S60 TOT TEOPICAL AaRlCtJLTtJlilST. [Nov, l, 1903. 
MARKET RATES FOR OLD AND NEW PRODUCTS. 
{From Lewis tb Peat's Fortnightly Price Current, London, October, 1902, ) 
1^ No Price Current having reached us in time for this issue, we omit the usual 
quotations and fill up the page with ordinary matter. 
FIXATION OF NITROGEN BY ALG^. 
When we expose pots ot sand to which phos- 
phates, potash, and magnesium salts have been 
added, to the usual soil of a gaiden, we soon find 
that they get covered with various green algae ; 
and if we chemically analyse the surface of the 
sand, we often Knd a considerable amount of nitro- 
gen, rising sometimes teas much as 0-08 per cent. 
Messrs. Schloesing, jun., and Laurent observed 
the fixation of nitrogen by algpe in experiments, 
in which they noticed the diminution in volume 
of this element in a confined atmosphere, even in 
the presence of Leguminous plants, if the sand 
were covered with green algce. Later, M Kossowit- 
sch has reported that this fixation of nitrogen from 
the atmosphere by the algae only took place when 
these were associated with bacteria. M Bouilhac 
found by exact experiments that the algce, Nostoc 
punctiforme, sown in a sterilised mineral solution 
without a supply of nitrogen, does not develop, 
but that it is otherwise whm this algce is asso- 
ciated with soil bacteria ; this fact has been obser- 
ved at Rothamsted. M Stoklasa often got vigor- 
ous blue Luins growing in sand, and yet bearing 
no nodules on their roots. M. Denoussy also 
observed the same fact, but only when the pots 
of sand had been invaded by algae, and especially 
by certain species, which avoid full daylight, by 
retiring below the surface of the sand. It must, 
however, be recognised that though it is easy to 
observe the various algae which cover the sand, 
and to note that that the sand has gained nitro- 
gen, it is much more difficult to see tlie bacteria 
presumably associated with the algae. To sum 
up the subject, it is perlecily established that 
Leguminous plants bear bacterial nodules on their 
roots, and fix free and uncombined nitrogen from 
the atmosphere. This is a point gained, and it 
explains the name of ameliorant plants, by which 
they have long been designated. The question 
may be asked : Are these the only plants which 
have this power? Do the Algae equally possess 
it? Can the lower plants get possession of atmos- 
pheric nitrogen only as far as they are associated 
with bacteria organisms ? These points further 
investigations have to prove. 
The above facts have been summarised from. 
Prof. Deherain's second edition of his " Traite 
de Chimie Agricole, 1902. J J Willis, Harpenden. 
— Gardeners' Chr9nicle. 
GUTTA-PERCHA AND RUBBER IN 
GERMAN NEW GUINEA. 
The gutta-percha from gutta perciia trees wliich 
Mr R Schlechter discovered on his expedition 
to tlie South Sea in the Finistere and Bismarck 
mountains of German New Guinea, as medtioned 
in our issue August 4th, has now been put to a 
test. All have come lo the conclu ion tliat it is 
a good medium gutta suitable for cable purposes, 
and similar to the Kelantan or hard white gutta- 
percha. Its loss through washing amounts only 
to fourteen per cent. It contains fifty-six to 
seventy-four per cent gutta-percha, ancl thirty: 
four to thirty-seven per cent resin, and has beea 
estimated at about 6s, and even 83 to lOs per kilo. 
The rubber samples from the' same district have 
been tested and the sample of Ficus elastica has been 
found equal to a superior African of 5s 3d to 5s 91 
per kilo in value. The rubber from Oastilloa 
elastica proved to be similar in quality to good 
Peruvian balls, and had a value about 6i per kilo. 
The Hevea brasiliensis rubber showed a very good 
quality, similar to the Para rubber which now 
comes from Ceylon. This Para rubber on account 
of its dryness and light colour, is much in de- 
mand and fetches ten per cent more than actual 
Para rubber. — " Tropenpflanzer," — India-Eubber 
Trades' Journal, Sept. 1. 
RUBBER YIELD OP GERMAN AFRICA. 
The official reports on the German Colonies in 
Africa devote spesial attention to the development 
of their India-rubber resources, though the results 
in this direction have not yet proved so successful as 
was at one time anticipated. For one reason, as a 
recent report on Kanierun expresses it : " In conse- 
quence of the falling off of the supply of rubber and 
ivory in those parts of the country from which they 
have hitherto been obtained, Id is only by the open- 
ing up of fresh districts that the trade can be kept 
up to its present standard." Still rubber and ivory 
continue to furnish the larger part of the exports 
from Karnerun, Togo, and German East Africa, 
and now and then, for a while, an increased yield 
is obtained. Meanwhile the Government is seeking 
to encourage the forming of rubber plantations, as 
well as to discourage the destruction of native 
rubber plants. According to a British report on 
recent trade in the^e German colonies, the value of 
the rubber exports were as follows : 
Kamerum-£94:,Sd3 in 1899-1900 ; £102,926 in 1900- 
1901 — the increase being due to higher nricea realized, 
£18,304 in 1899-1900; £26,068 "in 1900-1901— 
more rubber haring been gathered. 
East Africa-£66,S59 in 1899; £52,933 in 1900— 
exports having declined in volume. 
From these figures it would appear that the 
average production of India-rubl)er in German 
Africa during the five years covered by the latest 
available statistics has been 1,757,414 pounds. 
The imports of crude rubber into Germany from her 
African colonies, during five years past, have been : 
Toj<o and 
East 
Karnerun. 
Africa. 
Total. 
1897 
... pounds 744,700 
167,200 
911,900 
1898 
698,280 
70,180 
768,460 
1899 
1,111,800 
140,800 
1,252 600 
1900 
902.000 
100,980 
1,002,980 
1901 
847,800 
120,340 
968,140 
The yearly average deduced from this table is 
980,816 pounds, indicating that the mother country 
fails to profit from the handling of an important 
share of the rubber produced in her colonies. =Dur- 
ing the same five years Great Britain imported 
rubber direct from Togo and Kanierun as follow.s : 
1897. 1898. 1899. 1900. 1901. 
Pounds .. 152,208 177,632 156,688 146.944 147,728 
In addition to the various native rubber species in 
German Africa, several imported species promise 
good results, and the experiments made in planting, 
under expert scientific supervision, seem likely to 
be of benefit to the cause of rubber culture gener- 
ally.— Znt^/a Rubber World, Sept. 1, 
