236 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[Oct.  I,  1896. 
The  CiIAIUMAN,  ill  moving  tlie  adoption  of  tlie 
report,  congratulated  the  siiareholders  on  tlie 
satisfactory  footing  of  the  Company,  lie  pre- 
sumed that  the  report  might  be  taken  as  read, 
having  been  in  tlie  hands  of  the  shareholders 
for  .some  time.  The  outturn  for  the  season 
under  review  contirnied  the  remarks  made  by 
the  Chairman  at  the  meeting  held  a year  ago, 
resulting  in  some  68,0n(J  lb.  in  excess  of  the 
estimate.  As  illustrating  the  progressive  in- 
crease of  yield,  the  follosving  figures  might  be 
of  interest  to  the  shareholders: 
Crops  for  1892-3 
„ „ 1893-4 
„ „ 1894-5 
„ „ 1800-6 
and  for  the  current 
290,000  lb.  He 
regretteu 
53,995  lb. 
. . . . 86,657  do 
. . 117,697  do 
238,761  do 
season  the  estimate 
to  say  that 
IS 
so 
far  as  coffee  was  concerned  no  material  help 
could  be  expected  in  the  future,  and  before  long 
this  heading  would  cease  to  exist  in  the  books  of 
The  young  fields  of  tea  planted 
were  most  promising,  and,  being 
jfit,  would  doubtle.ss,  when  in  full 
most  satisfactory  results  and  add 
the  prosperity  of  the  Company  by 
yield  as  well  as  improving  the 
the  Company 
on  forestland 
of  a superior 
bearing,  give 
mateiially  to 
increasing  the  _ 
(piality.  Tor  further  details  the  Chairman  placed 
tlie  visiting  agent’s  last  report  on  the  table  to 
be  at  the  disposal  of  shareholders. 
Having  invited  discussion,  those  presentremarked 
that  the  full  information  afforded  left  nothing  to 
iiuiuire  about,  and  the  adoption  of  the  report  having 
been  seconded  by  Mr.  II.  L.  Haker  was  carried 
unanimously. 
On  the  motion  of  the  CHAIRMAN,  seconded  by 
Mr.  F.  W.  Hurt,  it  was  resolved  that  a divi- 
dend of  12  per  cent  be  paid  forthwith,  making 
20  per  cent  for  tlie  year. 
Proposed  by  Mr.  J.  W.  Vanuerstraaten, 
seconded  by  IMr.  ’I . W . Hale,  that  Me.s.srs. 
Thomas  Mackie  and  E.  f8.  Anderson  be  re-elected 
Directors. — Agreeil. 
Proposed  Viy  Mr.  II.  L.  BAKER,  seconded  by 
Mr.  F.  W.  Burt,  tliat  Mr.  John  Gutlirie  bore- 
elected  Auditor  at  a fee  of  lllOO  per  annum. 
— Agreed. 
The  Chairman  having  spoken  in  commen- 
dation of  the  able  services  of  the  manager  and 
his  staff  in  bringing  about  such  favourable  results, 
the  meeting  unanimously  recorded  its  apjirecia- 
tion  of  their  servicc.s. 
A vote  of  thanks  to  the  Chairman  anil 
Directors  closed  the  proceedings. 
INDIAllUBBER  AND  BANANAS  IN 
MEXICO. 
Sir  Henry  Dering,  in  his  report  on  the  procluc 
tions  of  Mexico  (already  referred  to)  describes  the 
cultivation  of  India-rubber  and  bananas.  The  rubber 
tree  is  indigenous  to  Mexico  and  is  found  growing 
wild  along  both  coasts,  below  22  degrees  north  lati- 
tude, from  sea  level  to  allicudes  running  from  1,200  to 
1 500  feet,  and  principally  by  the  river  meadows. 
Rubber  is  essentially  a tropical  tree,  hence  it  requires 
a hot  and  moist  climate.  The  temperature  best 
adapted  for  its  vigorous  growth  is  above  96°  Fahren- 
heit and  the  rainfall  should  bo  at  least  60  to  70 
inches  per  annum.  There  are  eight  kinds  of  rubber 
trees  that  grow  wild  in  the  country,  but  the  kind 
known  under  the  name  of  “ Gastilloa  elastica  ” is  the 
most  imoortant  and  the  best,  as  it  is  very  much 
sought  for,  for  its  sap  and  for  propagation.  Uegard- 
incr^  the  work  of  extracting  the  rubber  one  m in  will 
tan  from  20  to  25  trees  a day  if  the  operation  is  per- 
formed carefully  and  methodically.  In  most  places 
the  tappinK  is  sometimes  again  in 
October,  but  it  is  not  advisable  to  repeat  the  opera- 
tion as  often  as  that.  The  process  generally  consists 
in  making  two  or  three  incisions  in  the  lower  part  of 
the  tree  and  collecting  the  sap  that  flows  from  them  on 
clay  vessels  placed  next  to  the  trunk.  The  process 
can  be  repeated  every  year  for  25  years  or  more 
especially  if  the  wound  is  covered  with  wax  or  clay 
after  the  flow  of  the  sap  has  ceased.  When  there  is 
a large  quantity  of  milk  gathered  it  is  placed  in  a 
barrel  having  a faucet  and  a solution  of  five  ounces  of 
chloride  or  sub-carbonate  of  sodium  in  sufficient  water 
to  cover  the  whole  mass,  which  is  agitated  with  a 
stick  every  now  and  then.  After  lapse  of  21  to 
36  hours  the  water  is  allowed  to  runout  through  the 
faucet ; this  operation  of  washing  is  carried  on  until 
the  rubber  becomes  white.  About  44  per  cent  of 
rubber  remains  from  the  original  amount  of  milk 
after  the  water  and  other  matters  have  been  eliminated 
by  evaporation.  Trees  planted  on  lauds  having  the 
soil,  climate,  and  elevation  adapted  for  the  culture 
will  produce  from  5 to  6 lb  of  juice  on  the  first  year 
that  they  are  tapped,  which  amount  is  equivalent  to 
2’4  lb  of  pure  rubber.  This  product  will  bo  gradu- 
ally increased  every  year  for  the  next  four  or  five 
years,  and  sell  50  cents  per  lb  on  the  plantation. 
