4,66 



The Supplement to the Tropical Agriculturist 



., . . Mr. O. J. Steiger. 



Mr J Steiger, of Messrs Volkart Bro- 

 thers, said that no ordinary merchant could 

 test citronella oil with the geraniol test and he 

 did not think a single exporter of citronella 

 oil would be in favour of such a change. An 

 experienced chemist was required to make the 

 test. The adoption of the geraniol test 



WOULD DESTROY THE CITRONELLA OIL BUSINESS 

 IN CEYLON. 



The reason why it was wanted was probably 

 that it was a much safer test. Most buyers at 

 home were content with Schimmel's test and the 

 biggest importers in America and on the Con- 

 tinent considered it impossible for a merchant 

 in Ceylon to apply the geraniol test without 

 employing an experienced chemist. 



Me. S. P. Hayley, 

 Mr S P Hayley, of Messrs Hayley & Kenny, 

 said the importers wanted the geraniol test 

 applied because the value of the oil to them was 

 determined by the quantity of geraniol it con- 

 tained. Schimmel's test allowed of a very poor 

 oil being delivered, whereas if one tested it for 

 geraniol one could be quite certain it was agood 

 oil. The application of the geraniol test was im- 

 practicable, because every shipment of oil would 

 have to be analysed by the GovernmeutAnalyst 

 or someone equally competent and that would 

 be impracticable. It would also be too costly. 

 It was too complicated a test for the ordinary 

 merchant. He had not the time and probably 

 would not be able to do it. 



. At a meeting of the London Chamber of Com- 

 merce. (Chemical Section) on Sept. 23, Mr John 

 C Uhney f.c.s., presiding— said this subject 

 qame in as a report from the Loudon Chamber 

 of Commerce to the Ceylon Chamber of Com- 

 merce in Colombo. Hitherto the test applied 

 to Ceylon citronella oil was the Schimmel one, 

 which allows from 10 to 15 per cent, sophistica- 

 tion. He suggested in 1906 that the geraniol 

 standard should be recommended. He had let- 

 ters in his possession from the largest users in 

 the world, saying that they thoroughly agreed 

 with such a movement. In order to make this 

 clear to the authorities in Ceylon, he proposed : 

 "That the London Chamber of Commerce wishes to com- 

 municate to the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce the wish of 

 the members of its section interested in the manufacture 

 of cii ronella oil that the geraniol standard be recom 

 mended to those interested in this important industry in 

 that island." 



Mr Millard, in seconding the proposition, said 

 the adoption of the standard named would be a 

 great advantage. — Chemist and Druggist, Oct, 1. 



RUBBER IN THE " F. M. STATES," 

 CEYLON, AND ALL THE REST 

 OF SOUTHERN ASIA. 



The Acting Resident-General of the " Fede- 

 rated Malay States " in his Report for 1909 gives 

 the area under rubber cultivation at about 

 197,000 acres. This in great contrast to the 

 400,000 acres of rubber credited in the press 

 to the authority of the Governor. It is surmised 

 in England that Sir John Anderson counted 

 cultivation in other States in the Peninsula and 



also that he included an area occupied by coco- 

 nuts and coffee in plantations belonging to 

 Rubber Companies. Be this as it may, it is 

 difficult to get over the 70,000 tons of rubber 

 which was said to be available from Malaya in 

 1916. In the India Rubber Journal, Mr. H. K. 

 Rutherford gave an important correction show- 

 ing that 35,700 tons of rubber will be a liberal 

 or at least fair estimate for the Malay States 

 in 1916. Possibly, the " 70,000 tons" may have 

 been meant for the whole of Southern Asia, 

 including Ceylon, Southern India, Sumatra, Java 

 and Borneo, as well as the Malay Penin- 

 sula. On the other hand it is remarked that 

 if the yield of latex from the Para tree in the 

 Middle East is to increase, year by year, as it 

 has done, there might be something in even 

 the very big estimate. It is well-known how 

 surprising the yield of latex has been found 

 in certain instances. Still, we cannot see how 

 an export of 70,000 tons can be attained from 

 all Asia, six years hence, say in 1916. This 

 would, practically, mean doubling the world's 

 production at the present time. No doubt, 

 the price of rubber will be much less, and the 

 number of purposes for its use greatly mul- 

 tiplied by 1916. 



THE CRUDE RUBBER INDUSTRY. 



Dr. P Schidrowitz 

 the well-known authority on rubber, makes 

 some interesting suggestions as regards the 

 future of the crude rubber industry, in 

 a recent issue of the Scientific American. 

 He predicts a revolution in the latter as one of 

 the first results of the competition between the 

 wild aud cultivated products, believing that in 

 a very few years' time manufacturers will refuse 

 to have anything to do with any raw material 

 that is not perfectly clean and practically dry. 

 He considers it probable that the system of 

 rationally working wild as well as planted trees 

 will be extended over favourable areas, which 

 system will entail expense and much labour, and 

 inasmuch as the 



LABOUR QUESTION IS MORE A COTE IN SOUTH 

 AMERICA THAN IN MOST OF THE AFRICAN 

 RUBBER ZONES, 



he doubts whether the usual assumption 

 that the first class of rubber to disappear 

 under stress of competition will be the 

 inferior African grades will prove correct. 

 Already, he says, there are signs that those in- 

 terested in the West Coast of Africa, the Congo, 

 etc., will take the necessary steps to improve 

 the quality of the rubber from these re- 

 gions, and of all the various rubber produ- 

 cing trees and vines the Funtumia and Lan- 

 dolphia species from Africa seem to show the 

 greatest strength. On the other hand, it is 

 certain that the opening up of Brazil's vast 

 forests, both on account of labour troubles and 

 the extreme unhealthiness of the climate, will 

 involve the overcoming of difficulties that seem 

 well-nigh insuperable. An important factor, of 

 course, is the preparation of pure high class 

 rubbers from inferior, naturally resinous grades 

 by chemical and other processes ; and it is well- 



