i74 
Tonkin it justifies the most sanguine expectations. The finest tree 
outside Japan that the Editor of this Bulletin has ever seen was 
one in Cornwall near Fowey. One would therefore hardly expect 
that the tree would thrive in *the tropics so close to the Equator. 
However, several planters in the Peninsula are having a try with it. 
Seeds and plants were imported from Japan by the Botanic Gardens 
this and last year, and arrived in excellent condition. Mr. Larken 
notes that in Johor the seeds took a month to come up, but all are 
starting. Gf course Camphor plants have been in the Botanic 
Gardens for many years v but they have made very little growth, 
being still bushes 0/ no great size. The soil, however, has doubtless 
much to do with this as all the plants were planted in stiff clay. 
They have never flowered or fruited. Perhaps these trees would 
do better in our hill regions, where the soil is lighter and more 
friable, we hardly think they will do much in the plains. 
H. N. R. 
A RUBBER FACTORY IN SINGAPORE. 
The Netherlands Gutta Percha Company (Limited) has lately 
turned its attention to the manufacture of rubber tyres for carriages 
of all kinds, and under Mr. Van Ryn is enlarging its premises at 
Pas sir Panjang in Singapore. Machinery has been obtained and 
the work of making Carriage tyres has regularly commenced. Mr. 
VAN Ryn manufactures tyres for carriages, rubber plates, valves, 
and will eventually pianufacture other rubber goods for local con- 
sumption besides doing all kinds of refining work and other such 
businesses connected with rubber, for all of which he has a suitable 
plant. Some rubber 'scrap was supplied from the Botanic Gardens 
trees, as also some rubber dot, and from this he has turned out 
tyres which are the admiration of all who see them, and very 
superior to the usual rubber tyre in use in the East which is, we 
understand, made chiefly of African rubber, 
.The scrap says, the manufacturer is extremely suitable for this 
work and requires much less treatment than the ordinary hard Para 
rubber pf the Amazons. The clot rubber, that is the^rubber which 
at certain times clots in the latex cups and cannot be made into 
picturesque-looking biscuits or sheet, seems as good if not better 
than the scrap. 
There is a great field for such a factory in the East and it is 
unnecessary to point out the saviiig all round to planter, manufac- 
turer and consumer, in avoiding the expense of having the rubber 
sent home to be made up and returned here in the form of tyres. 
Mr. Van Ryn is proposing shortly to make a tour of the planting 
districts to make arrangements for purchasing scrap rubber for 
the factory, and planters may soon have a chance of driving about 
their estates on tyres of rubber grown by themselves. 
H. N. R. 
