84 ® 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 
The result is that many localities where rubber 
was once abundantly obtained liave almost ceased 
to produce it. New sources or .supply have, it 
is true, been found in 4Vest Africa, especially 
in ba;^os, the Congo State and Portuguese South- 
West Africa. But here also the work of des- 
truction is rapidly gc>ing on. The collectors 
h.ave to go f.irther and farther into the in- 
terior and the cost of transit is thereby greatly 
increased. An account was given by llie 1 cturer 
of an im[)oi'tant discovery whereby the rubber 
could be extracted from the milk in a jierfeclly 
pure state. This is a mechanical contrivance on 
the ])rinciide of a cream sepai'ator. This was 
likely to [jrove of great value in the jirepar.ation 
of (Jentral American and some West African 
rubbers where the milk Hows in an ap|ireeiable 
f[uantity and is capable of being brought in by 
the collectors. It would be in(!i.spensable on re- 
gular plantations of rubber- tree.s. By snch me.ans 
the process of preparing the rubber could be kej>t 
under scientilic control and all injurious sub- 
stances such as proteids and all dirt and chip- 
excluded. The value of the rubber .so prepared 
has been shown to be increaseil fully 25 per 
cent. 
The rubber-trees of Brr zil were then exhaus- 
tively described together with the distribution 
of the various species yielding the Para nrbber 
of coinmei'ce. The exports from Para in 1897 
including rubber received from Bolivia, Peru and 
Venezula amounted to 22,650 tons. Of this 
amount 51 per cent was shipped to the United 
States and 38 per cent to the United Kingdom, 
leaving only about 11 per cent or 2,500 tons for 
all other couutiies. 
The price of Para rubber which regulated the 
p.'ices of all other sorts has been steadily increas- 
ing since 1894, when it was 2s lid per ])ound ; 
in 1895 it rose to 3s 2d ; in 1896 to 3s 4d ; in 
1897 to 3s Clvd : while the average price for the 
first three months of 1898 was 3s 9id. At the 
last sales on the 15tii inst., it was 3s lid per 
pound. It was, liowever, pointed out that 
these prices were below what they were in 
1882 and 1883, when line Para fetched 4s 4d 
])er pounil. 
There is a consensus of opinion that in nearly 
all localities in Central America, the trees of 
Castilloa elastica are being gradually exterminated. 
H ence the supply of rubber from Mexico, Guate- 
mala, Nicaragua and the U.S. of Colombia is 
s eadily diminishing. The interesting tree yield- 
i ig Ceara rubber (Mamhot Glaziovii) readily 
propag'ites itself and its area has not apparently 
sensibly dimi 'i.shed of late year.s. The people, 
are, howevs r, being more and more attracted 
into the rubber districts of the Amazon valley 
and the amount of Ceara rubber exported is 
comparatively small. 
Mangeibeira nibher on the other hand seems to 
he increasing. The tree (Ilancofiiia speewsa) is 
found in the States ot Pernambuco, Bahia, Rio 
dc -Janeiro, ;uid extends westward to lilatto- 
Cro.sso. The rubber is cured l>y means of alum. 
It is of a pinkish colour and the piice is 
generally only one half of tiiat of line Para. 
Passing ori to the rubber-producing areas of the 
( 1(1 ^VoJ Id it was .stated that the rapid dcvelope- 
iiienb of .\fii(aui lubber was one of the most 
I'cmarkable iiiciihnit.s of recent year.s. As regards 
the world’.s commerce, Africa now occupies a 
second |ilace a.s a source of India-rubber, The 
value ot the imports of African rubber into the 
United Kingdom during 1896 amounted to over 
a million .sterling. Of this Poreign Posse.ssions 
supplied rubber to the value ot £206,972 and 
British Pos.se.ssions £844,840. Up to within a 
recent period all the rubber produced in Africa 
was obtained from climbing plants helonging to 
the genus LandoIpJiia, with sweet-scented ilowers 
and edjhle pulpy fruits. In 1S94 a new rubber 
tree (li ickj'ia) was found at J.agos from whicb 
in 1895 ruljuer to the value of nearly £300, OOj 
was exported. 
More recently still another new rubber-plant 
(Carpodimoi) has been discovered in Africa. This 
is of a semi-!ierI)aceous character with under- 
ground stems which are la.sped in water and 
yiehl rubber of excellent (piality. Tlie riibOer.s 
of j\s.sam, Burnui, Pen.aiig, and .Siiig.apore v.'ere 
tlien dealt with. Borneo rubber although known 
since 1/98 has only come into commerce within 
tlie last lifty ye.ars. It is yielded by climbing 
plants, clo.soly related to the Laiu’lolphias of 
Ti'oiiical Airica and is generally of excellent 
quality. 
New Guinea rubber is in part yielded by a 
species of d irns. The natives ar“ said to allow 
the sap to run over their aims and body, and 
when hardened they remove it and roll it up into 
balls, the size of cricket hall.s. The prosyiect of 
obtaining some of tlie future supplies of rubber 
from culiivated trees was favourably regarded. 
In selecting .sites, preference should be given to 
localities in which tlie trees were alreadf found. 
Para rubber-trees introduced to the East at the 
expense of the Government of India Imd done 
renia,rkalily well in Ceylon, Tenasserim, and the 
Straits Settlement.s. In Ceylon such trees were 
estimated to yield 100 to 1201b of rubber per acre 
after the tenth year. This would give a pro- 
liahle return of 20 per cent, on the capital 
invested. In the Straits SettlenipiUs the trees 
were apparently found to yield, ;v’ m e rlier age 
ami the estimated returns per acre, were [daced 
as high as 30 )ier cent. It, was aildcd that 
where rnhlier trees were culiivated under suit- 
able eondition.s, they would probably yield 
a larger lyaantity of milk than wild tree.s ; 
also that tlie rubber from the greater care and 
attention it would receive would be more 
uniform in quality and tlierefore obtain a liighet 
price. 
SUGAR IN MAURITIUS: 
GOVF.RKOR SIR CH \S. BRUCE INTRODUCING 
OFFICIAL “CROP ADI'ANCES ” FOR THE 
SUGAR PLANTERS OF MAURITIUS. 
A novel departure from all past official rules 
and precedents is about to take place in 
Mauritius, and it will be extieiiiely interesting 
to watch how tlie scheme (almost certain to 
he adopted) will work out. We take the fol- 
lowing from the Planiers and Commercial Gazette, 
Port-Louis, April 29 : — 
An excellent Ordinance. — With our Saturday’s paper 
wo issued a aupplemeut in which we gave in full 
the Draft of an Ordinance: — “ To provide for the 
making of temporary advances from Public Funds 
to the owners of sugar estates for the purpose of 
enabling them to carry on the cultivation of their 
Estates and lor the securing and recovery of the 
advances so made” — which said Draft was laid on 
the Council table on Friday last. As most people 
know, the proposed ordinance is to allow the Govern- 
ment to place three millions of rupees at the dis- 
posal of planters to enable them to secure the 
magnificent sugar crop that is now in perspective. 
