[All Rights Reserved.) ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS, KEW. BULLETIN OF MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION, ADDITIONAL SERIES, VII. SELECTED PAPERS FROM THE KEW BULLETIN. IIL—RUBBER. LONDON: : PRINTED FOR HIS MAJESTY'S ics bs FFICB, Br DARLING & SON, Lro., 34-40, Bacon Srax ind n BN a S en tds or through any Bookseller, n E = | e Ll Seren hie EQ. Se | LIVER à ; BOYD, neben: - or E. PONSONBY, 116, GRAFTON STREET, DUBLIN. [AU Rights Reserved.) ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS, KEW. BULLETIN OF MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION. ADDITIONAL SERIES, VII. SELECTED PAPERS FROM THE KEW BULLETIN. PRINTED FOR HIS Te eii STATIONERY | deine Br DARLING & , Bacon STREET, And to be purchased, either directly or through any iy Mes from WIMAN am SONS, Lro., FETTER C., r OLIVER EDINBURGH ; or E. PONSONBY, 116, GRAFTON STREET, DUBLIN. 1906. Price One Shilling and Sixpence. ouai aotamioat Greven Id : TABLE OF CONTENTS. Article. Subject. Page. I. | Sources of Rubber supply ots fi m im 1 II. | Forest fie cts of Sierra Leone EA Ex ei 6 III. | Rubber: Gambia ^w otanic Station .. 8 IV. | Fiji India- Rubbe aa EENT ae 9 Mao eere of gm r-Milk S 11 NI a Pr p am ion ot India-Rubbe 16 VII. Gutta, Percha from a Chinese Tree gates ia ulmoides) 18 VIII. | A Hardy Indie Iber T une esee eaii B E 23 IX. | Colorado Rubber (Hym 25 X. | Soudan Pr oduct ts (Landolphia Pria) 26 XI. | Madagascar ubber e 26 XII d 5. continued) Rr 30 XIII. | West African Rubbers eas tee es 31 XIV. | Mangabeira Rubber (H: 'ancornia spe ciosa i m 35 XV. | Forsteronia Rubber dct gracilis) s 40 XVI. | Jamaica India-Rubber (Forsteronia floribunda)... 42 XVI New Rubber wies in ^ Tagos s (Kickvia africana) 44 XVIII » ” ” C ) (con- tinued) : š 51 XIX. | Rub Lagos ; 53 XX. | Lagos Rubber Industry 54 XXI. | On Kickxia and Funtumia ` 61 XXII. | Para Rubber in Ceylon pui i. 75 XXIII Para Rubber (Hevea brasilie nsis) . we ave 76 XXIV. | Para —€— in the Straits Botciómende R: ie 113 XXV. | Export of Para Rubber Seeds s e 114 XXVI. | Para ether Rise and Fall i d Cw a ie 116 XXVII Rubber (Ma 117 XXVIII P podere India-Rubber (Sapium biglandulosum) 132 XXIX Lagos Rubber (Ficus T elit) e 0 India-Rubber i n Upper B urma a (Ficus el 155 . | Assam Rubber Ar s Africa SEN atio vC Gn 159 XXXIII. Cultivation of India-Rubber in Assam (Ficus elastica) 164 XXXIV. | Assam Rubber in Din (Ficus elastica) ... Pee 69 XXXV. | India-Rubber: British um: Islands (Ficus 70 XXXVI. | Castilloa Rubber of Central America ( Castilloa Tou 170 XXXVII. | Central American Rubber C Castilloa elastica) ... 75 VIII | Peruvian Rub à s is ed ace 180 PREFACE. The object of the volumes of * Selected Papers from the Kew Bulletin," to which the present one belongs, has been explained in the preface to the first selection of the kind, which deals with * Vegetable Fibres " and was issued eight years ago. The practical value of previous selections has been so great that the issue of the present volume, which deals with * Rubber," requires no explanation. The arrangement of the papers here reprinted from the pages of the Kew Bulletin is that adopted in the selection which deals with “Fibres”; the notes and papers regarding individual rubber-yielding plants are given in the sequence adopted in the Genera Plantarum of Bentham and Hooker, of the natural families to which the various species belong. Those few papers, of a general character, which cannot in their entirety be allocated to particular natural families, and at the same time cannot con- veniently be divided into sections, precede the more special articles, D.E Royal Gardens, Kew, August, 1906. 