460 The Supplement to the Tropical Agriculturist 



Kullar (1,300 feet), Nilgiris, in April 1902 ; 

 collected June 1908." It weighed 6J oz., and 

 consisted of a rough sheet of dark brown rub- 

 ber, containing a fair amount of vegetable 

 impurity. The rubber was rather soft, slightly 

 sticky and weak. A chemical examination gave 

 the following results : — 



Sample as Composition 

 received. of dry rubber. 

 Percent. < Percent. 

 Moisture .. Vb — 



Caoutchouc .. 027 63'6 



Resin .. 32'0 32 5 



Proteid .. 0-9 0'9 



Insoluble matter .. 2'9 3'0 



Ash 



2-29 



2-4 



The rubber was valuGd at 3s 2d to 3s 4d 

 per lb, in London. This rubber is of inferior 

 quality, owing to the largo percentage of resin 

 present. The trees from which the sample 

 was obtained were, however, only six years 

 old, and it is probable that the quality of the 

 rubber will improve as the trees become older t 

 The specimens from Burliar bore the fol- 

 lowing table : — 11 No. 3. The Castilloa rubber 

 from the Government Experimental Garden. 

 Burliar (2,400 feet), Nilgiris, February, 1908." 

 it weighed 5^ oz., and consisted ot rough 

 sheets of rubber varying in colour from light 

 to dark brown, and containing traces of vege- 

 table impurity. This rubber was much stronger 

 than the preceding specimen from Kullar, On 

 analysis it give the following figures : — 



Sample as Composition 

 received. of dry rubber. 

 Pes cent. Per cent. 

 Moisture . . 0'2 — ^ 



Caoutchouc .. 86"1 86.2 



Resin .. 12:8 12'9 



Proteid .. 0-5 05 



Ash ., 0-i 0-2 



The rubber was valued at 3s 6d to 3s 8d 

 per lb. in London. This sample of Castilloa 

 rubber from Burliar is much superior in com- 

 position and physical properties to the speci- 

 men from Kullar. No information was fur- 

 nished regarding the age of the trees from 

 which the rubber was obtained. 



Paha Rubber (Hevea brasiliensis).— Speci- 

 mens of Para rubber were received from both 

 Kullar and Burliar. The sample from Kullar 

 was labelled as follows : — " No. 4. Para rub- 

 ber from trees planted in the Government 

 Experimental Garden, Kullar (1,300 feet), Nil- 

 giris, in April, 1902 ; collected June 1908." It 

 weighed 7fi oz. and consisted of 2 largo biscuits 

 of dark brown rubber containing traces of vege- 

 table impurity. The rubber was rather de- 

 ficient in strength. The results of the chemical 

 examination are given in the following table : — 



purity. The value of the rubber would be 

 enhanced if it were lighter in colour. The 

 specimen of Para rubber from Burliar was 

 labelled as follows : — " No. 5. Para rubber 

 from the Government Experimental Gardens, 

 Burliar (2,400 feet), Nilgiris. Trees planted 

 November, 1898 ; rubber collected November, 

 1907." It weight 17| oz. and consisted of two 

 biscuits and three long narrow strips of rub- 

 ber, rather uneven in colour, and containing 

 traces of vegetable impurity. The rubber was 

 in good' condition and possessed fair strength. 

 It had tho following composition : — 



Sample as Composition 



received. of dry rubber 



Per cent. Per cent. 

 0"4 — 

 91-5 91 -9a 



3-9 3-9 

 37 3-7 

 0-6 0-5 



Moisture 

 Caoutchouc 

 Resin 

 Proteid 

 Ash 



Sample as 

 received. 

 Per cent. 



0'8 

 92'0 



2- 6 



3- 



re 



Composition 

 of dry rubber. 

 Per cent. 



9>-8a 



2- 6 



3- 

 1-6 



insoluble caout 



a Soluble caoutchouc 88'8 per cent, 

 chouc i'O per cent. 



The rubber was valued at 5s to 5s 2d per lb. 

 in London. This rubber is very satisfactory 

 in composition, but the biscuits are dark 

 coloured and contain specks of vegetable im- 



Moisture 

 Caoutchouc 

 Resin 

 Proteids 

 Ash 



a Soluble caoutchouc 90 per cent. ; insoluble caout- 

 chouc 19 per cent. 



The rubber was valued at 5s 4d to 5s 5d 

 per lb. The sample of Para rubber was much 

 lighter in colour than the preceding speci- 

 men, but like tho latter it contained minute 

 vegetable fragments which should be removed 

 from the latex by straining. The rubber was 

 very satisfactory in composition. — Imperial 

 Institute Bulletin. 



CACAO CULTIVATION IN GERMAN 

 GOLONIES. 



The rapid development of the German Colo- 

 nies during the last few years is well illustrated 

 by the advances made in agriculture and es- 

 pecially in the cultivation of cotton, sisal hemp, 

 rubber and cocoa. The cultivation of cocoa in 

 the German Colonies has extended with remark- 

 able rapidity. 



In the Cameroons, the industry is chiefly in 

 the hands of European companies. Owing to 

 the attacks of a bark-boring beetle, measures 

 were adopted with the object of arresting the 

 damage and good results were achieved. Areas 

 infested with such pests were manured with 

 superphosphate and potassium chloride, with 

 the result that largely increased yields ot cocoa 

 were obtained. 



The earlier attempts of the natives to grow 

 cocoa resulted in failure owing chiefly to the 

 natural aversion of the people from innovations. 

 Moreover, the Cameroon negro is not so well 

 qualified for agricultural work as is, for example 

 the native of the Gold Coast. The consequence 

 was that the plantations wore abandoned and 

 afterwards became choked with weeds. Some 

 improvements has now been brought about by 

 the efforts of the Government officials in in- 

 structing the natives, distributing seed and 

 young plants, and directing the operations ; par 

 ticularly gratifying advances have been made in 

 the Victoria district and in Bodiman. Kecently 

 attention has been directed more especially to 

 the exercise of increased care in preparation in 

 order to produce a cocoa of consistently good 

 quality. 



In 1907-8, 18,961 acres were under cocoa the 

 number of trees amounting 2,768,351, of which 

 those on 12,532 acres were in bearing. The 



