170 



Ceylon Good Enough. 



One of our representatives was able to have a farewell interview 

 with Mr. HOFFMAN to-day; and in answer to a query as to what 

 he thought of Ceylon as a rubber-producing country, Mr. HOFFMAN 

 intimated "worlds." Coming straight out from all the excitement 

 of rubber-company-promoting at home one would naturally expect 

 Mr. HOFFMAN to continue his tour of investigation to the Straits. 

 Instead, however, Mr. HOFFMAN does not intend to go further east- 

 ward. " Ceylon is good enough for me," he says. 



Asked what he considered the best rubber district, Mr. HOFFMAN 

 said, " I have been to see all the rubber districts I could see. It is 

 almost impossible to make comparisons as to which is the best. It 

 seems to me really that rubber is doing good everywhere except 

 above a certain height. Above 1,500 feet the growth seems to be 

 backward. 



I saw the best rubber, however, in Kalutara, Matale and Kurune- 

 gala. I was very much impressed by the splendid rubber on Arapo- 

 lakande, one of the Eastern Produce's estates at Kalutara, which 

 has perhaps the oldest rubber I have seen, with the exception of 

 Heneratgoda. On the former estate I saw a 95-inch tree. One of 

 the finest young estates I have seen in the island is St. George's, 

 which I am sorry to hear is being kept for Ceylon flotation, instead 

 of Londoners being given a chance. 



Advice to Planters: Plant Hevea. 



Asked if he had any advice to give planters, Mr. HOFFMAN said: 

 " I should think that if anyone who has the chance of planting that 

 magnificent tree Hevea thinks of anything else he deserves to lose 

 his money." To the question of " Have you any advice to give to 

 planters about putting rubber on the market?" Mr. HOFFMAN 

 said " My answer is 6/3^. per lb. or gd. above fine Para !" 



Messrs. Lewis and Peat's Letter Answered. 



Naturally this statement led to discussion of Messrs. Lewis AND 

 Peat's Letter, which was published in the Times of Ceylcui on 

 Monday last. With regard to this Mr. HOFFMAN said ; " I think 

 their letter was a great mistake — against Lewis and Peat's own 

 interests and liable to undo the great benefit to themselves derived 

 from the recent visit of their junior partner, VIr. Devitt. Messrs. 

 LEWIS and Peat in London are continually crying stinking fish 

 about Ceylon rubber, continually trying to impress people that they 

 are not going to get as good a price in comparison with fine Para 

 as af present. Nine-pence a pound over fine Para, however, speaks 

 for itself, and Ceylon planters have several years before them before 

 the output will be at all large, and they will certainly themselves 

 find out what method of curing suits them best, and which com- 

 mands the best price. When plantation rubber comes forward in 

 larger quantities manufacturers will instal their machinery accord- 

 ingly. Now their expensive machinery is arranged for handling 

 wild rubber; but this will be changed in time ; and planters, in the 



