The New York herald., 1921-04-28
More, Cheaper Rubber.
A Planter in Java Believes Grated
Trees Should Be Used.

To THE NEW YORK HERALD: The rub
Der situation will be acute for many es-
tates. 1t is no easy problem to get rid
Of tho worlds big rubber stock.
l think that the proper way Is not only
TO restrict the production OF rubber but
to do 1t in a way so that with small
profit the estates which are producing
rubber for a lower cost price shall not
begin again with tapping their whole
area. One way I will mention. and that
is to let the estates go on with grating :
cut away the first year 20 per cent. of
the area, make nurseries and graft the
one year young plants with the best
grating materials available.
Most Of the rubber trees grown from
ordinary Hevea seeds contain from three
TO ten rows of latex cells. We have here
found trees with twenty, thirty, up to
ninety latcx rows 1t Is necessary If
planters want to be sure to produce rub
ber and make a nice profit in future to
change the old way Of rubber planting.
1t Is a matter OF fact that II prices
were lower rubber could be used for
many other purposes besides those for
which It is now employed. You will say,
We have too much rubber; how shall II
be when we are producing at least three
times more rubber from the same area?
/ will call on the old planters to judge
II this IS the way we must go am an
old planter with more than twenty-eight
years experience have seen the tea, Gin
chona. sugar and coffee estates getting
on all right after a lot of trouble, and I
believe that still lot could be done IN
tea. cinchona and the other civilizations,
but the planters did not need to do 1t
therefore they have refralned from fur
ther efforts to reduce the cost price and
increase the production OF the same area.
Let US see what the benefit will be af-
ter we have begun to graft. At first II
will be impossible for the estates to take
the grated area into production again.
We will temporarily be sure to get less
rubber harvested, but later there will be
the Increased profit derived from a good
grated plantation, done with the best
bark materials. Everybody who knows
anything about rubber cultivation may
easily count what Ii means IL the pro-
duction is two or three times more from
the same area with nearly the same ex-
pcnses This is the way TO remedy
present conditions and make sure Of a
splendid result In the future. My ex-
perience with grated rubber trees gives
me authority TO write.
IL is also plain that planters will be
able once moro to get high prices for
their estates when they are sure OF a
good profit In future. and that is a view
we have to count with. While every one
Is afraid at this time TO put much money
into a plantation. this ought not to be
II owners will not lose the millions and
millions already put in rubber estates.
There arc some difficulties one is that
the planter has to learn to graft the
rubber trees first, and that is not easy
10 do when one has no experience but
one can soon learn how TO do H.
One other thing is this The old way
OF manufacturing the rubber into sheets
and crepe should no longer be followed.
Instead. after coaguiating press with a
hydraulic press the serum out OF the
coagulum and make block rubber out OF
X smoke this block rubber one day and
there will be n product ready for the
market which can be kent for years.
This will save much money; no cases
are needed FOR packing and the manu-
featuring expenses cannot he reduced
more with any other way OF preparing
the rubber. I,ovIs PHrIpsEN pRAHM.
rroBofINoco, lava, March o.