Saps and Exudations. 



Ceylon and Straits products so far have been marketed in such small lots— though 

 the aggregate may have been important— and varying so in quality and condition 

 that the manufacturer seeking to use these sorts has beeu unable to obtain either 

 an important quantity at one time or an assured supply of a given quality for 

 regular consumption. These things will right themselves, however, with the increas- 

 ing production of the plantations and the better care in the preparation of the 

 rubber. But there is something for the manufacturer to do as well as for the planter, 

 in arriving at the best possible results from the new class of rubbers. For instance, 

 the manufacturer here quoted is of the opinion that the Ceylon rubber is not safe 

 to use in making rubber thread. But the nature of his tests is not indicated. 

 The fact that this rubber has not given good results for thread under the established 

 practice in his factory is by no means conclusive. Possibly with a variation from 

 his practice, for instance in regard to vulcanisation, a thread equally as good as 

 many others in the market might be produced. The whole industry will recall the 

 variations from any former practice which were rendered necessary after the 

 introduction of Africans before satisfactory results were obtained, but now the 

 consumption of Africans has become very large, and for many purposes with as 

 good results as from the best Para sorts. In fact, there are uses for which some 

 of the Africans are preferable to Para rubber." 



BISCUITS PREFERRED TO CREPE. 



A firm of London rubber brokers writes as follows in regard to plantation 

 rubber from the Par East :— 



"At present the quantities have not been sufficiently large to be taken 

 generally by manufacturers, and it has yet to be ascertained for what purposes 

 these new plantation rubbers are most suited, and how results compare with 

 ordinary fine Para. There is no doubt that for some special purposes the pancake 

 and sheet rubber both from Ceylon and the Malay States have been found very 

 suitable, and in very convenient form of preparation, but it will have to come in 

 much larger quantities before it can establish its proper place in competition with 

 fine Para and be generally used by manufacturers who must have regular supplies. 

 Up to now we have found very few consumers to look with favour upon the washed 

 and crepe rubber, and they nearly all say they prefer the biscuits or sheets, and 

 will do the washing themselves. The crepe and washed is liable to heat en route, 

 which is against it." 



RUBBER CULTIVATION ON THE SHEVAROYS. 



The Collector of Salem wrote to the Government in April last pointing out 

 that they had granted temporary remission of assessment on lands cultivated with 

 special products in the Nilgiris and the Wynaad, and that this concession had been 

 extended to rubber. He suggested that the eon cession thus granted to the above- 

 named planting districts might be extended to the Shevaroy Hills in regard to lands 

 newly cultivated with rubber. He made the reference as Mr. A. G. Nicholson 

 intended to start rubber cultivation on the Shevaroy Hills, and suggested that the 

 remission of assessment should, in his opinion, be for a period of five years. After 

 some correspondence on the subject during the last six months, the Board of Revenue 

 recommended to Government that the concessions sanctioned in G. O., No. 604, Reve- 

 nue, dated 30th June, 1905, might be extended to all lands on the Shevaroys newly 

 cultivated with special products. The Board further recommended that rubber and 

 Caravonica cotton might be declared to be special products eligible for the above 

 concessions. The Board concurred in the opinion expressed by the Collector of Salem 

 that the concession should not be applicable to the case of a mixed crop, part of 

 which was in bearing. 



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