12' 
AflRlCtlLTtlklSt. 
[July 1. 190B. 
The latest business reports of aeveial Belgian trading 
companies holding concessions in the Oongo Free State 
allude to the rmbber pknting clone by them. The 
company of the Plantations de la Lnkulu report having 
planted 6000 i^ani^ot trees and 8000 iiajies (crKepers), 
with 50,0000 of the former and 12,000 of the latter 
Btill in nurseries. The Cie. Siicrieie Eurcpeecne et 
Colonia)e report planting 22,171 lianes and 748 Monihot 
trees, besides other species. The Plantations de TiH 
Luki had planted 16,534 lianes and EpecimcDs of nine 
different rubber trees, and had several thousand 3Iani- 
hut plants in nurseries. As to the lianes planted, on 
account of the local names being used, it is not clear 
what is the species. The lirat named company men- 
tion plunting " malumbo," which, by reference to 
Hallier * would indicate some variety of Landolphia. 
The other two corapaniea, however, report the planting 
of "lcmbi3 " which suggests the CliUindra, a genus of 
"root rubber" plants. The companies referred to 
are oneraling in the Mayombe country on the lower 
Congo— immediately north of the district in Augola 
previously' referred to. ' 
It may I ; noted that all of the species of Landol- 
phia are not of the giant creeper class, but 
Bome are iiMjluded among the plants producing 
"Caoutchoac dea herbes," or "root rabber." Such 
a plant is shown in the illustration, accompanying 
this article, of LandolpMa Thollomi, The other illus- 
tration relates to Carpodinus lanceolatus. By the way 
in the present confused state of the nomenclature of 
African rubber yielding species, the same plant is 
referred to as Carpodinus by one writer and Clitandra 
by another, and possibly as Landolphia by a third. 
Herr Hallier,.in his monograph on the Apoq/nicece, 
after a comparison of all the data accessible, recog- 
nises 21 established species of Crapodinus, 15 of Clitan- 
dra, and 20 of Landolphia, It need occasion no surprise 
therefore, if different observers, under diSerent con- 
ditions, should apply different designations to the same 
plant. 
It is plain that with the extensive production in the 
districts alluded to in this paper, the total eshaustiou- 
of " root rubber" — without replanting— is inevitable. 
In this connection the decline which has occurred al- 
ready in the exports from Benguela is significant, 
the figures showing only 1,034,605 pounds for 1902, 
against 4,942, 148 in 1898.— /niia Bubhw World. 
THH FERMENT OP THE TSA LEAP. 
IMr. M, K. Bamber on Mr. H. H. Mann's Second 
Pamphlet. 
Mr. Bamber, asked for his views to-day on the 
observations of the ScientifiG Officer to the Indian 
Tea Association, courteously gave his opinions, though 
somewhat reticent at first about offering any criticism, 
sir. Bamber had read the pamphlet, and remarked 
that it contained a great deal of interesting matter. 
What do you think of Mr. Mann's arguments about 
withering ? Well, the remark that enzyme increases 
during the withering process is new ; but, as Mr Mann 
in his first page says, it is a false idea that the in- 
crease of the ferment is itself desirable. It seems 
difficult to reconcile his tabular statements which 
point to an increase of the ferment as giving a better 
tea. For some years now the planter has tried to 
get his wither during the first 24 hours, by arranging 
the thickness o£ spreading — according to the weather ; 
but it has been found in practice that a two days' 
WJther, or even longsr, frequently gives a thicker 
iea, which fetches a higher price on the present 
market ; and for the last year or two Messrs. Davidson 
and Co. have been guaranteeing, I believe, a wither 
iu from 15 to 20 hours by the use of the fans which 
do not unduly dry the leaf. 
• Tjeber KautschokHanea und Andere Apocynaen. 
^amburg ; I'JOO. 
Mr, Minn holds that rapid withering is not good ? 
Yea, the tables and active and total enzyme given 
by Mr Mann are ii slructive ; but on comparing them 
it will be sesn that practically the same amount of 
enzjme was found iu 4 hours' rapid withering as in 
18 hours' ordinary ■wioh'-ring — in fact in one case 
rather more. I think Mr. M mn is quite right in 
stating that too rapid a wither if nut good ; bat 
I don't think his figures conclusively prove th.at the 
tea manufactured after a 4^ hours' wither would not 
have been so good as the tea manufactured after 
an 18 hours' wither. I think we can hardly say that 
the quantity of enzyme alone is as yet a measure 
of quality, and Mr. Mann's result Vtould have been 
more conclusive had samples of tea been mana- 
factnred upon the same leaf with which he tested 
the enzyme. ' 
Gxn Mr, Mann's experiments in any way be ap- 
plied to Ceylon estates ? 
Well, 1 think the coudilions are Bomewhat altered. 
In Ctiylon the conditions range from pvac'icaily sea 
level to 7.000 feet, and that makes it more d:flicdI6" 
to draw deductions from experiments from one estate 
only. 
Mr. Mann ndvises that the tea manufacturer should 
have his leaf soft for rolling when the chemical 
constituents of the leaf are at their best. Do yon 
agree wilh this ? 
Mr. Mann's conclusion as to the chemical and 
physical condition of the leaf is no doubt theore- 
tically correct ; but practic.illy I think that it would 
bo found that the tea manufacturer will have to 
depend more on the physical than the chemical 
condition, even when the correct state of the latter 
is known. Withering in Ceylon is very largely under 
control, except perhaps during two or three months, 
when t'nere is an undue rush of leaf, and large amounts 
have to be taken into t'ne factory daily. 
II IT PREFEKABLE TO WITHER IN LIGHT OE IS 
DARKNESS ? 
Wioh regard to the experiment as to the amount of 
enzyme iu leaf plucke 1 late in the evening or early 
in the morning, according to Mr. Minn's table ths leaf 
plucked in the morning contains 2J to over three times 
more enzyme than that plucked in the evening, and this 
should therefore produce a much better tea. But 
planters are disagreed as to which tea manufactured 
is the better. It would have been interestiug if an 
estimation of tannin and other solable matters in 
the leaf at these times had also been made, as this 
would probably have given him a better indication 
of the character of the tea. 
ASEPTIC PEEMENTATION. 
What do you think of Mr. Mann's conclusion about 
aseptic fermentation '? 
With regard to aseptic fermentation, I quite agree 
with Mr. i\Iann that the bacteria found on tfie tea leaf 
should be destroyed, or their action prevented , and 
I believe in the absolute necessity of having every- 
thing perfectly clean. For the last two or three years 
I have recommended that cloths, tables, and every- 
thing connected with fermentation should be kept 
clean by washing daily, or at frequent intervals, with 
a solution of permanganate of potash, with, I think, 
benefioial results. The fermenting leaf has occa- 
sionally been sprinkled with a dilute permanganate 
solution in adition, sometimes with an increased 
brightness of the colour, and at other times apparently 
with little marked affect. All cloths have been kept 
for some time out of contact with the fermenting 
leaf, so as to prevent ooatanination of the different 
rolls. > 
What about the effect of temperature on fermen- 
tation 1 
With regard to the effect of temperature bu fermen- 
tation altbongh the action of the enzyme, as Mr. M^nn 
says, is greatest at a 120° F., this can hardly be. j:e- ■; 
uommeaded. as the liquors woald almost ia?ariei<bly 
