Gums, Resins, 



498 



[December, 1911. 



method has been dealt with first as 

 being the one which is most likely to 

 suit the physical nature of the Ceara 

 tree, and also for the reasou that it is 

 one of the simplest and most inexpensive 

 methods of collection ; consequently it is 

 hoped it may prove to be the best 

 system to follow in this Territory. It is 

 true that the rubber cannot be prepared 

 quite so clean as that collected in liquid 

 form and appearing iu biscuits, but at 

 the same time the cheaper cost of collec- 

 tion is likely to far more than compen- 

 sate for the higher price the biscuits 

 may realise, and it should also be 

 remembered that it is difficult in this 

 country to collect by any of the inci- 

 sion methods more than 50 % of the 

 latex in liquid form. 



A brief reference to the history of 

 Ceara in German East Africa may be of 

 interest to planters in this Territory, 

 seeing that the rapidly-extending cultiv- 

 ation in that country is due entirely to 

 the discovery and adoption of the Lewa 

 method. Ceara was cultivated in 

 German Bast Africa at Tanga and Dar- 

 es-Salaam between the years 1890 and 

 1900, but the results were very disap- 

 pointing, and its cultivation was about 

 to be given up when Kohler discovered 

 in 1900 the method which has been the 

 subject of this article. This method 

 was generally adopted, and the cultiv- 

 ation of Ceara rapidly increased. In 

 1902 there were about 300,000 trees 

 planted out ; to-day there is said to be 

 over 8,000,000 trees in cultivation. 



There appears no apparent reason 

 why this method of tapping should not 

 be equally successfully employed in this 

 Territory as it has been in German East 

 Africa. 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



By Rudolph D. Anstbad, 

 Planting Expert. 



(From the Planters' Chronicle, Vol. VI.; 

 No. 38, September 23, 1911.) 

 Ceara Seed Oil and Poonac. — The 

 following reports on samples of the oil 

 obtained from Ceara seed in Coorg and 

 the residuary poonac have been kindly 

 forwarded by Mr. W. H. Harrison, the 

 Government Agricultural Chemist at 

 Coimbatore : — 



"Ceara seed oil was examined and 

 reported upon by Pendler and Kuhn in 

 1905-06, the results being published in 

 " Chemische Centralblatt, 1906, Part 1., 

 pages 768-769. 



" From the analytical value obtained, 

 this oil would appear to be a drying oil, 

 similar in character to candle-nut, saf- 

 flower, Poppy seed, and Niger seed oils, 

 It can therefore be used as a substitute 

 for linseed oil in certain directions, and 

 hence could possibly be used in the 

 manulacture of paints and varnishes. 

 Other uses would be as a burning oil and 

 the manufacture of soaps (probably soft 

 soaps). 



" The taste of the samples forwarded 

 would probably prevent its use for culin- 

 ary purposes, but this would probably 

 disappear on suitably refining the oil. 



"If the oil could be produced in a 

 large quantity and at a low cost, the best 

 plan would be to enter into communic- 

 ation with oil merchants at home who 

 would be able to advise if there was any 

 opening for its extended use in the arts 

 and manufactures," 



Ceara Seed Poonac :— Per cent. 



Moisture ... 10-96 



Organic matter ... 67*05 

 Sand ... ... 395 



Soluble mineral matter 18*04 



Total 100-00 



Containing Nitrogen ,.. 1*72 

 Phosphoric Acid (P2O5) 1-96 

 Potash (K> 0) ... C-19 



Remarks.— The cake is of very low 

 nitrogen content, containing only about 

 one-fourth that of ground-nut cake, and 

 one-third that of neem cake, and its 

 market value is therefore proportionate- 

 ly less. It can however be utilized by 

 mixing with other manures rich in 

 Nitrogen, as the organic matter it con- 

 tains will be useful in producing humus." 



Hevea Seed Oil and Poonac — Orenier's 

 Rubber News of 2nd September contains 

 a letter from Messrs. Walter Graham 

 <fc Co. of Greenwich, England, stating 

 that undecorticated Hevea seed was 

 found to contain 20% of oil of drying 

 nature which they valued at £28 per ton. 

 The residual poonac had the following 

 analysis :— 



Moisture ... H"52 



Oil ... 6-08 



Albuminoids ... 15"31 



Carbohydrates, &c. ... 31-97 



Indigestible Fibre ... 32-54 



Mineral matter ... 2 58 



100-00 



Containing Nitrogen 2'46 



