472 



The Supplement to the Tropical Agriculturist 



TRANSVAAL CONVENTION 



bearing the appropriate date of 1st April of this 

 year, 



OUR LATEST PRACTICAL JOKE AT THE EXPENSE 

 OF PORTUGAL, 



and of its provisions for the perpetuation 

 of what much more deserves the label of 

 "A Modern Slavery "—the status of the Mocam- 

 bique negro in the Rand Mines, and the 

 methods by which he is recruited, under the 

 British flag. But with all these deviations from 

 the normal before us, the Portuguese colonist 

 may well exclaim :—" Physician, heal thyself ! " 



J. A. W5TLLIE, f.r.g.s. 

 Lieut. -Colonel, Indian Army (Retired). 



RUBBER IN PAPUA. 



Mr. A. S. Bloomfield, who has returned to 

 Melbourne after a visit to the New Australian 

 Federal Territory, of Papua, is convinced that 

 rubber planting will become a most successful 

 industry in the "wet belt " there. 



Para rubber seeds brought from Ceylon have 

 in some cases attained a height of 22 ft. in 15 

 months from the date of planting out. Great care 

 has been taken in choosing the sites for plan- 

 tations. In each case a water frontage was 

 obtained. About an acre of ground was fenced 

 in with pig-proof fencing, and thoroughly 

 trenched. Seeds were then planted about 4 in. 

 apart, in beds. A rough glass roof was built in 

 order to protect the young plants from the 

 extreme heat. Suitable positions for managers 

 quarters and stores were then picked, and the 

 work of clearing was begun. After the timber 

 had been felled and burnt, the estates were 

 lined and holed, and immediately the wet 

 season commenced the young seedlings were 

 transplanted into the plantation, and shaded 

 with shade baskets made out of banana leaves 

 and other material. 



Mr. Bloomfield states that the trees grow 

 much more rapidly in certain parts of this 

 territory than in other tropical countries. The 

 rainfall in the " wet belt" is 80 to 150 inches 

 per annum. — India Rubber Journal, Sept. 20. 



GERMINATION OF CEARA RUBBER 

 SEEDS. 



A rapid method of germinating Ceara rubber 

 seeds is in use at La Zaeualpa Botanical Station, 

 Mexico. It consists in placing a layer of fresh 

 horse manure in a box, to the thickness of about 

 6 inches, spreading the seeds on the surface, 

 and covering with about 1 inch of the same 

 material mixed with a small quantity of sand. 

 The soil should be slightly packed, and the box 

 covered with glass. If put in a warm place or 

 in the sun, germination will take place very 

 quickly. The seedlings should be planted as 

 soon as they are an inch or two high, and some 

 manure added to the soil. After such treat- 

 ment the seedlings will grow very rapidly. In 

 planting at stakes the holes should be made as 

 large as possible, or at least 4 feet square. The 

 soil should be well watered, and if too sour, 

 some lime should be added before planting. — 

 Barbados Agricultural News, Sept 4, 



EXPORTS OF RUBBER FROM PARA. 



and Cocoa and Brazil Nuts. 

 The following particulars of the exports of 

 rubber, cocoa, and Brazil nuts produced in tho 

 State of Para during the crop years 1906-7, 

 1907-8 and 1908-9 have been furnished by H. M. 

 Consul at Para (Mr G A Pogson) : — 



Rubber. Cocoa. Brazil Nuts. 



Met. tons. £ Met. tons. £ Hectolitres. £ 



1906- 7 11,467 3,285, 000 1,668 82,000 41,521 48,(100 



1907- 8 10,189 2,209,000 2,449 160,000 80,255 103,000 



1908- 9 11,729 3,177,000 3,392 142,000 80,797 71,000 



Metric ton = 2,504 lb. ; hectolitre == 2-75 Imperial 

 bushels; the milreis has been converted at Is 3d.— Board of 

 Trade Journal, Sept. 16. 



RUBBER IN SIAM. 



H.M. Consul at Senggora (Siam) states that 

 the only feroign-owned rubber plantation in the 

 Monthon of Patani is near Bangnara. It is 

 owned by an Englishman and was started about 

 four years ago. Reports with regard to it are 

 favourable, and the Consul calls the attention of 

 persons interested in rubber to the possibilities 

 of Patani as a rubber-producing country.— India- 

 Bubber Journal, Sept. 20. 



CINCHONA IN JAVA. 



Tea Taking Its Place. 

 Amsterdam, Sept. 22. — Tho report of the 

 Bandoeng Cinchona Manufactory mentions that 

 during the preceding year 1,020,917 kilos. Cin- 

 chona bark were worked, containing 61,582 

 kilos, sulphate of quinine, or, after deduction of 

 waste, 58,619 kilos. Of the quinine produced 

 the Government of Netherlands India received 

 18,929 kilos. The balance was sold in auctions 

 at Batavia and settled with the private planters. 

 The price at which the manufactory accounted 

 for the delivered bark with the contracting 

 undertakings was based on a payment of fl. 7.50 

 for the quantity of bark required for 1 kilo, 

 sulphate of quinine, so that these undertakings 

 enjoyed considerably more benefit by delivering 

 to the manufactory than by shipment to Europe; 

 for the price of bark on the Amsterdam market 

 declined to about c. 3.15 per unit. The pro- 

 duction of Cinchona bark appears to exceed the 

 world's consumption, and, moreover, it is said 

 that the quinine manufactories in Europe and 

 America have formed 



a combination which fixes the price at the 



amsterdam auctions. 

 This combination, it is rumoured, buys up all 

 the quantities of bark offered for sale, and thus 

 makes a reserve, enabling it to abstain from 

 buying for a long time if planters try to com- 

 mand higher prices or refuse to sell on the 

 present low basis. However, it is not impos- 

 sible that the contrary will occur and that 

 buyers will have to pay much higher prices in 

 order to encourage the production. On many 

 Cinchona undertakings plans are already in 

 operation to cultivate tea instead of Cinchona. 

 The working account exhibits a profit of 

 fl. 104,492, out of which a sum is proposed for 

 writing off, and the balance allows a dividend of 

 10 per cent, to be paid to shareholders.— L. <b C. 

 Express. 



