684 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [April 1, 1903. 
A NEW USE FOR SUGAR. 
VULCANISING WOOD. 
As the result of experiments, a method of so 
treating timber as to secure even from soft wood 
a largely increased toughness and hariness is 
reported to have been invented by Mr Powell, a 
Liverpool merchant. The treatment to which the 
timber is subjected is that of saturation ao boiling 
point with a' solution of sugar, the water being 
afterwards evaporated at a high temperature. The 
result is to leave the pores and interstices of r,he 
wood filled in with solid matter, and the timber 
" vulcanised," preserved, and seasoned. The 
nature of moderately soft wood, it is claimed, is 
in this way changed to a tough and hard sub- 
Btanee, without brittleness, and also without any 
tendency to split or crack. It is also rendered 
remarkably impervious to water. Hard woods, 
similarly tieated, derive similar benefits. More- 
over, it is claimed that the process -may be com- 
pleted and timber turned out ready for use in a 
few days. The invention, which has been patented, 
is to be brought before the attention of the timber 
trade by a series of practical demonstrations and 
lectures.— H, and V. Mail, Feb. 20, 
<• 
RUBBER FORESTS IN PORTUGUESE 
AFRICA. 
The Portuguese investigator, Dr. Pereira, on 
a journey through Africa, telegraphs from Mos- 
samedes that he has found large forests of rubber 
trees in the regions of Pungo-Andongo, Bardo 
and Quanza. The natives there have no idea of 
the way how to get the rubber,^" Gunimi 
Zeitung," — India- Bubber Journal, Feb. 16, 
PRIMEVAL CAMPHOR AND OAK 
FOREST DISCOVERED IN FORMOSA. 
An interesting and unusual discovery is ths,t 
of a primeval forest which has been found in 
Southern Formosa. The forest is of vast extent, 
covers, it is said, 50,000 acres, and contains 120,000 
camphor trees, each measuring from 7 to 18 feet 
in girth. These are roughly estimated to yield 
ten million catties of camphor, which, purchased 
by the monopoly office at 18 yen per 100 catties, will 
be worth 1,720,000 yen approximately. Besides, 
the forest abounds in " red-grained " oak, excel- 
lently suited for making Japanese oars, and also 
in tenge, valuable for cabinet work and other 
purposes. On the whole, therefore, the trees in 
this newly-discovered but ancient forest may be 
valued at some tens of millions of yen. There 
is one big obstacle, however, in the svay of their 
being utilised, and that is the excessive cost of 
transportation, Mr. Ishibashi, chief of the Abori- 
gines district office, is the lucky discoverer of this 
forest, He has also discovered in the same remote 
district a peak standing 12,081 feet above sea-level, 
the next highest peak therefore in the island, the 
highest being Mount T^iita^ia,— Hongkong Weekly 
Press, Feb. 23- 
RED COCONUT BEETLES IN 8INGAP0RE. 
With regard to the inspection of coconut 
trees, Mr Ridley, in the Gardens Report for 
19i»2, says that, during the year, notices to 
cut down infected trees were served on 238 
persons and 1,039 dead trees and 35 piles of 
rubbish were destroyed. There were no 
prosecutions. ■ The number of red beetles, 
especially, has greatly diminished in Singa- 
pore, so that it was some time before Mr 
Ridley could get a couple for a corres- 
pondent in Madagascar who wished to see 
\b.— Straits Times, Feb. 28. 
NETHERLANDS INDIA. 
The Batavia Nieuwshlad tells of the steady 
march of improvement in Pulo Way, at 
the harbour of Sabang. Jetties and store- 
houses are being rapidly built for the 
Dutch mail steamers calling there. It is 
expected that the N D L steamers will 
follow the example. 
THE NUTMEG PLA>;TER8 
at Banda in the Moluccas are now in the 
hands of a shipping ring which deals with 
them on ruinous terras. The planters look 
now for better times from Australian ships 
beginning to call at Banda, and readily 
buying up local products. T?ie supercargoes 
of these vessels have promised to call again, 
—Straits Times, Feb. 28. 
EAST AFRICAN PEARL-SHELL; 
Dr. Aurel Schulz, F r g s, the well-known South 
African explorer, lias secured two concessions over 
the whole of the German East^ African Coast — one 
for mother-of-pearl and pearl fishing, and the 
other for the exploration of trepang, also called 
Beclie-de-mer, both of which in other countries 
have developed into great industries and given 
large returns. The discovery of genuine mother- 
of-pearl shell on the German East Coast of Africa 
is expected to result in the development of a solid 
industry. Dr. Schulz state that the islands lying 
off the coast from coral banks of enormous extent, 
which fulfil all the natural conditions requisite 
for the maturing of mother-of-pearl shell in large 
quantities, while the conditions for diving are very 
favourable, as the water lies shallow over great 
areas. Red mussel, out of which he extracted 
somegood white pearl, is plentiful over a distance 
at least 400 miles in length. South of the island 
Mafia, off Ras Kisimaus, and in other places, he 
found beds of the large pinna shell (of extraordi- 
nary size) which yielded black seed pearls. Tre- ■ 
pang ispresentin considerable quantities. — African 
Review. 
^ : _ 
ESTIMATE OF COST AND REVENUES 
OF A CACAO PLANTATION. 
[Estiraatesof expenses in establishing a cacaofarm 
in the Visayas, Phillipines, and profits after the 
fifth year.] 
The size selected is 16 hectares, the amount 
of land prescribed by Congress of a single public 
land entry. The cost of producing such a tract of 
iand is as yet undetermined and cannot be reckoned 
in the following tables. The prices of the crop are 
estimated at 48 cents per kilo, which is the current 
price for the best grades of cacao in the world's 
markets. The yield per tree is given as 2 catties, 
or 1"25 kilos, a fair and conservative estimate for a 
good tree, with little or no cultivation, The prieea 
