and Magazine of the Ceylon Agricultural Society.— March, 1918. 287 



THE STANDARD OF CRUDE RUDDER. 



The time is approaching when it will be neces- 

 sary for dealers in raw rubber, manufacturers, 

 and contractors generally, to reconsider the 

 question as to the form of rubber which mast 

 be taken as the standard. In the past Fine 

 Hard Para has always been accepted as the 

 standard on account of its quantity and com- 

 parative uniformity ; the runner-up in point of 

 quality has been plantation Hevea, the quota- 

 tion for which Las usually been given as so many 

 pence discount or premium compared with Fine 

 Bard. The premier position has hitherto been 

 denied to the plantation product, firstly because 

 of its reputed variability and secondly on ac- 

 count of its insignificance as an annual crop. 

 Furthermore, some government contracts have 

 continued to insist upon the use of Fine Hard 

 Para, this being, to the officials responsible, the 

 only reliable standard known. Elsewhere, how- 

 ever, first quality plantation Hevea has been 

 accepted in important contracts, and we have 

 good reason for hoping that the same will be 

 the case in this country ere long. 



It is not proposed to revive the discussions 

 regarding the variability of plantation grades 

 beyond merely acknowledging that it unfor- 

 tunately exists. But with this concession we 

 must also couple the contention that Fine Hard 

 Para is also variable, not so much in the working 

 processes as in loss on washing. The difficulty 

 of adapting plantation Hevea in the manufac- 

 turing processes will very soon be overcome, 

 and is largely compensated for by the fact that 

 it is more constant in actual composition than 

 any other form known. 



Quantity ax Important Factor. 



The main factor in determining a standard 

 form of rubber is the quantity likely to be avail- 

 able of the particular grade under consideration. 

 This is specially the case when the runner-up is 

 admittedly pure and likely to be favoured by 

 consumers in virtue of its intrinsic properties. 

 The fact that the regular fortnightly sales in 

 London are now dealing with from 1,000 to 1,500 

 tons per month is sufficient to indicate the exis- 

 tence of a substantial source. The appearance of 

 such large quantities of plantation rubber at the 

 regular auctions has entirely thrown into the 

 background the fluctuation in Brazilian supplies. 

 The holding up of two or three thousand tons of 

 Fine Hard Para has no longer the effect on 

 markets which such a procedure once had. The 

 plantation supply of 500 tons in 1906 wasdnubled 

 in 1907; 1,800 tons were produced iu 1908, 3,800 

 tons iu 1909, 8,200 tona in 1910. and 14.000 tons 

 in 1911. This year the plantations may yield 

 from 20,000 to 25,000 tons. And soon it will be 

 more than the maximum crop of Hevea from 

 tropical America. There are 25 separate planta- 

 tion companies concerned with the cultivation 

 of Hevea in the East, which if I mistake not, 

 will together produce 25,000 tons of rubber an- 

 nually at some future period. The point does 

 not, I think, need much argument. It may be 

 taken for granted that the crops of plantation 

 Hevea will, in point of the quantity as well as 

 constancy in composition, dominate the rubber 

 market in future years. 



The Premium for Plantation Hevea, 

 There is another factor to be borne in mind 

 which unmistakedly proves that the compara- 

 tively new arrival is of greater value to many 

 buyers than the old standard rubber. That is 

 the price paid for first quality plantation. For 

 many years plantation Hevea was quoted at a 

 discount, and for quite along period the prices 

 paid for plantation and Fine Hard Para have 

 been badly balanced. For instance, in 1910 the 

 month of January saw plantation rubber at a 

 discount, in February a premium was paid ; this 

 gave way to a discount in June, and so on. But 

 from April of 1911 to the present time plantation 

 Hevea has consistently stood at a premium of 

 from 6d. to 8p. per lb. This premium has been 

 established when large suppli3s have been avai- 

 lable. Manufacturers by this time know that 

 many estates can deliver large quantities at re- 

 gular intervals — twice per month— of rubber 

 which they know loses very little on washing. 

 Already they are entering into forward con- 

 tracts tor 1913, at from 4s. 4d. to 4s. 6d.; a figure 

 very close to that tor spot Fine Hard. 



It is therefore clear that in point of (I) con- 

 stancy in composition, (2) prices paid, and (3) 

 supplies plantation Hevea is now in a position 

 which warrants universal recognition. The day 

 is not far distant when marked reports must give 

 the price not of Fine Hard but of average first 

 quality plantation against which all compari- 

 sons can be made, and thus place that com- 

 modity on its proper footing. — India- Rubber 

 Journal, March 2. 



THE GODAVERY PALM DISEASE. 



From the orders recently passed by the Gov- 

 ernment of Madras on the question of dealing 

 with the destructive disease affecting the pal- 

 myras, and to some extent also the coconut 

 palms, in the Godwery and Kistna districts, 

 it would appear that the seriousness of this 

 pest is still far from properly appreciated by 

 the authorities, and it is doubtful if the steps 

 that are being taken for its eradication are in 

 any way adequate. It is, however, some con- 

 solation to find that the Government express 

 their disapproval of the method of coping 

 with the disease suggested by the Board of 

 Revenue in September last, viz., that iu 

 place of the present system of cutting the dis- 

 eased trees throughout the affected areas, 

 an attempt might be made to patrol the 

 boundaries of those areas so as to prevent 

 the disease from spreading. Indeed, the very 

 suggestion to tackle such an intricate pro- 

 blem as this palm disease in such a perfunctory 

 way will create a doubt as to the ability of 

 the authorities to give souud advice regard- 

 ing a mycological problem of this uature. We 

 have for many years advocated the employ- 

 ment of a qualified Mycologist to investigate 

 this trouble, and wo believe the Board of 

 Revenue did so also as long ago as 1908. The 

 Agricultural Department has since been rein- 

 forced by the appointment of Mr. VV Mcblae, an 

 expert mycologist, and yet the Government in 

 their recent Order, state that they are inclined 

 to think that it would be possible to make a 



