September, 1912.] 



217 



heptaphylla are said to yield more rubber than Manihot Glaziovii, and to 

 the south of Piauhy where no wild Manicobas occur, piauhyensis is 

 planted in preference to Glaziovii. M. dichotoma is said to be tapped 

 by a spiral cut, but the method is deprecated and it is prophesied that the 

 adoption of other systems will give better results. {Tropenpflansers 

 February 1912.) 



T. P. 



DR. STRANGE'S SYNTHETIC RUBBER. 



The India Rubber Journal frankly confesses itself disappointed with 

 the synthetic product of Dr. Strange which is said to resemble a sticky 

 third rate African paste, with an awkward appearance of chewing gum, 

 rather than good Hevea rubber. 



The claims made by the promoters of this product are shortly 

 summarised as follows: — 



1. Potatoes yield starch 



2. Starch on fermentation yields fusel-oil 



3. Fusel oil on treatment yields isoprene or a homologue of it. 



4. Isoprene or its homologue on treatment in contact with sodium 

 is converted into caoutchouc. 



The figures given by Dr. Strange as representing the percentage of 

 the different products in the above transformations are questioned, parti- 

 cularly that of caoutchouc from fusel oil which Dr. Strange gives as 98, 

 but the /. R- Journal puts at 5. A calculation is made to show that 

 one million acres of potatoes would be required to produce 10,000 tons of 

 caoutchouc. " Apparently the British farmer has a good time before 

 him!" 



COTTON-GROWING IN JAMAICA. 



The Secretary submitted statements of the results of the various 

 experimental plots of cotton grown in Trelawny, St. Ann and St. Eliza- 

 beth. Also the results of shipping the cotton produced and other lots 

 purchased at 3d. per lb. from small growers in St. Elizabeth, ginned by 

 Mr. Conrad Watson, and marketed along with his own, but marked separ- 

 ately. The cotton fetched Is. 3d per lb. in London, and freight, being 

 now per ton measurement, worked out at Id. per lb, ; still the result 

 showed a net return of \d. per lb. on the seed cotton purchased at 3d. 

 Later, through Mr. Watson's representation, the Royal Mail Company 

 reduced the freight from 47s (ki. to 17s. Qd. per ton measurement, and gave 

 a refund, making the net return l^d. per lb. 



It was resolved to discontinue any further effort to encourage cotton- 

 growing in the dry sections at St. Ann and Trelawny, as people had not 

 responded in these districts, but to concentrate effort on St. Elizabeth, 

 Portland-Vere, where fair crops had been got in spite of a series of very dry 

 seasons, and where the people were taking well to this crop. From the 

 money at credit to cotton account it was decided to offer prizes of £2 and 

 £1 on the best grown cultivations of cotton of not less than half an acre 

 in the districts of St. Elizabeth and Portland-Vere. (Journal oj the 

 Jamaica Agricultural Society , March 1912.) 

 28 



