and Magazine of the Ceyton A^rimttural Society. 



The advantages of extraction by solvents are said 

 to be : (1) Unfailing yield of the whole of the oil 

 contained in the seed, and independence of the 

 vagaries of workmen. (2) Cheapness in working 

 compared with the pressing system. Four hands 

 suffice to work the largest plant. The loss of solvent 

 should not exceed | per cent, on the weight of 

 the material treated. The cost per ton of seed 

 treated is said to be about R3 against R13 by 

 pressing. The meal and the oil are perfectly 

 free from the smell of the solvent, and the oil 

 is bright and clear. The meal is perfectly dry 

 and is saleable immediately after being bagged. 

 The cost of an extraction plant is said to be 

 about one-third of the price of the usual pressing 

 plant. — Indian Trade Journal, Dec. 3. 



RUBBER EXHIBITIONS IN EUROPE. 



Colombo, Dec. 18th. 

 Dear Sik, — We have much pleasure in enclos- 

 ing a copy of a letter addressed by Mr. Walther 

 Freudenberg of Bremen to the India Rubber 

 Journals in England and on the Continent, 

 which no doubt will be found to be of great 

 interest to • your readers, many of whom are 

 engaged in this important industry in this 

 island. — We are, dear Sir, yours faithfully, 

 . FREUDENBERG & Co. 

 (Copy.) 



The Editor, India Rubber Journal, London. 



Bremen, 23rd Nov. 1908. 



Dear Sir,— There can be no doubt that 

 another Rubber Exhibition in London in 1910 

 would be a mistake in view of the Brussels Ex- 

 hibition during the same year. This Belgian 

 show will be largely patronised by the Contin- 

 ental manufacturers and the Colonies and 

 naturally a simultaneous Exhibition in London 

 would be doomed to failure. 



From an English point of view there ought to 

 be no hesitation in deciding in favour of Brus- 

 sels; for important reasons: English people 

 must, naturally, wish to push the produce 

 of their Own Colonies in preference to that 

 from foreign countries. In this produce 

 from English colonies, the Plantation Rubber, 

 the Continental manufacturers evince the 

 greatest possible interest ; more so, it seems 

 to me, than other manufacturers. Therefore it 

 is reasonable and desirable that the excellent 

 samples which were so much admired in London 

 should next time be shown here if possible in 

 an enlarged edition. 



The English Trade has had its chance last Sep- 

 tember. Not every man interested in rubber on 

 the continent has been able to go to London; but 

 very few will miss going to Brussels. 



The opportunities for the producers to meet 

 the manufacturers are bound to be better in 

 Brussels than they would be in London. Already 

 some of the improvements in Plantation rubber 

 can be traced to information and advice given by 

 competent people over here. 1 hear on good'autho- 

 rity that great efforts will be made at Brussels 

 to have the Agricultural department up-to-date. 

 The next International Agricultural Congress 

 iatobe held there at the time of the Exhibition. 



A section will be arranged for Tropical Agri- 

 culture and a special subsectiou for Rubber. 

 Powerful influence is at work making such 

 preparations as will ensure a complete success. 



Therefore I say : Brussels and not London, 

 and I am sure you will be doing all concerned 

 a great service by using your influence to have 

 the London idea dropped. Especially as the 

 Belgians will naturally throw their powerful 

 Colonial and Mercantile interests in the balance 

 in favour of Brussels. — I am, Dear Sir, yours 

 faithfully. 



WALTHER FREUDENBERG. 



THE FUTURE OF COTTON-GROWING 

 IN CEYLON. 



H. E. THE GOVERNOR CALLS FOR A REPORT BY 

 AN EXPERT. 



It has been matter for wonder among many 

 agricultural visitors to the island, especially 

 those who have gone so far afield as the North- 

 Central Province and noted its rich, black, 

 loamy soil, that not more has been done in 

 development of a cotton industry in this Colony. 

 The experiment station at Maha Ulupalama, 

 however — so efficiently carried on by Mr. C. J.C. 

 Mee, who has been in charge also of the work 

 at Gangaroowa for nearly two years now — is 

 itself an abundant proof, under the Peradeniya 

 Botanic Gardens Department, of what can be 

 done in this country in cotton culture under 

 suitable conditions. In view of results com- 

 paratively satisfactory in growth and yield 

 and at moderate cost, we are not surprised 

 to learn that H.E. Sir Henry McCallum is not 

 satisfied with the small advance made in this 

 Colony in Cotton Cultivation. The Governor is 

 anxious to know whether still further improve- 

 ment might not be arrived at, such as would 

 attract marked attention to the product and 

 bring about the investment of capital in the 

 Province referred to with a view to cotton pro- 

 duction on an appreciable scale. To this end 

 he has wisely taken advantage of the Cotton 

 Expert in our midst, fresh from considerable 

 Egyptian experience of the product. We 

 refer to Mr. J. Stewart McCall, the future 

 Director of Agriculture in Nyassaland, whose 

 three months in the Colony came to a close, 

 on January 10th when he sailed for Mombasa 

 (via Aden). His Excellency, has called for 

 a report from Mr. McCall on the work 

 being carried on at Maha Ulupalama and on 

 the prospects of development of the cotton 

 planting industry in the North-Central Province; 

 and *Mr. McCall paid a visit to the scene of 

 Mr. Mee's chief work, with the latter gentle- 

 man, Mr. M Kelway Bamber and others in con- 

 sultation. The presence of the other gentlemen 

 referred to, with Mr. McCall, will add distinctly 

 to the value of the results of the detailed enqui- 

 ries and observations made on the spot; and 

 we look forward with much interest to the report 

 when issued, which may take the form of a 

 special paper to be read at next meeting of the 

 Agricultural Society if it does not appear as a 

 Sessional Paper, 



