RUBBER, ETC.: IMPORTS.

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Rubber is the latest “new product” in Ceylon ; and many
thousands of acres have been and are to be planted, almost
entirely with the Para variety. Extensions on all sides are
following upon the extremely favourable reports and high
prices secured by the latex extracted during 1903 from trees
planted by pioneers in this promising industry. In the
middle of the year an amusing but valuable testimonial was
secured by the New York Customs attempting to charge duty
as for the manufactured article on some Ceylon rubber
forwarded vid London, so pure and attractive was its appearance.
 In our Customs exports to the United States rubber
and rubber seed appear for the first time in the year just
closed. The samples of biscuit and scrap exhibited should
attract much attention, for with rubber, as with other
things, America is daily finding new uses and inventing
new processes.
Curios, precious stones, and jewellery hardly appear in the
sxport figures. They are carried away by numerous visitors ;
but such establishments as A. A. Vantine &amp; Co. and Tiffany
may before long do an increased business direct.

Imports.

In 1892 70,785 cases of kerosine oil, of the value of
Rs. 230,051, were credited to the United States, and of eight
other items the largest was Rs. 13 for wearing apparel. For
L893, the year of the Chicago World’s Fair, the only items
were four packages of perfumery (Rs. 370) and Rs. 10 worth
of pottery. This is a contrast to the present volume of
American supplies!
Of American goods now obtainable in Ceylon, the following
articles have been named by leading stores in response to
inquiries :—Bacon and hams ; beer ; bells ; bicycles; boots
and. shoes ; builders’ hardware; cash registers and other
automatic machines; clocks and watches; Californian
fruits ; drugs and patent medicines ; files and other tools ;
furniture ; general brassfoundry ; guns, rifles, and revolvers;
harness ; horse scrapers for earth excavation (used with
bullocks in Ceylon) ; hydraulic rams and pumps ; incubators;
lamps; lard, dripping, &amp;c.; lawn mowers: locks; refrigerators
 ; machine belting ; safes; steam and water service
fittings ; sewing machines; tinned beef and other meats ;
typewriters; weighing machines, Of recent years the
demand for the majority of these articles has consistently
expanded, particularly for patent medicines, which are
generally more agreeable to the taste than English ones :
boots and shoes (called in the United States high shoes and