and Magazine of the Ceylon Agricultural Society.— Feb., 1910. 185 



THE INDIA RUBBER MARKET, 1009. 



S. FIGGIS & CO.'S ANNUAL REVIEW. 



Plantation Rubber Grown in Cevlon 

 and British Malaya. 

 (Federated States, Perak, Malacca, Johore, 

 Straits), Sumatra, Java, India, &c. : — 



1B09. 1908. 1907. 1906. 1905. 



tons tons tons tons tons 



Disported from Ceylon (& India) 600 350 230 160 70 



Malaya, &c. 3000 1450 780 350 /5 



Tons. 3C0J 1800 1010 510 145 



We estimate about 600,000 acres are now under' 

 Rubber cultivation in the East (partly mixed 

 with other products), and 120,000 acres in 

 Mexico, West Indies and Nicaragua, &c. 



The improvement in quality we noticed in our 

 last annual review, has continued, and we con- 

 gratulate planters on the large proportion of 

 clean Crepe of nice colour, and the very small 

 quantity of "tacky " rubber. This shews how 

 profitable it has been for planters to 



WASH AND CLEAN THE RUBBER THOROUGHLY, 



and to prepare as large a proportion as possible 

 of good colour— also not to send many qualities or 

 very small lots. Block has not been in favour : 

 unless clean resilient hard quality can be sent, 

 it may be better to ship as Crepe or sheet. 



Pack it in Good Dry Condition 

 (excess of resin much objected to) into strong 

 cases of 2 cwt. to 3 cwt. each. No paper, fuller's 

 earth, &c, to be used. The cases should be 

 planed smooth inside to avoid small pieces of 

 wood adhering to the Rubber. 



Keep different qualities and colours separate; 

 where practicable keep immature separate; send 

 separately dirty barky pieces, and ivash out 

 all the bark in Crepe, Block and Sheet. All fine 

 qualities should be loose Crepe, Sheetor Biscuit 

 — not run to a mass. 



Last January good sheet realised 5s. l^d to 5s. 

 3d, pale Crtpe5s. 4^d. By May 53. 9d to 5s. lOd, 

 June 6s. 7d, July 8s. 2d to 8s. 3£d, August (irre- 

 gular) 7s. lOd to 7s. 3d, and up in September- 

 October to 9s. l|d, and smoked 9s. 8£d early 

 November, the highest of the year. With larger 

 supplies of Para in December prices declined 

 2s., to 6s. ll|d to 7s. l^d Sheet and Crepe, but 

 since recovered: sheet to 7s. 3d to 7s. 5d fine 

 Crepe 7s 6^d, smoked Sheet 8s OJ-d to 8s Of d ; 

 these are the closing prices. Good supplies 

 landing for auctions 4th January. 



Now that the quantities are increasing so 

 rapidly, it is most desirable for the future ready 

 sale of Plantation Rubbers, for estates to "stan- 

 dardise " the qualities they produce, and where 

 practicable to ship say three qualities from an 

 estate, No. 1 pale, No. 2 light brown and grey, 

 No. 3 dark and brown. Pickings and very com- 

 mon and scrap to be sent in one bulk for sale 

 on arrival ; "standardised " qualities can be sold 

 for forward deliveries, the same as Para has 

 been sold for many years. Plantation must be 

 largely sold " forward " in future years. 



The unlooked for extravagant and unprece- 

 dented high prices obtained from July to Octo- 



24 



ber were due to the great extension of "motors," 

 cars, cabs, &c, particularly in America, where 

 enormous contracts for "tyres" created an in- 

 creased consumption of Rubber. At present 

 this goes on, but the speculative deals, which 

 left so many " Bears " to be covered (at a loss), 

 are reduced. 



Planters should be amply satisfied with any- 

 thing near the present rates, which are 2s 5d 

 per lb. above last January. The highest price 

 1909 was paid in November, 9s 8|d for fine 

 smoked sheet. 



Smoked Rubber 

 appears to have greater resiliency and to be 

 more suitable for many purposes than un- 

 smoked. " Smoking " prevents the " proteins " 

 in rubber from decomposition, and generally 

 prevents "tackiness." All fine rubber from 

 Para is smoked. During the excitement well- 

 smoked sheet realised 6d per lb. above good 

 un8moked. Of course such a great difference 

 will not be obtainable when the proportion of 

 smoked is larger. 



We hear of complaints of injury to the trees 

 by Formes and white ants — these must be care- 

 fully watched by experts on the estates. 



The Brazil supply has increased, both from 

 the Amazonas and Manitoba, Mangabeira, &c. 



The production of reclaimed and common 

 substitutes for rubber has increased, but thero 

 is-no " Synthetic." 



We have had some fine lots of Rambong in 

 nice condition, principally from Sumatra, and 

 it realised high prices. Castilloa was indifferent 

 quality. 



The World's Supply in 1909 

 was about 69,000 tons against 65,00G tons in 1908, 

 and 69,000 tons in 1907. Consumption we esti- 

 mate was about 68,000 tons. 



Of Rubber planted we estimata in the East 

 nearly 600,000 acres— 



1909 1908 1907 



CEYLON .. 187,000 acres 180,000 150,000 



Malaya, Malacca, &c. ... 240,000 do 185,000 100,000 

 (containing about 21 million 

 trees, not three million 

 tapped in 1909) 



Borneo ... lo.OOO do 10,000 9,000 



DUTCH /70,0OO I 



East Indies \ Java J 



{ S 5™00j a } &c - 120 ' 00 ° ,llJ 90 ' 00 ° 70 > m 

 India and Burmaii ... 31,000 do 30,000 



German Colonies, Newi 



Guinea, Samoa, \V, & C. J- 38,000 do 



Africa, drc , J 



Mexico, Nicaragua and Honduras have plan- 

 tations, but are not yielding much, and mostly 

 Castilloa :— probably by now 120,000 acres 

 planted ; also Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia 

 and Peru. 



India is extending slowly. Some in Burmah 

 and Mergui : the Philippines (small as yet), 

 Samoa, Hawaii, in New Gcinea and other 

 Islands, Queensland and Seychelles. The 

 West Coast of Africa has plantations ; 

 some in the Congo region and German West 

 Africa, also in British East Africa, Uganda, 

 and the West Indies probably 5,000 acres. 



Brazil and Bolivia exported in 1909 42 000 

 tons, 40,000 tons in 1908, 41,500 ,tons in 1907, 

 Manicoba increased largely,] also Guayule 



