30 



Gold Coast. 



The quantitj^ of rubber exported during 1909, was 2,764,190 lbs 

 as compared with 1,773,248 ibs. in the previous year. The syste- 

 matic cultivation of this product is now rapidly extending but the 

 whole of the output is still obtained from trees and vines (Funtumia 

 and Landolphia) in the vast undeveloped forests of the Interior 

 (Consular report, 1909). 



Southern Nigeria. 



Here 100 Para rubber trees at 8 years were tapped. The average 

 yield from each tree at 23 tappings was 6^ ounces. " Assuming 

 that the trees can be tapped lOO times a year this would give a yield 

 of I H lbs a year. Trees at Ebute Mitta, 15 years old, tapped last 

 year, yielded I lb. 4 oz. from 26 tappings, amounting to a yield of 

 5 lbs. per tree and year per 100 tappings Even if the yield per 

 tree turn out to be less than in the Straits our tapping experimenis 

 will still in West Africa, be far superior to Funtumia, and that it 

 should take the place of the latter where planting is to be done in the 

 moist zones (H. N. Thompson, Conservator of Forests. Annual 

 Report for 1909). 



The return is undoubtedly poor, and it by no means follows that 

 the results of 23 tappings will give a corresponding output at 100 

 tappings, practically nearly a whole year's continuous tapping. 

 There are about 30,000 plants of Para rubber in this part of Nigeria. 



GOW, WILSON AND STANTON, LIMITED. 

 India Rubber Market Report for the Year 1910. 



Market Conditions.— It can be no exaggeration to say that the 

 past year has been the most remarkable in the history of the Rubber 

 industry since the discovery of vulcanisation. 



Though the Brazilian crop last season was larger than ever be- 

 fore, the current demand for raw^ Rubber was such that prices were 

 raised to an unparalleled level which was maintained for several 

 months. 



Consumption, however, gradually became hampered by the strain 

 of high prices, and this, coupled with the inevitable speculation 

 induced by the condition of business brought about a reactioji in May, 

 since when the tone of the market has been largely dominated by the 

 stocks and the general trade outlook in America. 



The highest prices ever recorded for Crude Rubber were made in 

 April, when the quotation for Hard Fine Para reached I2s. 6d. per lb., 

 while at the auction on the 19th of that month Plantation Smoked 

 Sheet realised up to I2s. lOd. per lb., and the average price for all 

 kinds of Plantation Rubber sold that day was no less than Us. II ^sd. 

 per lb. (or say one-third of the value of Silver.) 



