and Magazine of the Ceylon Agricultural Society .—March, 1910. 269 



RUBBER GROWERS' ASSOCIATION.— 

 (CEYLON SECTION). 



FUND FOR THE EMPLOYMENT OF 

 A CHEMIST 



In Ceylon : To Conduct Experiments with 

 Regard to the Curing of Rubber. 



The following circular notice has been issued 

 to rubber-growers : — 



Dear Sir(s), — We are desired by this Associa- 

 tion to advice Ceylon Rubber Producing Com- 

 panies and other proprietors of rubber estates 

 in Ceylon that the Ceylon Committee of the 

 Rubber Growers' Association (and a sub-Com- 

 mittee thereof) have, at a series of meetings, 

 had under consideration the question of estab- 

 lishing a research station in Ceylon, and em- 

 ploying a chemist to conduct experiments with 

 regard to the curiug of rubber for the benefit of 

 those contributing to the expense, 



A group of members of the Malaya Section of 

 the Association (who are interested in rubber 

 production in the Federated Malay States) have 

 arranged a similar scheme, aud the experience 

 gained during the course of their enquiries has 

 shown that it is necessary for the work of the 

 research chemist to be technically directed. 

 The Malaya Committee have already entered 

 into an agreement with Messrs Clayton Beadle 

 & Stevens (a firm whose partners are well-known 

 as being experienced in the chemistry of rubber, 

 both raw and manufactured) to direct the work 

 of the chemist who has already been despatched 

 to the F.M.S. to conduct experiments there. 



Following on the experience thus gained, 

 the Ceylon Committee have provisionally ar- 

 ranged with Messrs Clayton Beadle and Stevens 

 to direct the work of a chemist who will go 

 out to Ceylon (on behalf of the members sub- 

 scribing to the expense) and carry out experi- 

 ments on the subject of the curing and manu- 

 facture of plantation rubber. Thefirm will them- 

 selves conduct experiments in London in con- 

 junction with the research work in Ceylon. In all 

 matters, other than scientific direction, the che- 

 mist will bo controlled by a Committee in Ceylon 

 appointed by those subscribing to the scheme. 



It has been decided to ask Ceylon rubber es- 

 tate proprietors to subscribe to the expenses 

 which, it is estimated, will amount to £1,000 per 

 annum for three years. (The arrangement for the 

 F.M.S. is on a somewhat higher scale). Sugges- 

 tions for a definite scale of contribution will be 

 considered by a meeting of estate proprietors in 

 Ceylon which will be convened by Mr Joseph 

 Fraser, but it is considered that no contribution 

 from any one estate should exceed the sum of 

 £50 per annum, and that guarantees should bo 

 limited to that amount. 



We are desired to state that the Ceylon Com- 

 mittee would appreciate an expression of opi- 

 nion from you, on the scheme as outlined, and 

 an indication that you will favourably consider 

 the question of contributing towards the expense 

 when the proposal is matured.— Yours faithfully, 



A Bethune, President. 

 C Taylor, Secretary. 

 1, Oxford Court, Cannon Street, London E,C. 

 December 23rd, 1909. 



RUBBER IN MALABAR. 



Little has been heard so far of rubber culti- 

 vation in Malabar, as compared with the in- 

 dustry in the neighbouring States of Travan- 

 core and Cochin, and yet it is making steady 

 progress, more especially in the south of the 

 district. Two large Companies were formed 

 last year, one in London and the other in 

 Holland, to acquire land near Nilambur and 

 Quilandy, respectively, and plant Para rubber 

 thereon, and both are now clearing considerable 

 acreages with this object in view. Still more re- 

 cently the Kerala Rubber Co. has been floated in 

 London to take over some 2, 100 acres, of which 

 over 1,200 acres were planted in 1907 and 1908 

 at the foot of the Koondahs on the eastern 

 slopes of the Nilambur Valley. In addition to 

 the above, large Syndicates are at work near 

 Munderi and Quilandy, extensive clearings 

 being tho order of the day in both concerns. 



SOME VERY INTERESTING TAPPING OPERATIONS 



have been conducted during the last four 

 months by Mr E K Fowko on the Para trees 

 planted between 1883 and 1885 by Mr. T J 

 Ferguson, of Calicut, at Poonur, near Tamara- 

 chery, which property has since been acquired 

 by the above-mentioned Dutch Company. 

 There are 135 of the trees altogether, spread 

 over about one acre, and several of them have 

 attained a girth of 7ft. and over at 3ft. above 

 the ground. Tapping was commenced in Septem- 

 ber last, and so far these trees have yielded 

 1 lb. of dry rubber per tree each month, a man 

 collecting enough latex to make fourteen biscuits 

 (about 3J lb.) a day. The produce has been 

 sent to Amsterdam for report, and the opinion 

 of the Dutch brokers should be very interesting. 



I also learn that Mr Fowke expects his 

 big trees to continue to yield at the rate of 1 lb. 

 per tree per mensem, making a total yield of 12 

 lb. per tree in the year. In any case, the results 

 aleady obtained are remarkable and testify to 

 the correctness of the high opinion formed by 

 Mr R L Proudlock, lately Curator of the 

 Government Gardens and Parks on the Nilgiris, 

 as to the suitability of South Malabar and 

 the Nilambur Valley to the cultivation by 

 Para rubber. 



The Bomb in Aguicultuke. 

 While on the subject of planting in Malabar 

 I must mention a new method of circumventing 

 wild pig, as described to mo a few days ago 

 by one who had tried it. The depredations of 

 pig are a great trouble to Malabar agriculturists, 

 and the Government offer a reward for their 

 destruction. This induced an enterprising ryot 

 a short time ago to devise a scheme which is 

 said to have decimated the herds of pig in the 

 Ernad and Walluvanad Taluqs. He prepared 

 a bomb, after the manner of Indian fireworks, 

 and cunningly concealed it in a piece of meat 

 such as all wild pigs love. An ill-fated boar 

 devoured the bait ; the bomb exploded and oft* 

 went '• piggy's " head. And now bombing pig 

 is said to be all the fashion among the rustic 

 youth of South Malabar ! 



Geokgos. 



— M. Mail, Jan. 29. 



