tobacco presses found on that part of the plantations 

 formerly used for growing tobacco, were tried out for baling 

 rubber. When pressed, the bales were secured with strao iron 

 which was fastened with an ordinary cotton bale fastener. These 

 presses were of the hand variety but recently power has been 

 applied to the presses, the number of which has been augmented 

 by the latest and most improved type of American presses. 



All rubber shipped by the United States Rubber Co. from its 

 plantations since December, 1915, has been forwarded in bales 



