120 
THE TROPICAL 
MJRICULTURIST. [Aug. 1, 1902, 
pound. This is not the first instance of exception- 
ally higli prices obtained in tlie London market 
for " Para rubber " from plantations in the East. 
The declinino; profits of coffee growing have forced 
the planters in that part of the world to seek some 
more remunerative planting, and already thousands 
of acres ate covered with rubber trees nnder culti- 
vation. Not unnaturally attention has been turned 
chiefly to Para rubber, on account of the univer- 
sally higlier price which it commands, and now 
that thelirst trees planted are becoming productive 
the result of the sale of every little lot exported 
seems to the planters to confirm their choice. There 
is no computing how much planting ol Para rubber 
since 1900 has been due to the sale of 327 pounds, 
sent from Perak to London in that year, at 3s lOd. 
It is not impossible that these planters may yet 
be disappointed, for the reason that it remains to 
be seen whether what they are producing is realUy 
" Para rubber." The tendency in nature is for all 
species to be influenced by a change of habitac. It 
appears, for example, that trees of the genus Hevea 
—the source of Para rubber^wlien grown in the 
Ea=it, become productive at an earlier age than in 
the Amazon valley ; again, it is stated that, while 
in the Amaz )n forests the seed pods of the iTevea 
uniformly contain three seeds, the number is irre- 
gular on the trees in the Malay States, and there 
are other indications of a tendency to " sport." It 
is possible that, under cultivation, the tree might 
in time develop different characteristics even in 
B • uil, where thus far it has existed only under 
natural forest conditions. Ultimately new species 
of Hevea may exist, as a result of change of soil 
and climate, and of transfer from forests to planta- 
tions. 
We have already expressed our opinion of sam- 
ples of Che cultivated rubber from the Malay States, 
which, while attractive in appearance, do not really 
resemble the fine Para rubber now in use. It 
is much softer than the Brazilian product, and of 
much shorter " fibre." It could not be used, for 
example, in thread, elastic bands, or any fine 
pure cum goods. In solution it quickly loses its 
tenacity, so that it would not do for high grade 
cements. And it readily softens with age. Per- 
haps some of these detects miaht be removed by 
the introduction in the East of the methods of 
coagulation employed in the Amazon rubber camps, 
but"we are disposed to believe that the Eastern 
planters have really produced a new grade of 
rubber, and that the Para article can never be 
wholly' duplicated by them. It is to be understood, 
of course, that the rubber is valuable and will find 
a ready market at a price which is likely to yield 
a profit, but such samples as have reached us, 
valued from the manufacturer's standpoint, would 
rank at least 15 per cent below fine Para. 
The good prices realised in London, doubtless, 
have been due to the cleanly appearance of the new 
rubber; and they have been based on the judg- 
ment of brokers, lather than results of practical 
tests in the factory. It would seem that the better 
course for the plan'ers' associations would be, not 
to try to find how much money can be obtained in 
the open markets for their sample lots— which 
then become lost to sight— but to send them direct 
CO a well-equipped factoiy, to be made up in 
various forms of goods. The manufacturers' test 
is the one by which the value of this rubber will be 
iudged finally, regardless of what may be the 
ludgaient of brokers today. We do not mean to 
damp the enthusiasm of tl^e planters, but there 
is such a thing as basing their plans upon estimates 
of profits that are impossible.— ZncZio. Rubber 
World, June 1. 
INDIAN TEA PATENTS. 
Specification in respect of the undermentioned 
invention has been filed, under the provisions of the 
Inventions and Designs Act of 1838, in the office of 
the Secretary appointed under that Act :— No 179 
of 1901. — Frank Edmund Winsland and George 
Ernest Moore, Engineers, both of Joyhiug tea 
estate, North Lakhimpur, Upper Assam, India. 
Improvements in apparatus suitable for packing 
tea. (Specification filed 30th November 1901.) 
Application in respect of the undermentioned 
invention has been filed, under the provisions of 
the Inventions and Designs Act of 1888, in the 
office of the Secretary appointed under that Act: — 
No. 20 of 1902.— William Martin Glynn, tea 
planter, at present residing at the Adelphi hotel, 
Calcutta, British India. A new or improved pro- 
cess for equalising tea leaf, and apparatus theieftir. 
— Indian Engineering , June 28. 
INDIAN TEA ASSOCIATION. 
THE RESTRICTION AND EXPANSION RESOLUTION. 
Calcutta, July I. — Read copy of Minutes of a 
Meeting of the Advisory Committee of the Indian 
Tea Markets Expansion Commission held on 24th 
June, forwarded for information by Messrs 
Andrew Yule & Co. At this meeting the foUow- 
Resolution had been adopted: — 
" That with referenoo to the recent suggestion from 
London that growers should stop manufacture of their 
crop fromlat to 21st August inclusive, ao that the anti- 
cipated over-production may not cause a slump in prices 
this CommiU.ee after reading the report of the Indian 
Tea Markets Expansion Commission now before them, 
are more than ever convinced that the relief for tho 
Industry in the matter of over-production can be 
found in India, and they strongly urge Proprietors, 
Managing Agents, and every one connected with the 
Tea Industry to contribute the Tea it is proposed 
to destroy to the Indian Tea Markets Expansion Com- 
mission, so that no portion of India need be left 
untapped in the matter of pushing sales of tea." 
The Commissioner (Messrs Andrew Yule & Co.) 
had been requested to forward a copy of the Reso- 
lution to the General Committee of the Indian 
Tea Association and to urge that the matter should 
be laid before the Indian Tea Association, London, 
and also before the signatories to the suggested 
restriction scheme, further consideration of the 
matter in a modified form was postponed until 
receipt of a reply from London as to the exact 
position in regard to the restriction scheme. 
ADVERTISING IN AMERICA. 
A short discussion then took place regarding the 
effect on the American trade of the stoppage of 
advertising of Indian Tea. From all accounts it 
appeared that while the demand for Indian Tea in 
the United States had fallen oflF in a marked 
degree, Ceylon teas which were advertised freely, 
were steadily increasing in favor. It was recog- 
nised that the whole question turned upon the 
want of funds to advertise freely and continu- 
ously. Spasmodic efforts for advertising on -a 
small scale were of little avail, and matters, 
it seemed likely, would go from bad to worse 
unless ample funds were forthcoming to enable a 
vigorous campaign to be opened. Relief could 
only be looked for from the sanctioning by Goyerii^ 
