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 elasticity. 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 61⁄2 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 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,
Consul-General.

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

The first experiment made in boring artesian wells in New South Wales was in 1879 at Killara Station, in the western part of the State. Water was found at a depth of 140 feet, shooting up 26 feet. Thereafter, artesian wells multiplied, being bored both by the government and by private persons.

The water in the northwest was found in cretaceous rocks, but some of the best wells have pierced rocks of the Triassic age, as Coonamble, Moree, Gil Gil, and Eureka. The deepest is at Dolgelly (4,086 feet). The heat of the water is 130° F. These wells, for the most part, are situated near traveled roads in districts destitute of streams. Water is furnished to stock at the following rates:

The

Water is sold for domestic uses at 12 cents per 100 gallons. water of artesian wells is used also for wool scouring, giving fine results. The wells are leased to private parties, the highest bidder taking the property in charge under conditions fixed by law.

At some of the wells the water is used for experimental farm irrigation. Lucern, corn, wheat, tobacco, sugar cane, date palm, bananas, and other tropical products have been grown on land thus irrigated. Unfortunately, thus far, water can not be obtained at will nor in quantities necessary for irrigation, except in limited areas.

Sheep and cattle during the past year have died by thousands from lack of water and grass. Of 60,000,000 sheep it is estimated. that only 20,000,000 have survived.

A great deal of talk is heard as to methods of conserving the waste waters of rainy seasons that now become destructive floods rushing to the ocean, and plans have been taken to form extensive reservoirs in various parts of the State subject to drought.

The deepest well (4,086 feet) is at Dolgelly and cost $51,733; it yields 750,000 gallons daily. The lowest points at which water was found were at Tonngerina (164 feet) and Tatabulla (209 feet). The

former yielded 120,000 gallons daily and cost $3,714; the latter yielded 100,000 gallons daily for some time, but fell off to 7,500 gallons; it cost $3,670. The Tonngerina shut down; cause not

given.

SYDNEY, June 6, 1903.

ORLANDO H. BAKER,

Consul.

JAPAN AND THE YANGTZE TRADE.

It is evident that the statesmen and capitalists of this country (Japan) intend to take a prominent part in the development of trade and commerce on the Yangtze. Many of Japan's leading lines of steamers are emulating each other and foreigners in their efforts to establish trade relations at all available points on the YangtzeChina's greatest river. The contest that is sure to come will be for a long time between England, Germany, and Japan. A day is to come, however, unless appearances are deceiving, when United States ships will be found all along the Yangtze docking and disposing of their manufactured products.

The following table shows the percentage of shipping on the river:

During the years 1895-1899, inclusive, 9,027,027 pounds of butter were exported from the Argentine Republic, an average of 1,805,405 pounds per year. In 1900 the exports of butter amounted to 2,322,663 pounds, in 1901 they increased to 3,322,391 pounds, and in 1902 they reached a total of 9,021,020 pounds,* an increase of 170 per cent on the previous year and of 400 per cent on the average of the five years 1895-1899. For the first three months of the current year, the returns show an exportation of 5,028,815 pounds of butter, about half of the amount exported during the whole of 1902.

*Official figures, 4,125 tons.

+ Official figures, 2,024 tons.

The following table shows the amount of Argentine butter imported by various nations during the five years 1895-1899. Detailed figures for 1902 and the first three months of 1903 are not available.

The price of butter at the creameries here may be estimated— allowing a good margin of profit to the dairyman—at about 16 cents in United States currency per pound.

At retail in this city, the average price of butter per pound in December for the years 1899-1902 has been:

From these figures and from a study of railroad rates for the transportation of butter, it seems safe to fix the average price of Argentine butter f. o. b. at 18 cents per pound.

The following table shows the prices ruling in the London market during December in the years 1900-1902 (reduced approximately to United States currency per pound) for butter imported from various countries:

From the foregoing it will be seen that Argentine butter has improved in price in the London market very rapidly in the last three years, until it now stands second as regards demand, and that the