1000 Wt 2985 10/06 D&S 29- 25781 ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS, KEW., SELECTED PAPERS FROM THE KEW BULLETIN. IIL--RUBBER. I—SOURCES OF RUBBER SUPPLY. [K.B., 1892, pp. 67-71.] Para rubber is the produce of Hevea brasiliensis, Muell. Arg., a tree belonging to the natural order Euphorbiaceae. The rubber is obtained from incisions cut through the bark, from whence the sap trickles into small bowls and is finally cured by being ladled on ld over a i i N gia) are burnt as n Museum No. 1, Case 94 [now Case 105], will bé found a s fido series of articles used in collecting and preparing pes rubber for export, and also numerous samples of the rubber. In 1891 the estimated export of Para rubber eee to 17,700 tons, of which 6,000 tons were imported into this country. A sample of rubber from H. brasiliensis, grown at Mergui, im was reported upon in this country in 1889 as worth 1s. 11d. r lb. pda rubber or “Ceara Scrap” is afforded by Manihot a Muell. Arg., a tree native of South America and belon o the natural order Huphorbiaceae. The imports of this fale de this = ge ger Me 180 tons in 1891. In Case 96 [now Case 106], Museum No. l be found samples from vro and also from Siate inircduded pée Ceylon, Zanzibar, and Nat Mangabeira or Pernambuco rubber is extracted RIT a small tree (Hancornia speciosa, Gomez) of the natural order Apocynaceae. A Seong of this rubber are shown in Case 72 [now Case 76], Museum No. 1. Ts principal source of Central American rubber is Satitoa elastica, a sages forest tree of the tribe Artocarpeae of the natural order Urticac It affords the Ule of British Morin » well as Nie caragua, hoc neu) Mexico, and Guayaquil rubbers. e total imports of Central American, West India, Colombian, Carthagena, and hog rubbers during the year 1891 amounted to 100 tons. See Case 100 [now Case 115], Museum No. 1. 25781 A 2 Esmeralda of Guiana may perhaps be aigro by Hevea sp. or Sapium sp. of the natural order Euphorbiace Colombian india-rubber and “ Carthagena " are one and the same thing, as is pointed out in the Kew Bulletin, 1890, p. 149 [p. 132]. The tree yielding this rubber is Sapiwm biglandulosum of the natural order Huphorbiaceae, a widely spread and variable species ; it is also the source of Touckpong or Cithalateltt € of British Guiana. Case 96 [now Case 108], Museum No. 1, contains specimens of these rubbers Assam rubber is. the produce of bus elastica, a large tree of the p praia tribe of Urticaceae. The imports of Assam a pe Borneo ru bs Leuconotis, allied i of the natural order - Apougpsaidé (see Kew Report, 1880, p. 43) ; 200 tons of this rubber were imported med D comes during t n go R : Samples will be found in EL ase 75], M rubber is dep. e a species of the genus two other species, viz., L. the chief source of Mozambique rubber), and L. petersiana we also sources of the East African supply. On the west coast L. owariensis, which has a very wide distribu- tion, is the principal species furnishing Congo and Sierra Leone . florida, which occurs on the y^ coast, and Mannii also afford part ef the West African supply. "Liberian rubber is perhaps in part afforded by the “Abba” tree (Ficus Vogelii), of the poll ores soe tribe of Urticaceae, which has already been fully discussed in the Kew Bulletin for November 1886 [p. 141] and May 1890 [p. 150]. Messrs. Hecht, Levis, and Kahn give the following statistics concerning these rubbers € 1 viz. ies cioe. an ea fare 4,350 tons; Mozambique, 380 ton Madagascar, 300 t Case 71 pow Case 75], Museum No. 1, “contains seni of tisso rubbers; The TET review of the sources of rubber supply from the commercial side has appeared in The India Rubber and Gutta Percha and Electrical Trades Journal, January 8, oe ae e merchantable in New York between 30 a : i England—one large and another small, one with little flavour and the other richer in food qualities. The — aide of rubber, however, is due in large to the methods ied e in gathering the sap. It tappéns d that the patiess of the L3 3 Amazon Valley have always taken pains in the curing of rubber. While climatic oe in that country may hav e had their African sorts are so full of bark and stones as to make them almost unfit for use. At one time “ Assams " were almost unmarketable in New York, the price sinking as low as 10 cents per pound, and not wanted at that. One firm, after long experimenting, discovered a chemieal solution in which the rubber was washed, the process being that the bark and other impurities wu the chemicals, making them so epoi that they separated from the gum and fell to the bottom and away. This company i a fortune in a Para rubber is