392 



rather endeavoured to confine myself to suggesting a method by 

 w hich new estates could be made self-supporting as regards rice 

 required to feed the coolies, which is no mean item in the year's 

 expenses. 



FRANCIS PEARS. 



NEW PARA RUBBER PROM THE EAST. 



(The following is from the " India Rubber World" 

 of June ist, 1902.) 



At a recent auction sale in London six cases of fine Rubber from 

 Ceylon, the product of cultivated trees from Para seed, brought 35. 

 4.W. or about 81.4 cents, whereas the highest price lor real Para 

 rubber reported during the week was only $s. old. per pound. 

 This is not the lirst instance of exceptionally high prices obtained 

 in the London market for "Para rubber" from plantations in the 

 East. The declining profits of coffee growing have forced the 

 planters in that part of the world to seek some more remunerative 

 planting, and already thousands of acres are covered with rubber 

 trees under cultivation. Not unnaturally attention has been turned 

 chieflv to Para rubber, on account of the universally higher price 

 which it commands, and now that the first trees planted are becom- 

 ing productive, the result of the sale of every little lot exported 

 seems to the planters to confirm their choice. There is no com- 

 puting how much planting of Para rubber since 1900 has been due 

 to the sale of 327tbs. sent from Perak to London in that year at 

 3$. lod. 



It is not impossible that these planters may yet be disappointed, 

 for the reason that it remains to be seen whether what they are 

 producing is real ''Para rubber". The tendency in nature is for 

 all species to be influenced by change of habitat. It appears, for 

 example, that trees of the genaus Hevea, the source of Para rubber 

 when grown in the East, become productive at an earlier age than 

 in the Amazon valley ; again, it is stated that, while in the Amazon 

 forests the seed pods of the Hevea uniformly contain three seeds, 

 the number is irregular on the trees in the Malay States, and there 

 are other indications of a tendency to li sport". It is possible that, 

 under cultivation, the tree might in time develqp different charac- 

 teristics even in Brazil, where thus far it has existed only under 

 natural forest conditions. Ultimately new species of Hevea, may 

 exist as a result of change of soil and climate, and of transfer from 

 forests to plantations. 



We have already expressed our opinion of samples of the cul- 

 tivated rubber from the Malay States, which, while attractive in 

 appearance, do not really resemble the tine Para rubber now in use. 

 It is much softer than the Brazilian product, and of much shorter 

 '• fiber ". It could not be used, for example, in thread, elastic bands, 

 or any fine pure gum goods. In solution it quickly loses its tena- 

 city, so that it would not do for high grade cements. And it readily 



