Discovery of 30-Years Old
p. 36 · Read in the full issue
Rubber From New
Guinea
Discovery of 30-Years Old Plantation
WHEN I was in Rabaul, in August, at a social function, I was one of several interested people to whom Lady McNicoll (wife of the Administrator) handed a sheet of air-dried rubber, as evidence of the start of a new industry in the Territory.
The rubber came from the Baining plantation of a Mr. Maclean; and from Lady McNicoll and others I learned that there is quite a romance at the back of it. Mr. Maclean took over what was os tensibly a coconut plantation; and it was not until a long time afterwards, when he was clearing the jungle at the back of his coconut palms, that he uncovered a considerable plantation of good rubber trees, planted by the original German owner. Investigating further, he found that the trees were in good order and that he could produce a considerable quantity of rubber.
Some time later, I noticed the follow ing letter to the editor, signed by J. Mac lean, Old Massawa Plantation, Baining, T.N.G., in the “Rabaul Times”: “It may interest some of your readers to know that the first shipment of Para rubber from New Britain will be made from Old Massawa Plantation by the s.s. ‘Nellore’ leaving Rabaul on August 16.
“It will consist of a trial half ton lot of air-dried sheet, but a smoke-house will be constructed shortly, and it is ex pected to turn out smoked sheet of standard quality equal to that produced in Malaya or Java.
“There is a stand of Hevea rubber on this plantation up to thirty years old, which is now being tapped for the first time, and as soon as the trees get into full flow, big yields per tree are expected.
Some already show signs of producing equal to Clonal trees, and these will be carefully checked, with a view to seed selection for later planting.”