29 



pound per tree from widely-planted estates, be no less 

 than 17,500 tons per annum; if, as is indicated by the 

 results from estates possessing 8 to lo-year-old trees, the 

 yield is going to be two to three pounds per tree, we 

 have, in this new and very promising source, a supply of 

 35,000 to 52,500 tons per annum. Taking into considera- 

 tion probable shortage of crops, due to insufficient labour, 

 badly developed estates, and the ravages of diseases, it is 

 reasonable ultimately to look to the East for at least 

 25,000 tons per annum. This is quite in addition to that 

 from old sources in America and Africa, and will be much 

 more constant in quality and quantity than that on which 

 manufacturers have, in the past, been compelled to rely. 

 It is beyond dispute that the period of bigger supplies 

 and easier prices is, therefore, now in sight; such a 

 change in the industry will be welcomed by manufacturers 

 throughout the world. We may safely predict that from 

 these estates there will be more rubber annually shipped 

 than has yet been sent from the whole of Africa in any 

 similar period of time; weight for weight, that from the 

 Eastern Para estates will be almost double the value of 

 that now sent from many parts of Africa. In this very 

 small part of the tropical zone is to be seen the effect 

 of centralization, and a planting policy conducted by 

 Europeans with an up-to-date knowledge of tropical agri- 

 culture and business. No one can suppress his admira- 

 tion for the work which has been done by a comparatively 

 small band of Europeans and a large force of native 

 labourers. If they had more capital at their command, 

 the estates would reach maturity earlier, and the crops 

 would be larger than they are likely to be; there is a 

 scarcity of cash and temporary depression in the rubber 

 growing centres of Ceylon at the time of writing. 



Sight of Large Plantation. 



I have been over several large, young, rubber planta- 

 tions in Ceylon, and hardly know whether to be pleased 

 or otherwise. The view from the summit of one of the 

 hillocks is inspiring, but not satisfying. As far as the 

 eye can reach, at the tops and beyond the hills, along 

 flatfish valleys and through drained swamps, the spindly 

 stems and whorled leaves of rubber saplings of all sizes 



