30 
\ 
Gold Coast. 
The quantity of rubber exported during 1909, was 2,764,190 lbs 
as compared with 1,773.248 lbs. in the previous year. The syste- 
matic cultivation of this product is now rapidly extending but the 
whole of the output is still obtained from trees and vines (Funtumia 
and Landolphia) in the vast undeveloped forests of the Interior 
(Consular report, 1909). 
Southern Nigeria. 
Here 100 Para rubber trees at 8 years were tapped. The average 
yield from each tree at 23 tappings was 6 l A ounces. “ Assuming 
that the trees can be tapped 100 times a year this would give a yield 
of 1 H lbs a year. Trees at Ebute Mitta, 15 years old, tapped last 
year, yielded I lb. 4 oz. from 26 tappings, amounting to a yield of 
5 lbs. per tree and year per 100 tappings ”. Even if the yield per 
tree turn out to be less than in the Straits our tapping experiments 
will still in West Africa, be far superior to Funtumia, and that it 
should take the place of the latter where planting is to be done in the 
moist zones (H. N. Thompson, Conservator of Forests, Annual 
Report for 1909). 
The return is undoubtedly poor, and it by no means follows that 
the results of 23 tappings will give a corresponding output at 100 
tappings, practically nearly a whole year’s continuous tapping. 
There are about 30,000 plants of Para rubber in this part of Nigeria. 
GOW, WILSON AND STANTON, LIMITED. 
India Rubber Market Report for the Year 1910. 
Market Conditions— I t can be no exaggeration to say that the 
past year has been the most remarkable in the history of the Rubber 
industry since the discovery of vulcanisation. 
Though the Brazilian crop last season was larger than ever be- 
fore, the current demand for raw Rubber was such that prices were 
raised to an unparalleled level which was maintained for several 
months. 
Consumption, however, gradually became hampered by the strain 
of high prices, and this, coupled with the inevitable speculation 
induced by the condition of business brought about a reaction in May, 
since when the tone of the market has been largely dominated by the 
stocks and the general trade outlook in America. 
The highest prices ever recorded for Crude Rubber were made in 
April, when the quotation for Hard Fine Para reached I2s. perlb, 
while at the auction on the 19th of that month Plantation Smoked 
Sheet realised up to 12s. iod. per lb., and the average price for al 
kinds of Plantation Rubber sold that day was no less than IIs. II/Sd. 
per lb. (or say one-third of the value of Silver.) 
