are estimated to be worth 40 marks ($9.52) per morgen (0.63 acre). The surplus of leaves and heads not used as green feed may also be dried. At Dingelbe no difficulty whatever has been encountered in keeping dried beets which had been promptly sacked and stored. As soon as a price can be obtained for dried beets which is equivalent to that fixed for other feed materials, they will probably at once become an important article of trade. As its nutritive value makes it a suitable substitute for maize, the importation of the latter can then be correspondingly lessened. Thus, in future, German farmers can, at times when sugar prices are low, utilize their crops more profitably by drying the beets for use as cattle feed. GEORGE H. MURPHY, FRANKFORT, June 30, 1903. Consular Clerk. RUSSIA'S NEW SUGAR LAW. The new sugar law, sanctioned by His Majesty this 12th / 25th day of May, 1903, has just been published by the Messenger of Government. The principal changes which have been made by the enactment of this law are: 1. The yearly production for the home market has been increased. from 60,000 poods (2,166,720 pounds) for each mill to 80,000 poods (2,888,960 pounds). 2. An increase of the home consumption is introduced by a measure of denaturalization-in using residuum for feeding cattle and for technical purposes. This enactment is made for the term of three years. The articles of the law read as follows: I. (1) For each period of sugar refining the amount of the general normal (useful) production is fixed by the committee of the ministers according to the report of the Minister of Finance. (2) If the amount of the real sugar production, fixed for a certain period of sugar refining, does not exceed the amount of the general normal (useful) activity, the surplus of the real activity over the amount fixed for the home market is apportioned to the separate works in proportion to their real activity, in addition to the 80,000 poods (2,888,960 pounds) for each work. (3) If the amount of the real sugar activity, fixed for a certain period of sugar refining, exceeds the amount of the general normal (useful) activity, the surplus of the real activity over the amount fixed for the home market is apportioned to the separate works on the following basis. (a) The part of the surplus which constitutes the difference between the real and the general normal (useful) activity is apportioned exclusively to such works as have exceeded the amount of the normal (useful) activity, determined for them (par. 4), in proportion to the excess allowed to each work separately. (b) The remainder of the surplus is apportioned to all the works in proportion to the real activity of each work, in addition to the 80,000 poods (2,888,960 pounds), but after deducting that surplus already apportioned according to article a of this paragraph. (4) The normal (useful) activity of each work for a certain period of sugar refining is the quantity obtained by the assignment of the general normal (useful) activity among separate works in proportion to their capacity. The normal activity of a work must not be counted below 80,000 poods (2,888,960 pounds). (5) As basis for the determination of the capacity of the works must be considered the amounts of their activity for the ten preceding periods, excluding, however-out of the period 1896–97 to 1902—3—that amount apportioned to them of the free reserve of the foregoing periods, and the production of the following years, beginning with 1903-4, in accordance with article a, paragraph 3. (6) The activity of the works, mentioned in the foregoing paragraph (5), is to be considered equal to For works of eight and more periods of activity, the average arithmetical amount out of three greatest productions. For works having five, six, and seven periods of operation, the average arithmetical amount of two greatest productions. For works of two, three, and four periods of operation, of the greatest production. For works of one period of operation, the production of this period. (7) The productiveness of new works and of such of the existing works as have been suspended during the last ten periods is determined, for this first period of the work or renewal of work, by the production of this period-however, not above 160,000 poods (5,777,920 pounds). (8) The productiveness of the works, rebuilt with the view of enlarging the same, is determined either according to rules established for the existing works (pars. 5 and 6 of Sec. I) or, in cases of special requests by the work owners, according to rules relating to newly erected works (par. 7, Sec. I, and art. 6, Sec. VI). (9) The obligatory intangible reserve of sugar is apportioned to the separate works, in cases when the real production of sugar does not exceed the general normal (useful) production, according to the stipulations of paragraph 2, and in other cases according to rules fixed by article b of paragraph 3. (10) The remainder of the free reserve left at the works at the end of a certain period is apportioned, at the work owners' wish, in the amount fixed by them, to the production of the new period, deducting it from the accounts of the surplus. This rule refers to the free surplus remaining at the end of the period 1902-3. (11) Stone buildings of the cask-sugar and beet-sugar refineries, working outside of their capitals, may be mortgaged as security for revenues, according to the stipulations of article 4, paragraph 9, Supplement I to paragraph 339 of excise rules, and on special permit by the Minister of Finance, in each separate case. II. Article 3 of the remark to article 966 of excise rules (edition, 1901) to be annulled. III. The restriction mentioned in paragraph 7, Section I, is not to be extended to the newly established works the erection of which was begun before this law is published in the Code of Laws and Orders of the Government, and which shall begin operation not later than the period of sugar refining for 1904–5, and to determine their capacity during the first period of their activity. IV. In determining, according to paragraphs 5 and 6 of Section I, the capacity of the works for the periods 1903-4 and 1904-5, their production in the periods preceding 1895-96 are not to be taken into account. V. The capacity of works reconstructed in 1900–1901, 1901–2, and 1902-3, with the view of increasing their capacity, is to be established for the periods of 1903-4, f e e 1904-5, and 1905-6, on special requests on the part of their owners, in the amount of the average production of sugar in twenty-four hours by each