494 
HIGH PRICES OF PARA RUBBER. 
The Ceylon papers write jubilantly of Ceylon rubber as 
having beaten the record of high price for Para rubber at 5s. qkd., 
but as a matter of fact it appears that Perak rubbei had alreaoy 
reached that price. A still higher price of 6s. is said to have been 
given for some Ceylon rubber, but from the following extiact 
from the “ Straits Times” November 29, 1904, we see that Perak 
rubber still keeps ahead of Ceylon, fetching 6 s., while Ceylon 
was only quoted at 5s. 
“ Rubber continues to go up. Messrs. Sandilands, Buttery 
& Co., of Penang, have just been advised that one of their 
consignments of fine dry well-cured pale Perak-grown ‘ biscuit 
has fetched 6s. id. per pound. This is good news indeed, and 
establishes a record for F. M. S. rubber. Elsewhere the pros- 
pects of rubber plantations are becoming successful. The out- 
look in Burma seems to be excellent. A Rangoon firm which 
took up 2,000 acres in the Shwegyin Sub-Division has applied 
for 5,000 acres in addition, to extend its plantation. Good loads 
are badly wanted in that part of the Province, for, as yet, tnoug i 
only a few miles from the railway, planters are cut on from it 
most c r the year by thick jungles or impenetrable swamps. An- 
other Rangoon firm has a rubber plantation near the Leiklno 
Hills, in the Toungoo District, which is most favourably situated 
as regards water-supply and where plants of two and tmee \eais 
growth are in excellent condition. Besides these two plantations 
financed bv Europeans, many Burmese and Karens ha\ esma 
plantations, and the Government plantation in the Mmgm 
District should soon be in a position to export rubber. In the 
presence of the rising prices of rubber in the markets of the 
world, there seem to be excellent prospects for the Burma rubbei 
plantations." , , f 
These high prices, however, must be looked on rather as tancy 
ones, and are not to be expected as a permanent possibility. 
Thev' are chiefly interesting as showing that first class rubbei 
is badly wanted just now, and that Malay rubber is still the first 
in the world, always keeping a little ahead of Ceylon. 
The “ India-Rubber J animal Market Chart ” for Fine Para shows 
that the prices have fallen but are on the rise again. In August 
the price is given at. 5s. 2.\d. which is the highest record in four 
years. The price then fell to 4 s. 9 \d. in September and rose 
in August and November to 4s. nfrf. 
SOY AND BEAN CHEESE. 
Among the number of small manufactures by natives in Singa- 
pore, many of which are quite unknown to the ordinary residents, 
the manufacture of the Chinese sauce known as Soy, is one o 
some interest and importance, and having had occasion late > 
to visit three of these factories, I put together such notes on 