The  total  expense  for  a rubber  plantation  of  100,000 
trees  will  not  exceed  25,000  dollars,  and  as  the  yield 
sf  100,000  trees  will  be  about  240,000  lb  at  the  first 
year’s  harvest,  this  will  bring  the  planter  120,000 
dollars,  besides  the  product  obtained  from  the  side 
planting.  The  net  profit  on  the  investment,  after 
deducting  the  entire  cost  of  the  land  and  all  expenses 
up  to  the  first  year  of  harvesting,  will  be  95,000 
dollars,  and  each  of  the  succeeding  harvests  for 
25  or  30  years  will  bring  a steady  income  of  over 
100.000  dollars. 
The  Banana  grows  spontaneously  and  in  very 
great  abundance  almost  everywhere  on  the  Mexi- 
can coast  region  and  on  the  lower  borders  of 
the  temperate  zone.  The  plant  is  cultivated  in  all 
the  States,  excepting  in  the  Distrito  Federal,  Baja 
California,  Sonora,  Coahuila,  Chihuahua,  Agreas 
Calicntes,  Mexico,  Tlaxcala,  and  Campeche.  Its 
cultivation  is  easy  and  cheap,  and  when  properly 
carried  out,  the  first  crop  may  bo  gathered  in  ten  or 
tw'elve  months  from  the  time  of  planting.  As  to  the 
expenses,  large  plantations  can  be  made  at  a cost  of 
34  to  5 cents  per  plant,  if  planted  1,000  to  the  acre. 
The  cost  of  clearing  the  ground  is  from  six  to  eight 
dollars  per  acre;  the  price  of  1,000  suckers  or  shoots 
from  2 I to  25  dollars  ; staking,  holing,  and  trans- 
planting will  costs  dollars  25  cents  per  1,000  dollars  ; 
weeding  and  trimming,  6 dollars  25  cents  per  acre ; 
and  gathering  the  fruit,  6 dollars  25  cents  per  acre. 
At  the  end  of  the  first  year,  1,000  plants  will  yield 
1.000  bunches,  which  sell  at  the  plantation  at  25 
cents  a piece,  producing  250  dollars.  The  following 
year  the  yield  is  double  that  amount,  and  the  ex- 
penses less  than  half. — Journal  of  the  Societn  of  ArU, 
July  24. 

CONEECTED  Toracco.  — At  present  a duty  of 
11130  and  K60  ])cr  candy  is  imposed  on  dry  and 
confected  tobacco,  respectively,  iiniiorted  from 
Tinnevelly  into  Travancore,  The  Tra\ancore 
Durbar  has  now' found  that,  says  a Madras  contem- 
poi-ary,  tliis  inocedure  is  an  inducement  for  fraud 
and  invasion  of  duty,  as  tlie  imjiorters  have 
established  a confccliiig  factoiy  at  l^anagudi,  in 
British  territory,  near  the  frontier  of  the  State 
where  the  dry  tobacco  is  subjected  to  a 
show  of  confection  and  the  iiujicrfectly  confected 
tobacco  is  brought  into  the  Native  State  and 
passed  oil'  for  purposes  of  duty  as  fully  confected 
stulf  by  bood-wiuking  or  buying  oil  tlie  t'ustoms 
and  Bankshall  authorities.  This  has  resulted  in 
a considerable  fall  in  the  quantity  of  dry  tobacco 
imported  and  to  a conseqneiil  loss  of  re\eiiue  to  the 
•Stale.  In  order  to  du-ek  this  the  Madras 
(loi'ernmeiit  has  accepteil  the  proposal  of  the 
'rravancore  Durbar  to  impose  a uniform  duty 
of  Bi)U  [ler  candy  on  all  'rinnevelly  tobacco  iiu- 
[lorted  into  that  >State. 