of these works during the period of 1902-3, multiplied by the average number of days of work of all the works of the Empire during the same period. VI. The Minister of Finance has the right to issue, when necessary and upon agreement with the State comptroller, rules determining (a) The order of application of the regulations stipulated in paragraphs 3 to 10 of Section I and in Sections III and V. (6) Conditions upon which the capacity of the works, rebuilt with the view of enlarging their production, can be determined on basis, fixed for newly erected works, as well as according to stipulations of Paragraph V. VII. It is ordained as a temporary measure during three years (1903–1905)— (1) The Minister of Finance has the right to allow, on request of sugar refiners, the sale of the residuum of sugar refining, after preliminary denaturalization, for feeding cattle and for technical purposes, refunding in such cases the excise and additional duty. (2) The conditions upon which it may be permitted sugar refiners to avail themselves of the exemption mentioned by the foregoing paragraph (1) are determined by rules issued by the Minister of Finance, upon agreement with the Minister of Agriculture and Domains and the State comptroller. These rules are referred by the Minister of Finance to the Senate, to be published for public knowledge. (3) The sugar contained in the denaturalized products, mentioned in article 1 of this section (VII), is not to be included in the amount fixed for the home market for a certain period of sugar refining. VIII. The regulations stipulated in articles 1 to 10 of Section I and in Sections III to V of the present law enter into force on September 1/14, 1903. ST. PETERSBURG, June 26, 1903. W. R. HOLLOWAY, Consul-General. INDIA RUBBER IN AUSTRALASIA. Rubber in all stages of manufacture may be seen in the show windows of some of Sydney's large dealers in that useful product. A large portion of it comes from New Caledonia, New Guinea, and the Fiji Islands. It is pronounced by experts to be of very fine quality, comparing favorably with that from South America. It is claimed that it might be equal to the best if properly treated before being put upon the market. As the cultivation of the rubber tree is comparatively a new industry, the highest scientific treatment of the crude material could hardly be expected. The production of rubber in the semitropical islands of the Pacific is destined to become a source of immense wealth, as the tree producing it is well adapted to the soil and climate. ORLANDO H. BAKER, SYDNEY, N. S. W., June 6, 1903. Consul. NEW RUBBER PLANT. The Bureau Reuter states that the firm Holt, of Liverpool, which does a large trade with West and Southwest Africa, recently received a species of plant, hitherto unknown, that produces rubber. It was found in the French Kongo territory. The plant grows underground. Mr. Holt is of the opinion that it will probably be found in English West Africa. If the bark of the plant is broken, the rubber keeps the pieces together and is of extraordinary elas- · ticity. The rubber is directly beneath the bark and of unsurpassed quality. The sender of the specimen thinks it is Landolphia tholloni or Clitandra gracilis. Ordinarily, the roots when about 1 month old contain from 6 to 6% per cent of rubber; if the bark is removed the percentage is from 12 to 15. The sample has been sent to Nigeria. for the purpose of ascertaining whether it grows there also. RICHARD GUENTHER, FRANKFORT, June 20, 1903. Consul-General. PORTLAND CEMENT FROM SLAG. Portland cement has been made from blast-furnace slag for several years in various cement works in Germany, Luxemburg, and Belgium, and has yielded very satisfactory results, especially in regard to quality. Negotiations are being carried on with some blastfurnace works with a view to the introduction of the slag-cement industry into England, Austria, and France. In some respects a blast works has a considerable advantage over other Portland-cement factories because the motive power for the cement works can be supplied by a blast-furnace gas motor with electric transmission, the rubble or waste coke from the blast furnaces can be utilized in the cement kiln, and the principal raw materials-namely, the granulated slag and the limestone-are close at hand. Besides, there are other minor advantages. Portland slag cement has also some advantages over natural Portland cement; for, while the yield from the raw materials when the former is used is about 80 per cent, the yield when the ordinary raw materials are used is seldom more than 60 per cent. As the cost of production per ton of raw materials is nearly equal in both cases, a saving of about 20 per cent in fuel, labor, etc., is effected in the case of slag cement. Besides this, Portland slag cement is more trustworthy and more regular, and its manufacture can be more easily controlled than that of the so-called natural Portland cement, because the principal raw material—namely, the blast-furnace slagis, as a rule, a regular product whose chemical composition is easily controlled; consequently, any alterations which are liable to take place are known beforehand and precautions can accordingly be taken in time. This is not the case when the natural raw materials are used. Some recent tests with Portland cement from blast-furnace slag, made in the municipal laboratory at Vienna, showed that mortar composed of 3 parts of sand with 1 part of this cement gave the following results: 1. After seven days' hardening.-Tensile strength, 383 pounds per square inch; strength of compression, 3,880 pounds per square inch. 2. After twenty-eight days' hardening.-Tensile strength, 551 pounds per square inch; strength of compression, 5,411 pounds per square inch. COBURG, June 27, 1903. OLIVER J. D. HUGHES, TOBACCO IN BELGIUM. It is well known that the Belgians are great smokers. To arrive at a better understanding of this fact, it is sufficient to say that the farmers devote 4,942 acres each year to the cultivation of tobacco; and, notwithstanding the yield of 18,700,000 pounds, nearly 21,000,000 pounds are imported. In 1901 there were cultivated in Belgium and imported a total of 38,966, 200 pounds of tobacco, making 6.6 pounds per capita of the whole population. Besides this, there were imported 59,400 pounds of cigarettes. The import duty on tobacco is as follows, per 100 kilograms. (220.46 pounds): In addition to the above-mentioned duty on tobacco not manufactured, an excise duty of $2.90 per 220.46 pounds is imposed. No 276-03-8 |