76 i The Supplement to the Tropical Agriculturist 



acres during the current year. For the purpose 

 of this estimate, however, we will confine our- 

 selves to the area planted prior to Dec. 31 , 1908. 



Amid the glamour of record prices and huge 

 dividends, it is somewhat difficult to see things 

 in their true perspective ; but even if we halve 

 these estimates, it is obvious that the days of 

 competition between the wild and the cultivated 

 product are not very far distant. There is un- 

 doubtedly a period of severe depression ahead, 

 and it is equally certain that as a result, the wild 

 rubber industry must go to the wall, for it 

 is inconceivable that, with the exceptionally 

 favourable conditions obtaining in the plan- 

 tation rubber industry, the wild product can 

 possibly withstand the competition for any 

 length of time. It follows, therefore, that rubber 

 planting companies already firmly established 

 have little cause for anxiety, though I am afraid 

 the same cannot be said of some recent flota- 

 tions, many of which although high ly capitalised 

 are not over-burdened with working capital : 

 and herein lies the danger, for the bogey of 

 overproduction will loom very largo ahead, when 

 serious competition with the wild product 

 results in a very small margin of profit, and the 

 working capital of the younger estates has 

 reached vanishing point. 



Stanley Ardbn, F. L. S, 

 — Straits Times, Dec. 4. 



THE RUBBER CONFERENCE AT 

 MANAOS : 



Plea for thk Representation of the 

 Straits and F.M.S. 

 It has been represented, and we agree entirely 

 with the representation, that the forthcoming 

 international Rubber Conference to be held at 

 Manaos, the great Amazon seat of Brazilian rub- 

 ber export should demand on the part of the 

 Straits and F M S Governments, the closest 

 possible attention. T he great riverine valley of 

 the Amazon, with its numerous tributaries, 

 forms that largest area for the collection of wild 

 rubber at present being worked. It has been 

 announced that, with an eye to some possible 

 shortage in the output of natural rubber, the 

 position of Brazil as the premier exporting rub- 

 ber region should be maintained by a large re- 

 course to rubber planting in the lower reaches of 

 the Amazon, particularly in the Para district. 

 That rubber planting to be fostered and pro- 

 moted by the Brazilian Government with all the 

 energj and financial support it can bestow. It 

 is easy to see that the proceedings at the Con- 

 ference and the possible action of the Brazilian 

 Government are matters which must have a very 

 direct concern for the rubber-planting industry 

 of the Malay Peninsula. That industry is prac- 

 tically monopolising the attention and absor- 

 bing the bulk of the resources of the planting 

 communities in the several States. To develop 

 that industry something like ten millions ster- 

 ling have already been invested in the Malay 

 Peninsula, and the stream of capital continues 

 to flow. The prosperity of the Native States, 

 as time goes on, must come more and more to be 



associated with the extension of rubber cu'ii- 

 vation apart from the revenue derived from 

 mining. This fact, with all the underlying 

 financial and economic considerations, must 

 be held to induce the Governments concerned to 

 take what steps may seem proper in order to 

 acquaint themselves with the lines to be adopted 

 for the systematic promotion of rubber-planting 

 in Brazil, and to ascertain the general purport 

 of the proceedings at the Manaos Conference. 

 The suggestion we allude to is that the plan- 

 ting industry of the Malay Peninsula, as well as 

 the Straits and F.M.S. Governments, should 

 be represented at Manaos by highly qualified 

 delegates, who should watch the proceedings 

 of the Conference, enquire, and report. It 

 seems to us that the matter is one on 

 which the Planters' Association might well 

 take the initiative, for it may be taken 

 for granted that so sensible and practical 

 a course as that implied by the sending of one 

 or two qualified representatives to the Mauaos 

 Conference would at once commend itself to the 

 approval of the Governments. ... It might be 

 prudent, although there is no imminence, for 

 Malayan rubber planters to make quite sure 

 what Brazil is going to do in extending its sys- 

 tem of working natural rubber and, more parti- 

 cularly, in the extension of Government sup- 

 ported extension of plantation rubber on the 

 lower Amazon between Manaos and Para. But 

 the scientific interest attaching to the Manaos 

 Rubber Conference would of itself alone justify 

 the Governments and planters of the Malay 

 Peninsula taking steps to inform themselves of 

 what takes place there, for, whatever that be, 

 it is bound to have a very direct concern for 

 the planting industry in this part of the world. 

 —S. F. Press, Dec. 3. 



'VAHEA' RUBBER FROM SEYCHELLES 



Two specimens of rubber derived from a 

 species of Landolphia (Vahea) have been exam- 

 ined at the Imperial Institute. The plant, which 

 is a vine, was introduced into Seychelles from 

 Madagascar, and is stated to grow luxuriantly, 

 but the cost of preparing the rubber in a clean 

 form is practically prohibitive. The results of 

 the investigition will, however, be of interest. 



" No. 1. Vahea rubber obtained by pounding 

 the bark." Weight, 12 oz. An irregularly- 

 shaped piece of dark-brown rubber, resembling 

 scrap rubber in appearance, and containing a 

 considerable quantity of bark. The rubber, ex- 

 hibited good elasticity and tenacity. The results 

 of the chemical examination were as follows : — 



Percentage Rubber as Composition 



of received, of dry rubber. 



Moisture 



2-2 





Caoutchouc 



81-7 



83-5 



Resin 



6-2 



53 



Protoids 



1-8 



1-8 



Insoluble matter 



9-1 



9-i 



Ash 



11 



1-1 



The value of the rubber 



was given 



as pro- 



bably about 3s per lb. in London, with fine hard 

 Para quoted at 4s 7d per lb. This rubber is of 

 good quality, the only defect being the large 

 amount of vegetable impurity present in it 

 owing to the method of preparation. , 



