*3* 



That from the old trees was good rubber and possessed all the 

 requisite qualities. It contained 81.9 Caoutchouc, and only 15.8 

 Kesin. The age ol the old trees is not stated, but it is certainly 

 clear that Castilloa trees cannot be tapped to any good purpose as 

 young as four years and probably not for a good many years after 

 that. It is pointed out that even in the old trees the amount of 

 resin is far too high and much more than is permissible. Of the 

 Funtumias, the samples were sent from F. africana and F. elastica 

 for comparison. Reports from West Africa have stated that the 

 former is inferior to the latter and this is confirmed by the analysis 

 F. africana giving only 39*3 Caoutchouc to 6o*oo Resin while F. 

 elastica gave 60*4 Caoutchouc and 15-3 Resin. 



Samples of Castilloa rubber and Puktumia clastic, 1, of different 

 ages were compared. The analyses show that while Funtumia 

 lor drv rubber at 4.I years 85'3-86"9 per cent. Caoutchouc and 

 1 1*2 and IO'O Resin. Castilloa of the same age gave 41*3 to \\\ 

 Caoutchouc, and 49 3 to 56'j Resin, so that Funtumia may be said 

 to come into bearing much earlier than Castilloa. Castilloa trees 

 12 years old and over gave from 82*7 to 91*2 Caoutchouc, and 8'3 

 to 13-8 Resin. 



The author of the report, however, points out that WEBER, in 

 trees on the Isthmus of Columbia, of the ages of 4 and 5 years, 

 found 2647 and i8"i8 per cent, resin, which is about half the 

 amount in the Trinidad rubber. 



The Funtumia and the Castilloa rubber from the older trees were 

 valued at 2s. 2d. to 2s. 6d. per lb. for Funtumia and 2s. 4a 7 . to 2s.gd. 

 for Castilloa. 



Some Castilloa rubber prepared by Dr. Weber's process of add- 

 ing Formaldehyde to the creamed latex, was found to have only 

 8*2 per cent. Resin and 91*2 Caoutchouc, and was a very satisfac- 

 tory sample, but very similar to the best sample prepared by 

 creaming and adding alcohol in the ordinary way, and was valued 

 at the same price, viz. 2S. Qd, per lb. — [Extracted from Bulletin 

 Imperial Institute.) 



THE FUTURE OF RUBBER IN CEYLON. 



Prices now and hereafter. 



Although considerable activity is being shown in the planting of 

 rubber in suitable districts in the island, the question of future 

 prices introduces an element of uncertainty which hitherto, however, 

 has not exercised a very restraining influence upon developments. 

 It is well, however, to be prepared for all eventualities. To those 

 of us who went through the hot lit of the cinchona craze, when 

 acres of that product seemed more valuable to our dazzled eyes 

 than the Witwatersrand, a modest estimate of future prices is po- 

 pular, and acceptable. That those who have rubber trees capable 



