352 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[March 1, 1915. 



without danger tu the tree, and it requires more ability and 

 judgment than arc usually found among the negro workmen. 

 The result of this is that the trees are frequently ill treated, so 

 that the incisions heal badly and the tissue of the bark suffers. 



Other methods have been recommended in consequence, and 

 the tapping r« employed on the German plantation in 



l.ewa is finding favor with planters. The results obtained by 

 the l.ewa method have been very promising, experience showing 

 that the tree recovers quickly and that a second tapping gives 

 still better results than the first. 



Some plantations are growing Manihot directly from seed, 

 planting the seeds directly in the future soil oi the tree. This 

 method, as a rule, produces verj strong trees, though it is not 

 always entirely successful. The larger plantations, however, are 

 following the nursery system, later transplanting the stumps to 

 theii proper places. The trees are planted from 12 to IS feet apart, 

 which gives enough space for the branches. As a rule, the tops 

 of the trees will touch in about four years. The trunks are then 

 protected against the sun — which is very important — and the 

 gatherers can work during the whole day. 



plant Cissus adenocauhs, locally called at Mayumba 

 "Lembugi," serves as an excellent medium for coagulation. 



RUBBER EXPORTS FROM STRAITS SETTLEMENTS. 

 A cablegram from the Colonial Secretary to the Malay States 

 Information \gcncy announces that the exports of rubber from 

 the ports of the Straits Settlements for the month of December 

 amounted to 2,334 tons, as compared with 2.370 tons in the pre- 

 ceding month and 1.217 tons in the corresponding month of 1913. 

 The total exports for the year amounted to 19,727 tons, as com- 

 pared with 11,889 tons in 1913 and 5.799 tons in 1912. The fol- 

 lowing are the comparative statistics for three years: 



L91 1913. 1914. 



January tons 253 784 1,181 



February 274 743 1.703 



;, '. 427 898 1,285 



April 387 762 1,548 



May 431 S14 1,309 



June 398 812 1,480 



July 380 1,120 



August 1,315 1.325 



September 597 1,057 1,602 



October 550 1.144 2.006 



November 816 1,223 2.370 



December 557 1.217 2,334 



Total 5.799 11.889 19,727 



I hese figures include transshipments of rubber from various 

 places in the neighborhood of the Straits Settlements, such as 

 Borneo, Java. Sumatra and the non-Federated Malay States, as 

 well as rubber actually exported from the Colony, but do not in- 

 . lude rubber exports from the Federated Malaj States. 



FEDERATED MALAY STATES RUBBER EXPORTS. 



An official cablegram to the Malay State- Information Agency 

 announces that the exports of rubber from the Federated Malay 

 States for the month of January amounted to 3.473 tons, as com- 

 pared with 2.542 tons for the corresponding month last year and 

 3,361 tons in December last. 



The January export is the largest amount of plantation rubber 

 yet recorded for one month by the Malay State-. 



Brooklands & Selangor Rubber Co., Limited, at its fourth an- 

 nual meeting, received a report announcing profits for the period 

 covered of nearly £5,000. The loss of a consignment of 3.000 

 pound- of rubber in the "Trolius," which was sunk by the "'Em- 

 den." was reported. The estate was reported in good condition. 

 - all paid to date and" production of rubber in progress. 



Sengat Rubber Estate. Limited, reports a crop of 281,668 

 pounds of rubber, the original estimate having been 247,000 

 pounds The cost f. o. b. was 9.63d. It was decided to paj a 

 dividend of lit. per share. 



BALATA MONOPOLY IN DUTCH GUIANA. 

 By Our Regular Correspondent. 



■\y/LLII few exceptions the inhabitants of Dutch Guiana, and 

 V* more especially those engaged in the balata industry, are 

 all up in arms against the ordinance just created by the govern- 

 ment, which they claim favors the companies "Suriname" and 

 "Guyana." These concerns have been amalgamated and bold 

 most of the available large producing balata tracts. 



A cablegram signed by leading men has been forwarded to the 

 Minister of Colonies at the Hague which reads as follows 



"Balata industrial- and others interested implore disapproval 

 new balata ordinance. This ordinance will result only in in- 

 terest of united companies 'Suriname' and 'Guyana' which 

 will have exclusive right, obtaining best balata lands in very 

 extensive area, creating monopoly, excluding other exploiters, 

 to detriment colony and population. Petition follow-.' 



A petition largely signed by influential members of the com- 

 munity followed the cable; but two days after the despatch to 

 the Minister, the Governor received a wire from this high 

 official to the effect that the new ordinance was accepted by the 

 House and had passed its final reading. 



The people, therefore, are indignant. The press, with only 

 one exception, has taken the matter up and openly condemns 

 the policy of the authorities. The attitude of the papers is most 

 threatening, and it is openly asserted that troii ile will soon fol- 

 low this incident. 



It is. however, quite clear that the amalgamated concerns have 

 the best of the deal, and it is s.ated that they are negotiating 

 i ti in in the United States to operate the lands which they now 

 hold, covering all the available balata forests in the colony. 



There is no getting away from the fact that as far as the 

 balata industry is concerned the only people in the colony to 

 derive any benefits from the exploitation of this enterprise are 

 those wdio are directly associated with the companies in question. 



RUBBER EXPORTS FROM TRINIDAD. 



The following table shows the shipments of rubber from 

 Trinidad for the year just past, as contained in the "Proceed- 

 ings of the Agricultural Society of Trinidad and Tobago": 



January to November, inclusive pounds 3,845 



December 797 



Total shipments in 1914 4,642 



Total shipments in 1913 6,454 



Total shipments in 1912 6,736 



A NEW STEAMSHIP LINE TO SOUTH AMERICA. 



Steamship service is soon to be established between New- 

 York and the east coast of South America, Norton, Lilly & I o., 

 Produce Exchange, New York, having secured the steamer 

 "Crofton Hall" for operation between Xew York, Montevideo 

 and Buenos Aires, carrying freight and passengers. The 

 "Crofton Hall," whose initial trip in this service will be made 

 March 1, was built in 1913, with all modern passenger con- 

 veniences, and is the only American passenger steamer going 

 direct to the ea-t coast of South America. 



The Department of Stale of the Republic of Cuba requests 

 catalogs and samples of articles of rubber, gutta percha. eti . 

 together with cable address of the manufacturer, trademarks 

 and other information for exhibition in a "commercial museum" 

 attached to its Bureau of Information. These may be sent di- 

 rect, addressed to Sr. Secretario de Estado, Habana. Cuba, or 

 to the Cuban consulate general, 82 Beaver street, New York. 



Should be on every rubber man's desk — Crude Rubber and 

 Compounding Ingredients: Rubber Country of the Amazon; 

 Rubber Trade Directory of the World. 



