Sept. 1, 1900.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
159 
are the development of each, individual plant 
into a bush and a larger j'ield. Weedino;, too, is 
general. 
A great deal of time was recently taken 
up over the deliberation of a Commission 
appointed to elaborate a scheme for the form- 
ation ot 
» 
INDIA-KUBBER: EXTENDED CULTIVA- 
TION AND REPORTED SUBSTITUTE. 
Below will be found some curious informa- 
tion in reference to the extended planting of 
rubber. Costa Rica is pronounced the hest 
country in the world for this culture, and an 
estimate is furnished for an estate which is 
truly American in its grandevir, though it also 
reminds us of certain Ceylon "cinchona" 
estimates in the early "eighties." In short 
the estimate before us makes out the annual 
profit after seven years on 10,000 acres planted 
with rubber, to be 375,000 dollars, say £75,000 
or £7 10s an acre. This is not too much per 
acre, but the risks over 10,000 acres would 
be considerable. — "The India-rubber World" 
to hand of July 1st, contains a great deal 
about substitutes for rubber. First, our old 
friend, the Rhea or Ramie plant, is to be 
exploited and we read: — 
Patents cover the Oordner method of manufacturing 
artificial rubber from the Ehea fibre. The capitaliza- 
tion of 810,000,000 has all been underwritten for a 
Syndicate taking it up and no portion of it will be 
sold to the public for a number of months. Under 
the process controlled by the syndicate, a substance is 
produced which has the appearance, odor, and utility 
of crude rubber, and it is claimed that it can be 
mannfaclured at a fraction of the cost per pound of 
Para unwashed. The products will be manufactured in 
New Jersey. It costs, manufactured, as near as they 
can figure, 13 or 14 cents per pound, and as soon as 
possible they intend to discover exastly how mucli it 
is worth in ali kinds of manufactured rubber goods. 
They do not expect it to take the place of Para 
rubber in elastic bands, for instance, but in many 
other lines where waterproof qualities, ductility, and a 
certain amount of resiliency are required, they believe 
that it will be found of great value. It is reported 
that Mr. Fred. Lamprougli, who came over to America 
with Mr. W J Oordner in order to demonstrate the 
usefulness of the gum to the American purchasers, 
received a handsome fee for his services. Mr. Lam- 
prough will be remembered as the inventor of a sub- 
stitute for ludia rubber and Gutta percha known as 
• Yolenite." 
But this is not all. The next substitute is 
"Velvril" of which we are told: — 
The basis of "velvril" is a drying or semi drying 
oil. which is nitrated by strong nitric acid. A nitro 
compound is formed, containing from 4 to 5 per cent 
cf nitrogen, and this is thoroughly purified until all 
traces of free nitric acid are removed. In practice 
tne oils used are linseed oil, and castor oil, but Mr. 
Eeid states that, owing to the unstable nature of 
linseed oil, castor oil is preferred. The other ingre- 
dient used is nitro cellulose ot a very low degree of 
nitration. Articles made of " volvril " materials may 
be placed in boiling water without losing theirshape, 
although with the higher temperature they become 
somewhat more supple. By great pressure and heat 
combined, however, these materials can be molded 
into any desired shape. Mr. Eeid exhibited specimens 
of mechine belting, made of " velvril " material, 
such as had been running for more than two years 
under trying conditions, but without showing appre- 
ciable signs of wear. The fabric which forms the 
basis is a cotton canvas of special make. Ttiia is 
SfttuEated a,ftd ooated wiljh a, s9Ullii9a 9£ " velYril" 
material, and is then folded over to the required thick- 
ness and cemented together by means of specially 
constructed machinery. Such belting is stated to 
have very great strength, is waterproof, and un- 
affected by oil or climatic changes. It has been 
found specially suitable for hot climates. The pre- 
pared canvas from which the belting is made can be 
used for a variety of other purposes. Trunks and 
portmanteaus made of it do not, like leather become 
moldy in a damp climate. Ground sheets of '' velvril 
have been made for the British soldiers in camp in 
South Africa. It has also been used for horse covers, 
and, in a diiierent mixture, for printers' blankets. 
Finally there is an alleged Mexican sub- 
stitute : — 
" A rubber factory is in course of construction in 
this city for the extensive preparation of rubber from 
a Mexican weed by a newly discovered process. The 
plant is valued at $100,000 and is owned by a stock 
company, the principal stockholders of which are the 
Messrs. Soberon." 
"Twentieth Century Gum" is the name 
given to this last new material ; but the 
success of it as of the other substitutes has 
not yet been fully tested : and planters ot 
rubber trees in Ceylon and elsewhere may 
take comfort in the fact that there is nothing 
equal to the real article. 
CRUDE RUBBER AND PLANTING 
INTERESTS. 
AN EXPERIMENT IN COSTA RICA. 
The Indiana Eubber Co. (Goshen, Ind.), mentioned 
in the last India Rubber World as having been in- 
corporated under Nevada laws, with ^1,000,000 capital, 
were organized early in this year. They own 10,000 
acres of land on the east coast of Costa Rica, purchased 
after four years' investigation in Central America by 
Lester C Singer, of Goshen, Ind., who becomes the 
company's assistant manager. In a letter to The 
India Rubber World Mr. Singer writes : 
" I was two years in Costa Eica, and decided that 
country to be the best for planting rubber, for tho 
reason that there is no dry season on the Atlantic 
coast of Costa Rica as there is in Nicaragua and Hon- 
duras. I have planted over iiOO acres of rubber in Costa 
Rica, and it is doing splendidly. My system of plant- 
ing is to select rich, well drained soil where there is a 
heavy rainfall and no decided dry season. I plant the 
seed in a nursery and transplant in from six months to 
one year. I underbrush the land and thin out the 
timber enough to let in the light and air, and after- 
wards keep the plants clear of the undergrowth. I 
have associated myself with the Indiana Rubber Co., 
whose capital stock is $1,000,000. Three hundred 
thousand dollars of the stock of the company will be 
sold at par for working capital. We expect to com- 
mence active operations soon, for which I shall return 
to Central America." Mr. Singer's address for a time 
will be in care of the United States consul, San Jose, 
Costa Eica. 
The company, in their prospectu'!, state that their 
estate has a water front of seven miles along a river, 
whicli affords means of ready communication with 
the different districts of the plantation and with the 
coast. " The land is as valuable as any in Costa Eica, 
where land similary situated is easily sold for $100 
per acre. . . Sufficient planting has been done to 
prove that the land is well adapted to the growth 
of rubber trees, chocolate, and other tropical plants. 
Some excellent specimens of rubber trees, which 
were planted by a former ownei-, are going on the 
land." Blr. Singer is referred to as " a pioneer in 
the planting and an expert in the culture of rubber 
trees. He has received the commendation of ofiiciala 
and others who are interested in the development 
of the resources of Costa Eica. His plantations have 
gone through the experimgn^ail stage and have ^'■■9?efl| 
