554 



The Supplement to the Tropical Agriculturist 



Sierra Leone. — Ten specimens of rubber from 

 Sierra Leone were reported on during 1908 ; they 

 included samples of Funtumia, Landolphia and 

 Ficus rubbers. The Funtumia rubber was of 

 good quality, the dry product containing 87 per 

 cent, of caoutchouc, but the biscuits were of 

 rather rough appearance. It was valued at 3s. 

 per lb., with fine hard Para at 3s. 5£d. per lb. 



A number of samples of Landolphia rubber 

 were examined. The well- prepared rubber was 

 found to be of good quality, containing nearly 

 90 per cent, of caoutchouc in the dry material, 

 and it was valued at the same price as the pre- 

 ceding specimen of Funtumia rubber. 



A specimen of rubber obtained from a species 

 ot Ficus was found to contain 37 per cent, of 

 resin, and was therefore of inferior quality. It 

 was very similar in composition to the Ficus 

 Vogelii rubber from the Gambia, and would rea- 

 lise about the same price. 



Gold Coast. — A number of specimens of Fun- 

 tumia and Landolphia rubbers from the Gold 

 Coast were reported on during 1908. 



A sample of Funtumia eiastica rubber, coagu- 

 lated by means of an infusion of the leaves of 

 Bauhinia reticulata, was received from Ashanti. 

 It was of good quality, containing 88 - 5 per cent 

 of caoutchouc, but the sheets were of rather 

 rough appearance and not thoroughly dried. It 

 was valued at 2s 8d to 2s lOd per lb, with fine 

 hard Para quoted at 3s 5£d per lb. 



Three other specimens of Funtumia rubber 

 from Ashanti had been prepared by "creaming " 

 the latex. They were of very good quality so 

 far as chemical composition is concerned, con- 

 taining from 88 - 5 to 89 per cent of caoutchouc 

 and low percentages of resin and proteid. The 

 commercial value of the samples was, however, re- 

 duced by the facts that the cakes had been made 

 too thick and contained a considerable amount of 

 moisture ; they were also of rather rough ap- 

 pearance. The specimens were valued at from 

 2s 7d to 2s lOd per lb with fine hard Para at 4s 

 6d per lb. A fifth sample of Funtumia 



RUBBER FROM ASHANTI 



had been prepared in biscuits by the spon- 

 taneous coagulation of the latex. It was 

 much less satisfactory in chemical composition 

 than the preceding specimens, containing only 

 7 1 "5 per cent of caoutchouc and large amounts 

 of resin and proteid. It was however much 

 superior in appearance, and was valued at 3s 6d 

 to 3s 8d per lb with fine hard Para quoted at 4s 

 6d per lb. 



A specimen of "Pempeneh" rubber, derived 

 from Landolphia owariensis growing in the Nor- 

 thern Territories, was found to be of very good 

 quality, containing 90'6 per cent of caoutchouc, 

 6 per cent of resin, and less than 1 per cent of 

 proteid. It was valued at 3s to 3s 3d per lb with 

 fine hard Para at 3s 5|d per lb. 



Six specimens of latex and two samples of 

 Ficus rubber received from an estate near Axim 

 were examined. The Ficus rubbers contained 

 22 and 27 per cent, of resin, and were there- 

 fore of inferior quality. Samples of Ficus latex 

 which were stated to correspond to the speci- 

 mens of prepared rubber were found to yield 



products of similar character, A specimen of 

 Landolphia latex, probably from L. owariensis, 

 yielded rubber of good quality, but the other 

 latices, stated to be derived from species of 

 Landolphia, Tabernsemontana, and Anthostema. 

 and from Funtumia africana, furnished resi- 

 nous products of no commercial value. 



A substance resembling gutta percha, de- 

 rived from the rhizomes of a plant occurring 

 in the Colony, was also investigated. 



Southern Nigeria. — A number of specimens 

 of Funtumia eiastica rubber prepared in bis- 

 cuits or sheets have been received for exami- 

 nation and valuation in comparison with 

 the ordinary lump rubber as prepared by the 

 natives. One sample, described as 



" ANYO " RUBBER, 



was in the form of dark-coloured biscuits 

 which had been imperfectly dried, and con- 

 sequently arrived in a mouldy condition. The 

 rubber was of good quality, containing 86 - 5 

 per cent of caoutchouc, and was valued 

 at 2s 6d to 2s 8d per lb., with fine hard 

 Para quoted at 3s 5 per lb. Samples of 

 Benin lump rubber sent at the same time 

 were valued at from Is 6d to Is lid per lb. 



Three further samples of Funtumia rubber in 

 biscuit form were forwarded from Benin City. 

 They were of satisfactory composition, contain- 

 ing from 87'9 to89'8 per cent of caoutchouc, but 

 were of very rough appearance. They were 

 valued at from 2s 8d to 3s 4d per lb , with fine 

 hard Para at 4s 6d per lb., and 



BENIN LUMP AT 28 PER LB. 



A specimen of " Ubabikpan " rubber derived 

 from Clitandra eiastica was found to be of very 

 good quality, containing 90 4 per cent of caout- 

 chouc whilst the percentages of resin and proteid 

 were low. it was valued at 2s 8d to 2s lOd per 

 lb, with tine hard Para at 3s 5$d per lb. 



A. sample of rubber derived from the Marodi 

 vine consisted of a thick rough biscuit of brown 

 rubber, dry and well prepared. It contained 

 over 80 per cent, of caoutchouc, but a rather large 

 amount of proteid. It was valued at 2s 6d per 

 lb., with fine hard Para at 3s Id per lb. 



A specimen of rubber believed to have been 

 prepared from Ficus Eiastica was found to be 

 very satisfactory in chemical composition, but 

 deficient in physical properties. On the later 

 account its commercial value was only law. 



East Africa Protectorate. — The exami- 

 nation of a small ball of Ceara rubber from the 

 Kibos district showed that the percentages of 

 resin, proteids and insoluble matter were all 

 rather excessive. It was valued at about 3s per 

 lb., with fine hard Para at 4s 3£d per lb. 



Zanzibar. — Small samples of Para and Castil- 

 loa rubbers experimentally prepared in Zanzibar 

 were received for examination. 



The Para rubber was of very good quality 

 but contained a fair amount of vegetable im- 

 purity and a little more resin than usual. 



The Castilloa rubber was of very resinous 

 nature containing only 77 per cent, of caout- 

 chouc and 20\5 per cent, of resin. No infor- 

 mation was available as to the age of the trees 

 from which the specimen was obtained. The 

 samples were too small for valuation. 



