456 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST.  [Jan.  i,  1897. 
way  ; ocean-going  steamei';3  r in  twelve  hundred  miles 
up  the  Amazon,  whereas  every  African  river  ex- 
cept the  Congo  has  a bar  at  its  mouth,  and 
cataracts  not  far  distant  from  the  coast-line 
On  the  other  hand,  the  fore'ts  in  Brazil  seem  even 
more  impenetrable  than  in  Africa.  Not  even  such 
roadways  as  the  African  man-paths  can  be  maintained 
against  the  encroachment  ot  tiie  jungle.  BuL  tiie  native 
Brazilian  race  is  incomparably  more  intelligent  than 
the  negro.  Their  caoutchouc  is  better  jirepared,  and 
what  is  far  more  important,  they  farm  the  trees  as 
carefully  as  the  Red  Indians  used  to  farm  the  beaver. 
In  Africa  the  rubber  is  generally  produced  not  from  a 
forest  tree,  as  in  Brazil,  but  from  the  i.aiuIolpJiia, 
which  is  a climbing  shrub.  The  negro.es  deal  drasti- 
cally with  this,  and  simply  cut  it  down,  and  then  get 
what  milk  they  can  out  of  it.  So  year  by  year  the 
rubber-trees  are  destroyed,  and  year  by  year  the  ne- 
groes have  to  go  further  afield  to  seek  them.  If 
they  are  left  to  themselves  they  simply  cease  to  pro- 
duce india-rubber,  and  there  is  an  end  of  it.  If  they 
have  the  fortune  to  live  in  the  happy  Congo  State  a 
certain  amount  of  the  stuff  is  exacted  annually  from 
each  village ; when  the  trees  within  each  are 
exhausted,  the  collector  comes  round,  finds  no 
rubber,  and  goes  lionie  with  a string  of  cars  and 
noses  instead.  No  doubt  the  V/est  Coast  negro  is  a 
trying  person  to  deal  with,  but  those  m thods  have 
been  so  long  employed  unsuccessfully  chat  civilisa- 
tion, we  hope,  may  discover  a better  vray,  and 
educate  the  black  man  instead  of  torturing  him. 
One  is  sorry,  therefore,  to  hear  that  at  L.xgos, 
where  the  rubber  is  being  produced  from  a forest 
tree,  the  Kicksia,  the  natives  have  been  allowed  to 
over-drain  the  trees  of  their  milky  sap  and  stop  its 
production.  The  supply  of  rubber-producing  plants 
in  Central  Africa  is  practically  inexhaustible  ; 
but  the  number  of  places  where  they  exist  within 
easy  distance  of  some  export  station  is  ^ small, 
so  far  as  our  present  knowledge  goes.  A'ct  for 
the  present,  speculators  will  probaly'  hasten  to  be 
rich  and  if  they  hit  upon  a forest  will  treat  it 
like  a mine,  anxious  simply  to  take  out  the  maxi- 
mum at  the  minimum  of  cost. 
Whether  our  State,  or  any  other,  will,  ever  make 
this  a groat  branch  of  its  tropical  forestry  remains 
to  he  seen.  The  Germans,  with  their  usual  through- 
ness have  a strong  scientiiio  btalf  at  the  Caineroons. 
The'  English,  in  their  usual  makeshift  way,  content 
themselves  with  sending  homo  to  Kew  for  sugges- 
tions. But  the  Government  of  Itidia  have  at  least 
tried  an  experiment  upon  the  great  scale.  No 
private  firm,  however  wealthy,  would  embark  upon 
the  cultivation  of  indiarubber ; the  trees  take  a mat- 
ter of  twenty  years  before  they  can  produce  a penny- 
worth. In  addition  to  that,  cultivation  must  occupy 
a huge  extent  of  ground  of  such  a nature  that 
no  European  can  enter  it  during  Ihe  rainy 
season,  and  where  the  growth  is  so  thick  that 
twenty  men  might  bo  tapping  trees  within  a 
mile  of  the  ranger,  and  ho  none  the  wiser.  Never- 
theless, the  Indian  Government  have  a nursery  of 
Para  rubber-tres  in  Assam,  extending  over  two 
hundred  siiuare  miles,  which  will  m time  begin  to 
vield  ; and  if  any  department  can  control  such  a 
farm  the  Indiaiii  Woods  and  horests  will,  let  it 
seems,  perhaps,  a likelier  scheme  to  carry  out  bir 
Henry  Johnston’s  general  policy  in  this  particular, 
and  organise  under  Indian  surveyors  a forestry  de- 
partment in  East  Africa,  where  the  trees  exist  iii 
nlentv.  The  industry  is  of  course  not  confined  to 
Africa'  and  South  America  ; rubber  comes  from 
Assam,  Rangoon,  Borneo,  Penang,  and  Madagascar, 
amongst  other  places,  but  last  year  s export  from 
Ea"OS  more  than  doubled  the  united  output  of  all 
those  that  have  been  named.  If  we  are  to  stay  m 
equatorial  Africa,  it  will  be  a satisfaction  to  think 
that  we  can  mako  some  advantage  out  of  it.  What  it 
coats  to  keep  slavery  in  check  fioai  Uganda  to 
Coomasaie  only  mothers  know  who  have  sous  m those 
happy  regions.  Civilisation  is  spending  a groat 
deal  of  energy  on  Africa,  and  one  will  he  glad 
to  find  that  Africa  makes  some  return,  if  it  bo  only 
to  lower  the  price  of  pneumatic  tyres —Sjicdator. 
