September, 1911.] 



207 



Saps and Exudations. 



are two small beetles which he found in 

 the root of the rubber tree. They are 

 a common native species, and I told him 

 that as far as my conclusions at that 

 time were concerned, the beetles had 

 appeared on account of some sap remain- 

 ing on the tree after the tree was cut, 

 and that always draws beetles. I do 

 not think that that pest really would be 

 considered as a pest ot the rubber tree. 

 Evidently it was not very alarming, 

 because I have not heard anything more 

 about it. 



The rubber growers are very fortunate 

 in having so few pests, and I think it 

 will be possible to keep out any others. 



President Lufkin appointed Messrs. 

 P. L. Waldron and George P. Cooke to 

 take up the matter of sending a repre- 

 sentative of the Association to attend 

 the London Rubber Exhibition in June. 



Messrs. Wade Warren Thayer, Albert 

 Waterhouse, and A. L. Castle were 

 appointed as members of the Publicity 

 Committee. 



Messrs. George P. Cooke, P.L. Waldron 

 and William Williamson were named 

 as the Committee on Markets and 

 Marketing. 



After tendering votes of thanks to 

 Dr. Wilcox, Mr. Hosmer and Mr, 

 Ehrhorn for their able addresses, the 

 Convention adjourned. 



INDIA-RUBBER IN DUTCH GUIANA. 



By the Editor of " The Rubber World," 



(Prom the India Rubber World, Vol. 

 XLIII., No. 6, March I, 1911.) 



Third Letter. 

 A Morning Ride to the Balata Pier. — 

 Dutch Negro Workmen. — Government 

 Balata Concessions.— Bush Negroes. — 

 Balata Trees 400 Years Old. — Locating 

 the Trees. — Balata Crews. — Tapping. — 

 Coagulating. — Bringing the Gum to 

 Market. 



Very early morning the Balata Man 

 came around in a stylish little trap 

 drawn by the liveliest horse that I had 

 yet observed, and invited us to go out 

 and inspect a shipment of balata that 

 had just arrived from the interior. Our 

 acceptance was prompt and grateful. 

 We whirled down Keizerstraat, which 

 was crowded with men and women on 

 their way to work, down by the huge 

 market sheds where sat scores of country 

 negroes with baskets of fruit, eggs, poul- 

 try and every variety of tropical edible, 



animate and inanimate, which could 

 possibly find sale in the city. Then out 

 through the suburbs and up to the balata 

 warehouses. 



Balata arrives in bales weighing about 

 250 pounds each, the sheets folded to- 

 gether, piled up and then bound with 

 bushrope. One of the first things down 

 on the receipt of a shipment is the in- 

 spection. The sheets are cut apart, partly 

 to allow of further drying, and partly 

 to detect foreign material, particularly 

 sand. It is then baled again and weighed, 

 the Government Royalty paid, and it is 

 ready for shipment abroad. It is here 

 also that boats are outfitted for balata 

 gathering and for the gold fields. One 

 boat was loading while we were there. 

 It lay some eight to ten feet below the 

 pier, and one negro and four coolies were 

 trying to induce a mule to step up on a 

 narrow plank and then descend into the 

 boat. The mule knew that the plank was 

 so awkwardly placed that it would slide 

 off, and wisely refused, so they blindfold- 

 ed her with a piece of burlap so loosely 

 woven that she could see right through 

 it. Then with a man down in the boat, 

 pulling at the halter and four pushing 

 from behind she suddenly jumped and 

 landed safely in the bottom of the boat, 

 incidentally catching the man below by 

 surprise, and knocking him heels over 

 head under one of the seats, and that is 

 about the way the workmen do every- 

 thing. They are slow, clumsy, and lack 

 mechanical ability. It does not do to be 

 too impatient or to try to hurry them, 

 for then they hasten but always do the 

 wrong thing, and their misdirected 

 energy and ingenuity in accomplishing 

 what you do not want done is appalling. 

 They are willing workers and also 

 exceedingly willing loafers. 



The Balata Man told of being far up 

 the river at one time with a lot of balata 

 awaiting shipment. This, some negro 

 boatman agreed to take to Paramaribo 

 for twenty guilders. It was seven days' 

 journey, and they had been four days 

 rowing when they were overtaken by a 

 steam launch. This they hired to tow 

 thera the rest of the way, contentedly 

 paying twenty guilders for the service. 



The balata lands are almost wholly 

 owned by the Crown, but are exploited 

 only by individuals or companies under 

 Government concessions. The concession- 

 aires pay half cent per hectare (2*471 acres) 

 for prospecting. Then they pay 4 cents 

 per hectare for ground rent. Added to 

 this is 4 cents per kilogram export tax 

 which must be paid within eight days of 

 its receipt. The only other export tax 



