April 1, 1903.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
705 
value of buried prmiings in particular, and 
manuring generally is to be a supplementary 
branch of the essayist's theme. Accurate 
and reliable information on these subjects 
will, we feel assured, be very acceptable 
to the planting community; for the matter 
is not one where a solid vote would be 
given one way or another, there being 
still much variance of opinion especially in 
regard to buried prunings, while there are 
districts which are ready to tax all 
fertilisers. Let us trust when the informa- 
tion is available, it will not be of the 
technical nature which requires a chemical 
expert to interpret it ; but rather that it may 
be of a nature easily assimilated by the mind 
of the everyday-planter, and the man of 
ordinary intelligence. 
REPORT ON SAMPLES OF RUBBER 
EXTRACTED FROM HEVEA BRASILIENSIS 
IN THE FEDERATED MALAY STATES. 
STRAITS SETTLEMENTS, NATIVE STATES.— No. 432. 
Downing Street, Slst Dec, 1902. 
Sir, — I have the honour to transmit to you for 
your information and for communication to Mr 
Stanley Arden, Superinteadent of Experimental 
Plantations, the papers noted in the subjoined 
schedule. — I have, etc., 
(Signed) Onslow, tor Secretary of State. 
(Copy.) 
Royal Botanic Garden, Kew, Dec. 24th, 1902. 
Sir, — I have the honour to inform you that I 
have received from Mr Stanley Arden, Superin- 
tendent of Experimental Plantations in the Fede- 
rated Malay States, series of samples of Para rub- 
ber coagulated by various methods, with a request 
that I would obtain a commercial report upon the 
results. A copy of the brokers' report is enclosed. 
Without entering into unnecessary details it is 
sufficient to notice that Nos. 1 and 6 were natu- 
rally coagulated ; No 2 was coagulated by the 
addition of acetic acid ; No. 7 was " scrap rubber" 
collected oflf the tree ; the remaining samples were 
coagulated by various mineral acids. It is quite 
clear from the brokers' report that natural coagu- 
lation affords the best results and that the only 
admissible artificial coagulating agent is acetic 
acid. The point, however, which it is important to 
notice, is that Para rubber can be produced in the 
Straits Settlements from ten years old trees, which 
is worth eightpence a pound more than the best 
equivalent Brazilian product. I may be per- 
mitted to feel some satisfaction at this result 
seeing that the trees which have furnished the 
rubber now reported on are the descendants of 
those transmitted from Kew to the Straits Settle- 
ments in 1877; these were part of the first consign- 
ment of Para rubber trees to the tropics of the Old 
World. I have no doubt ihat the Straits Settle- 
ments is now in possession of anew and important 
cultural industry. The facts stated above are 
therefore of sufficient importance to bring under 
the notice of the Secretary of State and to be 
placed on permanent record. Mr Chamberlain will 
no doubt cause them to be communicated to Mr 
Stanley Arden, in official course. — I am, etc., 
(Signed) W T Thiselton-Dyek. 
MESSRS. HECRT, LEVIS AND KAHN TO ROYAL 
BOTANIC GARDENS, KEW. 
36, Fenchurch Street, London, E.G., Dec. 19, 1902. 
Dear Sir, — We have examined the samples of 
Para Rubber from Selangor which yon submitted to 
us. We ave of course not chemists, and can only 
judge the rubber from its elasticity, strength and 
freedom from dirt. With ordinary Hard Care Fine 
Para worth today 3s bd per lb., we shonld estimate 
the value of your samples aa follows : — 
No. 1 about 4s 4d per lb Nos. 2 and 6 about 48 
3d per lb. No. 5 about 48 2d per lb. No. 4 about 43 
Id per lb. No. 3 about 4= per lb. No, 7 about 33 4d 
per lb. 
Numbers 3 and 4 ars decidemy weaker than the 
others, and on the whole we think the leas acid 
used in coagulation the better. Sample No. 1, 
coagulated without acid n.t all, is certainly the best 
of the lot. — We remain, etc., 
Hecht, Levis and KA^f. 
PRODUCE AND PLANTING. 
The chairman of the Mazawattee Tea Company, lil* 
some other sanguine people interested in tea, is hopeful 
that the Chancellor of the Exchequer will be in a 
position to 
TAKE OFF THE EXTRA DUTY ON TEA 
imposed in 1900, when he introduces his next P>adget. 
Tea is certainly ui' cli moie entitled to relief than soma 
of the other commodities whose vendors are clamouring 
for reduced taxation ; but justice does nst necessarily 
govern these matters. — Commenting on 
THE DUTY QUESTION AND THE TEA MARKET 
the tfrocer says : " Operators in the tea trade oatnrally 
think that they ought to be relieved of part at least of 
the Customs' duty before anybody else, and have been 
inclined to abstain from clearing stocks out of boad 
faster ihan was n> i t-s^ary, so as to be in a better 
position to enjoy ihe full advantage of a reduction in 
the impost, shonld such a proposal be made and carried 
through. The actual state of the market for tea at the 
moment is so peculiar as to be almost beyond inliueiises 
of a fiscal nature, and the change that has come over 
it within the last fortnight has created quite a surprise. 
Attributable in the first instance to the shortening of 
the supplies immediately on offer, by importers restrict- 
ing the number of invoices to be catalogued for public 
sale every week for a long while past, the dealers and 
others have not been overburdened with unmanageable 
duty paid stocks aa they were at this period last year. 
The consequence has been a great strengthening of tl» 
market, as time aud opportunity have been given for all 
surplus quantities in the hands of the trade to be woiked 
ofi ; and as the principal blenders have again entered 
the market to renew their purchases and replenish 
stocks, a fresh and stronger stinmlus has been imparted 
to the upward move of late, which iias become so 
marked this week that prices for the common 
qualities have advanced fully \A per lb — a rally 
iu no way connected with " the question of 
the lowering or raising of the duty on tea." 
If we may judge by the hints given in one of 
their trade organs, 
GROCERS DO NOT KNOW ABOUT TEA 
as much as they ought to do. The journal says : 
" It is a pleasant thing to see a grooer's window 
smartly dressed with samples aud showbowls of tea, 
and in anyone connected with the trade such a sight 
generally arouses a feeliug of admiration. But how 
rarely are such efforts to win back the tea trade 
shown by the one-shop and two-shop tradesmen of 
today I Yet it is not easy to blame thi'm ; there are 
excuses for this want of interest. I'he truth ia that 
the retail tea trade has been ao exploited, and in such 
a variety of ways, that numerous grocers have ^owa 
