56 



It has taken Brazil 50 years to raise its output from 

 1,800 tons to 36,470 tons* and this much may be accom- 

 plished by plantation rubber from the East within the next 

 ten years. How far a large influx of cultivated rubber 

 may effect the market it is difficult to forecast. At the 

 present time there is strong demand for raw material and 

 an annual output of about 100,000 tons during the next 

 decade may not do more than meet market requirements, 

 but there are many other plantations in other parts of the 

 world and when all comes into bearing this output would be 

 largely augmented. 



But during the next decade there must be a large fall 

 off with several wild rubbers. The African Landolphias 

 like the Malayan Willughbeias will gradually drop out. 

 "Guayule" is reported to be shortening, and Jelutong, in 

 native hands will most probably share the fate of all the 

 other Malayan indigenous rubbers, and Pulai too. 

 Whether Brazil can maintain its present output is very 

 doubtful, there are already signs of a decrease in exports 

 and Brazil is living on its capital. Undoubtedly Hewn 

 braziliensis is a marvellous reproductive plant but there 

 is no record of any plant, or crop, which does not become 

 exhausted when no assistance — in any form — is given, (the 

 well known Mangrove swamp plant reproduces itself pro- 

 vided seed-bearing trees are ear-marked and the period of 

 recuperation is a long one) but such a system could not be 

 adopted with wild rubber — in competition with plantation 

 — and the lower grade rubbers are almost sure to suffer 

 when plantation rubbers make good the shortage, but I 

 am not at all sure that fine grade Para would suffer by 

 such competition. 



Eubbek Prospects. 



The greatest disservice that could be done to a pros- 

 pective industry would be to overrate its possibilities and 

 although cheap production is an important and necessary 

 factor in Plantation Rubber, I suggest it is a gigantic error 

 to build on it as the only, or most, important one. 



It has yet to be proved that the present method of 

 treating latex from plantation Para trees in British Malaya 

 is the best or only, method. It will be remembered that the 

 process is borrowed. When Professor Biffen demonstrat- 

 ed the advantage of curing Castilloa latex by centrifugalis- 

 ing, he also tried Hevea by the same method, but the latex 

 failed to respond to such treatment. The rotating machine 



* Vide Mr. Herbert blight's lecture at the Exhibition Conference. 



