and Magazine of the Ceylon Agricultural Society. 607 



Questioned on the latter subject, Mr Prinz- 

 horn said that there was no doubt the Exhibition 

 was a good one and would have excellent re- 

 sults. With regard to the next one projected 

 for 1910, it is his personal opinion that it would 

 be a good move to amalgamate it with the great 

 World's Exhibition, instead of having two. 



"Para rubber has gone up 60 per cent, since 

 March," said Mr Prinzhorn. 



' What are the causes?" 



"It would be better if you asked me why it 

 declined previously to then. It was, to a great 

 extent, due to the American crisis. The American 

 factories were working only half-time in many 

 cases, whereas they are now working full time. 

 The price was 2s 9d then, — much too low — 

 and it is now about 5s which is much too high. 

 I should think a fair normal figure would be 3s 

 6d to 4s a lb. While it is as high as at present 

 there is not likely to be any increase in the 

 uses of rubber." 



" What will bring the price down ?" 



" An increased output of Plantation Rubber, 

 every ounce of which that is sent over to Hano- 

 ver, sells. Yes, I think the German manufac- 

 turers like Plantation rubber. We can use 

 for most of the articles that we manufacture, 

 though not all. I think that the best Ceylon 

 Rubber is equal to fine para rubber. Ceylon 

 rubber is liked generally." 



"In what form is it preferred ?" 



'■Well, that is difficult to say, crepe or dry 

 blocks," 



" Well, the present good demand for rubber 

 be maintained ?" 



" Yes, I think so, there is every reason for it 

 doing so. It is partly speculation that causes 

 the fluctuation in prices, so far as I can see. 



" If the output becomes largely increased and 

 the price comes down, of course, many new 

 uses for rubber will be practicable and the many 

 substitutes for rubber which are on the market 

 will disappear. 



" Where do you buy your rubber, Mr. Prinz- 

 horn?" 



" I buy in the cheapest market. When I can 

 get it cheaper in New York, I buy it there ; if 

 in London, then in London I buy. We use 

 something like 200 tons of rubber a month 

 in our factory." 



BASAL RUBBER TAPPING AND 

 PRICKING. 



We are advised by planters in the East that 

 basal tapping and experiments with pricking 

 are becoming more general. The basal tapping 

 allows one to deal with the thickest bark on the 

 tree and successive tapping lines can be added 

 as the trees increase in size, so that there will 

 be a definite number of tapping lines according 

 to the ages of the trees. Most planters have at 

 last recognised that they cannot be too careful 

 in tapping operations and that the best work is 

 that which removes the minimum quantity of 

 bark and secures the maximum quantity of 

 rubber therefrom. The prickers, which were 

 first invented, were provided with sharp 



points ; these were apt to penetrate to the 

 cambium and raise small pimples on the 

 renewed bark. In other prickers — the 

 sharp points have been destroyed and the 

 laticiferous canals can only be cut by the sides 

 of each tooth as the pricker is rotated. The 

 tendency when using the pricker is to run the 

 wheel up and down the stem in order to get the 

 last drop of latex from the bark. This repeti- 

 tional incision of adjacent areas leads to macer- 

 ation of the bark and subsequently to a nasty 

 wound. If the pricker is simply used to give 

 one downward or one upward stroke very little 

 harm is done to the trees. The great advantage 

 of the system of pricking is that latex is 

 obtained with the minimum destruction of bark, 

 a point which cannot be too strongly enforced 

 on the minds of all who supervise such work. 

 — India-Ha'jUcr Journal, Nov. 16. 



NEW SYSTEM OF RUBBER TAPPING. 



Lowcountry, Nov. 27th. 

 Sir, — An interesting circular was issued by 

 Messrs Lee, Hedges & Co., Colombo, which 

 you published extracts from recently, regard- 

 ing a new method for tapping rubber trees. The 

 claims for this new method are great ; one being 

 that at least six times the ordinary yield has 

 been obtained and in less time than by the 

 old methods. Granted that this is so, what about 

 over-production ? 



I am not aware of the method yet. I hope to 

 be before long, and the oner made is a sporting 

 one ; but it seems to me that the great danger 

 of the system is the tapping of young'trees. This 

 is a method brought out by one planter and 

 boomed by his interested agents ; and, of 

 course, it is nothing to him and them, provided 

 he gets in the shekels, if immature rubber from 

 very young trees is placed on the market ; they 

 have got their boodle, and the good name of 

 Ceylon rubber can go hang ! 



Not one, but many planters, scientific men, 

 and those in the trade at home have all 

 declared that rubber from young trees is inferior, 

 and it is well approved that young trees of three 

 and four years of age should not be tapped. 

 Here is an attempt to overturn all this. 



Dr. Willis, whose opinion I take it is worth a 

 good deal, has approved the new system and 

 allowed his recommendation to be used as an 

 advertisement. Has the Director given his 

 opinion after carefully considering the subject, 

 and what it may mean if Ceylon as a whole goes 

 in for tapping young sapling rubber trees — ? 

 Has he examined and tested the rubber obtained 

 from such young trees, and obtained expert 

 home opinion on it, and the approval or other- 

 wise of manufacturers as to whether such rubber 

 is of value to them — ? Or has he been led to 

 express his opinion on returns from old trees — ? 

 Dr. Willis says : — 



"It is well-suited to young trees." That is, 

 Dr. Willis approves and recommends tapping 

 young trees, three and four years old. This is 

 very remarkable, as I— and others I could men- 

 tion — have understood the Director of Pera- 

 deniya to be against tapping young rubbers. 



