468 



The Supplement to the Tropical Agriculturist 



THE RUBBER MARKET AND 

 SUPPLIES. 



The Strong Future Position. 



Latest mail advices from London show in a 

 striking way the firm position of the rubber in- 

 dustry. Two years or more ago, when rubber 

 prices were high, it was said that the Brazilian 

 industry would be stimulated and that more ex- 

 peditions would be fitted out, and that largely 

 increased supplies would soon be the result. 

 This, however, was by no means realised ; for 

 the production of wild para was increased by 

 only 570 tons in 1908 over 1907, and by only 830 

 tons in 1909 over the 1908 production. 



The present position is remarkably firm, and 

 points to higher prices yet during this year. 

 The whole visible supply of para rubber in the 

 world on April 1st was 5,279 tons, against 6,038 

 tons at the same date a year ago, being a de- 

 crease of 759 tons. America had stocks in hand 

 740 tons less than in 1909 ; England had 289 

 tons less ; and in Brazil at the Para warehouses 

 the stocks were 390 tons less than in April, 1909. 



The rubber received at Para during March, 1910, 

 totalled 5, 210 tons, the receipts during that month 

 for the last 4 years being rather remarkable : 



During March, 1910 ... 5,210 tons 



„ 1909 ... 4,140 ,, 



„ 1908 ... 4,240 „ 



„ 1907 ... 5,830 „ 



But during the period June 30th to March 31st, 

 the Para receipts have been 



32,180 tons in ... 1909-10 



30,420 ,, ... 1908-09 



28,680 ,, ... 1907-08 



29,390 ,, ... 1906-07 



There is thus every indication that the pre- 

 sent prices will continue and even advance ; 

 and it seems unlikely that the South American 

 output will increase to any very appreciable 

 extent for several years to come. It is, therefore, 

 not to be wondered at that buyers are anxious 

 about their supplies and are prepared to buy 

 two years ahead to be sure of a certain quantity. 



TAPIOCA AND R UBBER. 



An editorial note in the Straits Agricultural 

 Bulletin says : — We learn that the low price of 

 tapioca has been a considerable factor in the in- 

 crease of rubber growing among the Chinese, as 

 the tapioca growers find that at the present price 

 it does not pay. The Dutch and Javanese, we 

 learn from Mr de Kruyff, Director of the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, do not make up the tapioca 

 into starch, but cut the roots in two and dry them 

 in the sun, and thus dried export them to Bel- 

 gium, France and Holland, where they are 

 utilised for the manufacture of alcohol. This 

 cheap method might pay even while the tapioca 

 is at so low a price. 



PLANTING PR ODUCT S IN SAMOA. 



We learn on enquiry at the British Consulate at 

 Apia, Samoa, under date 12th March, 1910, that 

 the export of copra from Samoa in 1909 was 9,389 

 tons : and of cacao beans 386 tons. About the 

 same quantities are expected this year, 1910. 

 No tea is grown in Samoa. There are several 

 large rubber plantations on one of which — a 

 Berlin Company— the trees Will probably be 

 tapped in two years from now. 



SIR FRANK SWETTENHAM ON "RUB- 

 BER AS AN IMPERIAL ASSET/' 



Than Sir Frank A. Swettenham none knows 

 or could know, better the Middle East. A life 

 spent in the service of the Empire in and about, 

 Malaya has given him unique opportunity for 

 the study of every enterprise, which has assisted 

 the prosperity and development of that portion 

 of the King's dominions. What more natural 

 than that a new paper devoted to rubber should 

 seek Sir Frank Swettenham's views ? Sir Frank 

 courteously placed half-an-hour of valuable time 

 at the disposal of a representative of the Rubber 

 World. 



" In the light of recent events," said Sir Frank, 

 " it is curious to look back upon the apathy of 

 the financial and commercial world towards rub- 

 ber planting. As long ago as J uly, 1883, Sir Hugh 

 Low, then Resident of Perak, reported officially: 

 ' All kinds of india rubber succeed admirably, 

 and seeds and plants of Hevea brasitiensis have 

 been distributed to Java and Singapore, to 

 Ceylon and to India, and supplies will be for- 

 warded on application to any person or insti- 

 tution which will take care of these valuable 

 plants.' And again in February, 1884, Sir Hugh 

 wrote : ' British capitalists have, within the 

 exception of the enterprising merchants from 

 Shanghai, as yet done little or nothing in Perak.' 

 Sir Hugh's advice, however, was totally dis- 

 regarded, and it was not till about 1900, 17 years 

 later, that rubber cultivation was seriously under- 

 taken. Since then, as you know, Ceylon with 

 the Malay Peninsula and Archipelago took the 

 lead in those remarkable rubber developments 

 which have culminated in the present boom. 



"SIR HUGH LOW, THEN, WAS THE PIONEER 



of rubber cultivation in the East ? " 



"Virtually, yes," said Sir Frank; "at any 

 rate, it was he who first drew the attention of 

 planters and financiers to the advantage of rub- 

 ber cultivation in Malaya. The Indian Govern- 

 ment initiated the scheme, but the present 

 flourishing condition of the rubber plantations 

 in Malaya is really due to tho care Sir Hugh 

 lavished on the first seedlings sent to him." 



" The Indian Government secured the first 

 plants?" 



" Yes. Somewhere about the year 1876," con- 

 tinued Sir Frank, " the Indian Government, 

 recognising the possibilities of commercially 

 cultivated rubber, commissioned Mr. Wickham 

 to collect in Brazil seeds of Hevea brasiliensis, 

 the tree from which the highest quality wild 

 rubber is secured. Several thousands of seed* 

 were collected and sent to Kew, and the re 

 suiting seedlings were in due course packed in 

 wardian cases and despatched to Singapore, 

 Ceylon, and to Sir Hugh Low at Perak. Plants 

 from these seedlings were carefully reared in 

 Singapore Botanical Gardens and in Perak, and, 

 maturing in six years, seeded. From the Perak 

 seeds were raised four hundred trees, which 

 were planted under my own supervision while 

 I was temporary Resident of Perak during the 

 absence of Sir Hugh Low. Thenceforward seeds 

 were supplied to such planters as required them. 

 It is gratifying „ to know that nearly all the 



