108 



The Supplement to the Tropical Agriculturist 



hOW-lYIWi TROPICAL BELT ON THE MAIN-LAND 

 CLOSE TO MOMBASSA, 



but not in the prospect before settlers in the 

 highlands. Mr. Tonks is directly interested in 

 two estates on which Ceara rubber and cotton 

 have been planted, and he has also started coco- 

 nuts, the product -par excellence for the country. 

 The rubber grows marvellously, and young trees, 

 5 months old, stand 8 or 9 feet high; but how the 

 trees will tap when they mature, he cannot say. 

 Meanwhile the soil is so much richer than Cey- 

 on soil (says our contemporary) that paying 

 catch-crops can be grown. For example, 100 acres 

 can be opened at a cost of R500 on a year's ex- 

 penditure, and the first crop of Egyptian cotton 

 will bring in this sum as profit, so that Mr. Tonks 

 has 100 acres of Ceara rubber that has cost him 

 nothing. Both his estates march with the rail- 

 way, and the land cost Rl per acre. Payment of 

 this can be spread over 14 years ; but as soon as 

 a planter can show he has spent a certain amount 

 and has opened up a small acreage, the Govern- 

 ment give him his title deeds for the whole area. 

 Wealthy Greeks from Egypt, who had recently 

 come down to East Africa, were proving the 

 value of cotton culture on a large scale. Mr. Tonks 

 is also interested with five others in a block of 

 6,000 acres— costing R2 per acre— eight miles 

 from Mombassa, and while he has been in Ceylon 

 he has been negotiating for a prominent Ceylon 

 V. A. to go to Mombassa for two months to start 

 the development of the property on the best lines. 

 The name of the planter selected has not yet 

 transpired. The new land regulations no longer 

 permit of large blocks being taken up, the lirnitof 

 estates now being ,$20 acres. Mr. Tonks has been 

 in British East Africa for ten years ; he tramped 

 to Victoria Nyanza before the railway was 

 opened, and is keen on development of his part 

 CT the country. He says sleeping sickness is 

 not getting worse there, though it has decimated 

 inland villages. He admits the Berious question 

 is labour, but he is glad that the country is 

 free from the unbusinesslike advance system 

 which has grown to bo such an abuse in Ceylon. 

 They have to pay the labourers from R10 to R15 

 per month; but Mr. Tonks' system is always to 

 have something in hand, and yet never to pay a 

 considerable lump sum at one time, or the "boy" 

 would disappear until his money was used up. 

 The labourer is employed by the estate, and ho 

 can get small sums on account whenever he ap- 

 plies for there, so long as thoro is always some- 

 thing in hand. Wages had gone up greatly in 

 his time, and might, of course, go still higher 

 with increased planting : but he hoped to see 

 several Ceylon planters arriving before very 

 long to help to develop a rich country. What had 

 sent up wages in the first instance was the pay 

 given to servants and bearers by sportsmen who 

 came out and engaged large gangs, not minding 

 what wages they paid so long as they were well 

 'served and had a good time. Such people would 

 pay double the ordinary rates. 



COAGULATE NG CASTILLOA RUBBER. 



Plant has been designed by Dr. Olsson Seffer, 

 Castilloa rubber expert, Mexico, and Mr Leslie 

 Radclyffe, A.M.I.O.E., 35, Queen Victoria Street, 

 E.C, ic connection with Dr. Olsson-Seffer's 

 patent system for coagulating Castilloa rubber. 



By this process the latex is first of all weighed 

 and poured into the tank A to which is added 

 a certain quantity of water in proportion to 

 the weight of the latex ; from this tank the 

 latex flows into a specially constructed centri- 

 fugal machine B for extracting all the bark, 

 sand, and other mechanical impurities ; the 

 latex then flows by gravitation to a special co- 

 agulating conveyor C, which forces the latex 

 into the creaming vats D and Dl, where it is 

 allowed to stand for a short period ; the latex 

 is raised to the surface by the injection of water 

 at the underside of these vats, thus allowing the 

 latex, in a creamy form, to run over an over- 

 flow lip ; the freshly coagulated latex is then 

 taken from the tables fixed underneath the lips 

 of these vats and put through specially prepared 

 washing machines P as many times as may be 

 desirable to further cleanse the latex and at the 

 same time all awing a sprinkling of water to pass 

 through the rollers whilst washing. The latex 

 at this stage is in a form of crepe rubber 

 and is placed in an improved vacuum dryer 

 J until only 6 per cent to 10 per cent of mois- 

 ture remains. Prom this drying apparatus the 

 strips of rubber are folded and placed in the 

 box of the press G and a suitable pressure is 

 put on; but, in order to keep the presses con- 

 tinuously going, interchangeable boxes are in- 

 troduced and by a duplicate bridle arrangement 

 fitted with four strong screws the inverted 

 name-plate, for branding the rubber already in 

 position, is held down by these screws and 

 easily relieved from the foot of the press: The 

 press ram screw is then raised, a new name- 

 plate inserted, and another box placed in posi- 

 tion, thus the pressing proceeds. After pressing, 

 the boxes with the rubber still under pressure, 

 are taken to another stove for " fixing " and 

 then by simply unlocking the hinged base the 

 pressed, branded and finished block is thrust 

 through the bottom. These rubber blocks are 

 made of a standar d size and packed in suitable 

 standard packing cases with the inner surfaces 

 planned smooth and made cheaply by means 

 of the circular saw M and panel planer N — the 

 whole plant being complete with boiler K, 

 engine L. Shafting O, and building. The whole 

 arrangement, it is claimed, is as perfect as 

 possible, and so simple that unskilled or native 

 labour only is required. By certain modifica- 

 tions the plant can be made suitable for Hevea 

 Brasiliensis (Para) or any species of rubber 

 producing trees. Messrs David Bridge and Co. 

 are the sole makers. — II. & C. Mail, Sept. 11. 



STRAITS DESTRUCTIVE PESTS BILL. 



The Destructive Pests Bill to prevent the in- 

 troduction into the Colony of pests and insects 

 destructive to trees, plants, and crops, was 

 brought forward in the Straits Legislative on 

 August -1st at the suggestion of the Direc- 

 tor of Bi tanic Gardens, who had pointed out 

 that at present no provision exists for prevent- 

 ing the introduction into the Colony of econo- 

 mic plants infected with fungus or other des- 

 tructive pests. There was the disease known as 

 Bleeding Heart, which might easily be intro- 

 duced into the coconut plantations. The Bid 

 was read a first time. — Straits Times, Aug. 22. 



