Aug. 1, 1901.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST 
133 
The Export of Caoutchouc— from French 
Tonquin last year — amounted to 300,400 kilos, says 
the India Bubber Joui'nal, the greatest part of 
which weat via H.ougkoag, only a small quantity 
being shipped from Haiphong direct to Europe. 
A New Peocfss for Moulding Sweet Bis- 
cuits is being worked in Philadelphia, which in- 
cludes the use of rubber. It consists in placing a 
thin sheet of tough elastic India-rubber between 
the moulding dies and a layer of dough. When the 
die cutter is forced into the dough the rabber 
ecniorras exactly to the design in the die by 
minutely reproducing the same through the rubber 
upon the dough. By this process very thin wafer- 
like biscuits, with a highly embossed surface, can 
be turned out at much greater speed than ordinary 
methods. — India-ruhher Trades' Jotirnal, July 24. 
Planters and New Products. — A corre- 
spondent writes: — "We tried making tea 
seed oil and the oil w'as successfully made, but 
the cost was prohibitive. I was reading 
somewhere about sunfiower-seed oil being 
valuable. Now sunflowers grow like weeds 
here and our patanas could soon be full of 
them, if some one with means and leisure 
would kindly experimest and give less 
fortunate planters the benefit of his experi- 
ence ? " "We fear neither sunflower nor tea 
seed oil will pay to make in Ceylcn. But 
sunflower seed is said to be valuable for 
feeding stock. The time is approaching when 
systematic experiments can be made at the 
new Government Farm, Gangaroowa, under 
the auspices of Mr. Director Willis and staff. 
Company Reports. — We publish on page 
121 the annual report of the Boga- 
wantalawa Company. The yield of tea largely 
exceeded the estimate in spite of finer 
plucking during the last three months 
of the season, and the cost of production, 
though sli^itly higher than last year, is 
still moderate. The expenditure includes 
that incurred on new clearings, build- 
ings, and machinery. The total yield was 
1,236,272 lb. tea plucked off 2,185 acres, being 
at the rate of 565 lb. per acre all round, costing 
free on board at Colombo 23'92 cents or 3.93 cl, 
per lb. The gross average price of the 
1,220,246 1b. sold in London was 7"51d. per lb. 
The crops for the current season owing to 
finer plucking are estimated at 1,188,000 lb. 
tea. The gross average at which drafts were 
negotiated was Is. 4Jd. per rupee against 
Is, 4 5-16d. in the previous season. The profit 
for the year amounts to £13,290 5s. lid., to 
which has be added interest, £132 7s. lid., and 
the balance from last year of £952 lOs. 5d. 
It is proposed to pay a final dividend of 
44 per cent, on the ordinary shares making 6 
per cent, for the year, which will acquire less 
tax, £4,275 ; to transfer to reserve (increasing 
this account to £4,500) £1,500 and to carry 
forward to next year the balance of £753 2s. 3d. 
— We also give the report of the Dumont 
Coffee Company in which Ceylon men are 
interested. The causes are explained, which 
have led to a considerable diminution of 
profit. As the result of this the directors have 
considered it advisable, instead of declaring a 
further dividend, to place the sum of £20,000 
to reserve account and carry forward 
£10,263 15s. 7d. The property of the Company 
seems to be in a satisfactory condition. 
The French Indo-China Consular Deport 
for 1900, sent here May 8lh,' states that the ex- 
ports of gutta-percha for 1900 amounted to 39,000 
kilos, against 58,813 kilos in 1899. The gntta 
percha comes chiefly from Annam and Laos. A 
picul of good quality is worth about £13. The 
rubber and gutta-percha are subject to an export 
duty per 100 kilos of 100 fraiics-^eqaal to £4.— 
India-rubber Trades' Journal, July -Zi. 
Sugar-Growing in the Straits.— It appears 
that sugar planters are prepared to take up 
thousands of acres in the Selinsing division, if the 
Government will grant the land for that purpose. 
A large sugar factory of the latest type was opened 
on the Gedong Estate late in the year, wliere over 
a thousand acres are under cultivation. There is 
no doubt a great future before sugar in this dis- 
trict, if difficulties be not thrown in the way of 
its c\\\i,\v&t\o'a.— Official Report for 1900, 
Planting in the Straits.— The Collector of 
Klang reports high prices prevailing for land in the 
neighbourhood of Kuala Klang, oii which he has 
reasan to believe the preseut owners propose to 
erect permanent buildings, and, although there is a 
tendency to surrender the unopened land on some 
European-owned estates, agricultural land is still 
in request by both European and Native planters. 
Coconuts, rubber and coffee are the principal 
products at present under cultivation.— 0^ct«; 
Report for 1900. 
Bolivian Exploration.— Renter's Agency is 
informed that an expedition sailed yesterday for 
the Isthmus of Panama, whence it will proceed to 
Bolivia for the purpose of continuing the explora- 
tion work in that country which was begun by 
Sir Martin Conway. The region to be explored 
lies between the crest of the Andes and the great 
Amazonian plain, and between the rivers Kaka 
and Beni and the river Pando or Tambopata, an 
area of over 10,000 square miles. The expedition 
is equipped and sent out by Sir Martin Conway. 
Its leader is Mr John W Evans, D.Sc, a well- 
known geologist and traveller, who, has previously 
done good work in the western part of Brazil. 
With him go I»Tr John Turie, assistant geologist, 
and Mr Gerard A Watney, B A., surveyor. They 
will be joined by an experienced botanist from the 
United States and by a zoologist already in the 
country. The expedition is fully equipped with 
all needful scientific appliances, and will spend 
one year in making a thorough scientific examina- 
tion of the region. They will make as complete 
scientific coilectiuus as po.ssible, and, if expecta- 
tions are realsied, will bring back valuable 
observations and maps ^f general scientific and 
geographical importance. The collections will 
ultimately be pre.ventea to the public museums of 
London and New Yoik, and it is hoped that they 
may hll a gap in the national collections on both 
sides of the Atlantic. The country to be explored 
cannot be described as wholly unknown, but it is 
for the most part unmapped ; it has never been 
scientifically explored, and great areas of it have 
only been visited by native prospectors. In this 
region are the fertile valleys of Las Yungas and 
the famous gorges of the Tipuani, Mapiri, and 
Coroico, whence so large a part of the gold of the 
Iricas was brought. The hill-sides produce every 
kind of tropical and sub-tropical crop, Yunwas 
cofTee being in the opinion of many expt'ts the 
best in the world. Indeed, all the products of the 
Yungas valleys are not merely rich, but of singular 
excellence.— London Times, June 27, 