^VE  UYA  TEA  COMPANY,  LIMITED. 
At  a meeting  of  tlie  Sliareliolders  of  the  above- 
named  Compan.y,  lieli  on  Monda.y  7tli  Decem- 
ber 1896,  the  following  were  pre.sent  : — Directors  ; 
Mr.  E.  <J.  Young  in  the  Cliair,  Me.ssrs.  \V.  J. 
Smith  & E.  S.  Anderson. 
Mes.srs.  J.  D.  Balfour,  A.  Thomson,  E.  H.  A. 
Vanderspar,  G.  Vanderspar.  Mr.  C.  J.  Donald 
acted  as  Secretary. 
The  following  were  represented  by  their  Attor- 
ne.ys  : — Mes.srs.  0.  Young,  A.  Morrison,  W. 
Cookes,  Majoi  G.  L.  Gwatkin,  Mrs  E.  C. 
Baillie. 
The  following  were  rejiresented  by  proxies;  — 
Messrs.  W.  R.  Tatham,  J.  Poison,  Sir  J.  W, 
Bonser,  I).  Edwards,  F.  G.  A,  Lane,  G.  P.yper, 
W.  H.  P.  Spunvay.  A.  L.  Hine  Haycock,  H.  S. 
Rix,  Mrs.  E.  C.  Baillie,  Mrs.  A.  S.  Donald. 
The  following  resolutions  were  carried  : — 
1.  “ That  the  following  resolution  passed  at  the 
Extraordinary  Gener.al  Meeting  of  the  Coinjiany 
held  on  the  19ch  day  of  November  1896,  viz : 
That  the  We-Oya  Tea  Company  Limited  be  wound 
ii[i  voluntarily  be,  and  the  same  is  herehj''  con- 
lirnied  as  a Special  Re.solntion.” 
2.  (a)  “That  George  Hay  Alston  of  Colombo, 
Merchant,  be  and  he  is  liereby  appointed  Liqui- 
dator of  the  We-Oya  Tea  Company,  Limited.” 
(6)  That  the  said  Liquidator  be  paid  a remu- 
neration of  one-half  per  cent  on  the  price  real- 
ised by  sale  of  the  Company's  estates,  in  addi- 
tion to  all  general  Agency  charges  and  com- 
mission similar  to  those  at  present  paid  liy  tlic 
Company.” 
THE  YATIYANTOTA  TEA  COMPANY 
IdMITED. 
At  a meeting  of  the  Shareholders  of  the 
uhove-named  Company,  held  on  Monday,  7th 
Oecember  1896,  the  following  were  present: — 
Directors;  Mr.  W.  1).  Gibbon  in  the  Chair,  and 
Messrs  A.  Thomson,  E.  S.  Anderson,  Mr.  E.  H.  A. 
Vanderspar. 
The  following  Shareholders  were  represented 
by  tlie  holders  of  their  Powers  of  Attorney;  — 
Ji'ir.  Chas.  Young,  liy  IMr.  E.  J.  Young,  Mr. 
M'.  H.  G.  Dnncan  by  Mr.  A.  Thomson,  Mr. 
G.  Carlyon  by  .Mr.  A.  Thomson,  Mrs.  L.  T. 
Carlyon  by  Mr.  A.  Tlionison,  Mr.  Jno.  McLiesli 
by  Mr.  J.  D.  WL  M'^ilson,  Mr.  J.  K.  Morrison 
by  Mr.  .J.  D.  \Y.  "Wilson. 
The  following  shareholder  was  represented  by 
proxy — Sir  J.  W.  Bonser. 
The  following  re.solutions  w'ere  carried  1. 
“ Tiiat  tlic  following  resolution  ]iassed  at  the 
e.xtraordinary  general  meeting  of  the  Company 
lield  on  the  19th  day  of  November  1896,  viz  : 
That  the  Yatiyantota  Tea  Coinnany  Lini’ited  be 
wound  up  voluntarily  be  and  tlie  same  is  liereby 
conlirined  as  a special  reisoliition.”  ^ 
2.  {n)  “That  George  Hay  Alston  of  Colombo 
IMcrdianb  no  and  ho  is  lierchy  appointed  Liqui- 
datoi'  of  tlui  Yantiyanbota  Tea  Company 
(b)  “That  the  said  Liquidator  be  paid  a renm- 
neration  of  one  ball  per  cent  on  the  price  rea- 
lised by  .sale  of  the  Company’s  Estates  in  addi- 
tion to  all  general  Agency  Charges  and  eonnnis- 
sions  sunilar  to  those  at  present  paid  by  the 
Company.” 
