and Magazine of the Ceylon Agricultural Society. 



199 



MESSRS. FIGGIS & CO.'S REPORT. 



Fine Brazil, Amazonas, Bolivian, Peruvian 

 and (Wild) Medium. 

 1908 will be remembered as a year of record 

 variations in values and enormously increased 

 price at the close, compared with the beginning 

 of the year : also the constant large demand 

 for fine Para, which all countries have wanted 

 in larger proportion than formerly. As a result 

 theadvanne today compared to thisdate lastyear 

 is Is 8d per lb. on fine Para, but only 6d to Is 

 on Negrohead and lOd on Caucho Ball. For the 

 reasons stated in our last annual, prices declined 

 last January and February, several American 

 factories continued closed ; consequently too 

 much Rubber was left on the English market.. 

 On 2lst February we had the lowest prices of 

 the year, Hard Fine Para being sold at 2s 9d, 

 scrappy 2s. A recovery soon ensued, and as 

 detailed below, prices advanced Is per lb. With 

 eager American buying and cornering of largo 

 bear operators, we had a further great advance 

 in November, prices then being about double 

 those of February 21st. Mediums were only 

 saleable at very" low prices till November, 

 and the disastrous results to importers and 

 holders, seriously restricted imports, resulting 

 in stocks being abnormally small now. English 

 consumption of Rubber has been very large, 

 that of France and Germany good, Russia only 

 moderate, and America much less till quite 

 recently. We think invisible stocks must be 

 large in America, owing to her very free buying 

 this last three months. The European stocks 

 are exceedingly small. The world's supply of 

 about 65,000 tons has been all consumed. In 



1907 we had 69,000 tons, 1906 65,000 tons, and 

 we begin this year with very small stocks of 

 all Rubber (especially mediums). 



" Slab Rubber " was scarce and sold well, 

 " Ball " plentiful (and of good quality) and 

 very ready sale. "Tails" only saleable at low 

 prices. The supply of mediums was much 

 smaller. West Coast African declined. 



W.C.A.— Only 14,000 tons against 17,000 tons 

 in 1907, 17,200 tons in 1906 and 17,500 tons 

 in 1905. 



Visible Supply 1st January, 1909. 



Of Para and Peru- 19' 0. 1908. 1907. 1906. 1905. 190-1. 



vian tons 3,188 3,722 2,102 2,374 2,666 3,262 



Including America ,, 1,305 1,210 1,100 1,600 1,830 1,430 



1908 Brazil* Bolivia 

 (from the Ama- 

 zonas) „ 38,160 37,520 34,520 34,420 30,385 



Including Peruvian&Caucho 



via Iquitos and Manaos 7,400 7,160 6,250 6,100 4,39 



This year's crop was very good quality. All 

 fine should be cut and carefully selected before 

 shipment. Caucho Ball increased and of usefui 

 quality. Bolivia increased. Mollendo sent less, 

 Venezuela via Orinoco more. Ceara and Mani- 

 coba great reduction. Pernambuco and Assare 

 small supply but sold cheaply. Mattogrosso 

 crop was fair but quality not so good. Alanga- 

 beira, from Santos and Bahia, less supply and 

 cheap. 



Central America. — Supply greatly declined. 

 Mexico moderate supply. Columbia small 

 lots, and part poor undesirable quality. Ecua- 

 dor was fair quality, also Nicaragua. We had a 



few lots of Plantations from these countries, and 

 estimate 20,000 acres planted there. 



1908. 1907. 1906. 1905. 1904. 



WEST COAST AFRICAN 

 (total about) tons 14000 1700J 17200 17500 18000 



including Benguela and Mos- 



samedes tons .. 1,690 1,700 1,450 1,650 1,600 



Luanda tons . . 7>K) 900 700 800 950 



Congo and French Congo tons 5,900 6,000 5,900 5,650 5,800 



Qualities have somewhat improved, but prices 

 were low for Niger, Gold Coast, Accra and 

 Lagos. Good qualities from the Caraeroons, 

 Sierra Leone, Gaboon and Conakry sold at high 

 prices. 



The French Congo & Soudan, mostly from 

 Senegal via Bordeaux, sold fairly. 



About 1,050 tons, against 1,200 tons 1907, 1,300 

 tons 1906, 1,250 tons 1905. 



Liverpool imports W C African 2,580 tons, 

 against 3,740 tons 1907, 4,770 tons 1906, 4,700 

 tons 1905. 



Antwerp imports, mostly from Congo, 4,900 

 tons, against 5,00iJtons 1907, 5,700 tons 1906. 



East Coast African.— Zanzibar, &c, rather 

 less; prices show an advance for the year of 

 nearly Is 3d per lb; quality has been fair. Nyassa- 

 land very little. Mombassa and Lamu fair. 

 Uganda small. Abyssinian supply is increasing, 

 quality middling. 



Madagascar — Great reduction of supply, 

 prices close showing a rise of Is. per lb. Nig- 

 gers—Some lots nice clean sold well. Rangoon 

 small, Assam much decreased. Penang greatly 

 reduced; much higher recently. Supply of Java 

 was small, but planting is going on freely, and 

 we may expect increased supplies. Borneo very 

 little and sold cheap. Tonkin and French 

 Cochin China did not increase, but sold well. 

 New Guinea sent us none. Pontianak has been 

 abundant and fairly high. 



Review of Para Prices For 1908. 



The prices in January, 1908, were 3s. 5d. per 

 lb. for fine Hard Para, 3s. 2d. Soft tine; Negro- 

 head, scrappy 2s. 10d., Cameta 2s. 0^d., Islaud 

 2s., Caucho Ball 2s. 9d. With no American 

 demand and full supplies we declined on 21st 

 February to the lowest of 1908— 2s. 9d. Hard tine, 

 2s. Negrohead Scrappy, and Caucho Ball; prices 

 advanced 4d. per lb. in a fortnight, and late 

 in May tine Hard was sold up to 3s lid, 

 Scrappy at 2s 7id ; then at 2d less ; but 

 in early July at 4s and 2s 9d. In the 

 latter half of July and August we fell to 3s 

 9d, and Ball 2s 6d. American large steady 

 buying set in during September and October, 

 resulting in large business up to 4s 6d and 3s Id, 

 whilst in November, with "corner of bears" and 

 large American demand, we sold at the highest 

 price of the year— fine Hard up to 5s 5d, Scrappy 

 at 4s ljd. With less forced buying prices de- 

 clined 5d, and we closed the year with tine Hard 

 5s Id to 5s 2d, fine Soft 4s 10£d, Negrohead 

 scrappy 3s lOd, Cameta 2s 7d, Island 2s 5d 

 Caucho Ball 3s 7id. 



Balata— in fair supply, and fairly steady ; 

 Sheet 2s 6d down to 2s 3d, Block Is 6£d up to 

 Is 9Jd, closing at 2s 34d and Is 8£d to Is 9d. 

 Gutta Percha^ of slow sale throughout the year, 