more largely kae in the United States than any bite It may be noted, also, that the larger share of the rubber exported from Para comes to this country. three grades—fine, medium, and coarse. Fine Para is the standard by which all other grades are measured ; it brings the best price, and probably is more used than any other ould it become irregular in quality in the operation of curing over the smoke of palm nuts—as when little strips of virgin gum occur in the grain —it is called “medium,” and its price is lessened by a cent or two per pound. The “coarse” is imperfect, being composed of the scrapings and refuse of the fine sorts, and sells for about two-thirds of the price of the better grade. It shrinks considerably, having much water in it, and the importer generally is in a hurry to turn it over to e manufacturer. There are again many variations in Para rubber coming from different localities on the Amazon. subject is involved in some obscurity; but the best rubber is e Rive tary of the Amazon, having its source in the Andes. Braz ilians, however, are apt to believe that the locality of the best sorts is unknown to Americans, and possibly the Purus may not be the locality. T omes from Peru, at the sources of the Amazon and its tributaries, a rubber resembling the Nicaragua sheet, and called Caucho. This rubber is very E and consequently shrinks very much, which is a serious draw back. It is considered a good strong rubber, and it is utilised to a considerable extent by the boot and shoe manufacturers. Of Ceara r three respectively. It is called a * mule gum," the significance . g L . t rubber. It is a very dry rubber, its gathering being peculiar. x = is incised at the beginning of the dry season, and as the- es from the wound it forms on the outside of the orden to e cabot off at the end of the season. The gathering f this 25781 A2 1 rubber seems. to be on the wane, for every year there is extensive migration of Ceara people to Para, bound for the forests of the Amazon. From Bahia and Pernambuco, in Brazil, comes a rubber of a dierent grade from that of Para. It is cured with alum and salt ernambuco comes in sheets, and is of a yellowish- ae tinge. That from Bahia is not so good, and comes in round balls. The ian objection to it is that it is very damp, entailing a large loss to the importer from shrinkage. Of Mangabeira rubber, there are three grades, very similar to the Bahia and Pernambuco sorts. A grade that has a red look is con- sidered superior, and sells for 5 or 10 cents per pound higher than the others From Cen tral America comes a variety ‘of rübbon, distinctive in name voces mesh but owing to the lines of transportation center- ing a t Greytown, a and the trans-shipment at that point to Ne York, there is much confusion, one sort often getting substituted for another. The Pacific mail steamers gather also different varieties at Panama with po (me confusion. That which comes from Nicaragua is ee E ge “sheet” and “scrap.” The latter comes in pieces a hone 24 feet long, weighing from 10 to nds. In the gathering of rubber in the forest, around the cuts in the treea p is left, which is given to the man as a perquisite, and this forms * scrap. s in the peculiar mode of gathering, it is ssi dry, there is little leaks in shrinkage, and this quality makes it a favourite with manufacturers, It contains some bark, but not so much as the “sheet.” The sheet, after it is milled and washed, is the same rubber as the “scrap.” Both are cured by the use of a vine from which a soapy [? alkaline] substance is form There is another grade which comes from Central America, containing a considerable amount of ashes, due to its being smoked over the latter. It comes in thin sheets $ to } inch thick. It is a dry rubber, there not being so much loss in shrinkage ; but it is not so firm as the other grades, and it is difficult to work. There also comes from Central American ports a rubber which is chiefly grown in New Granada, and is called “ Carthagena strip.” It is from 1j to 2 inches tbi ck, and there is a great deal of sand and dirt in it. It is a black, tough r ubber Honduras furnishes a great deal of rubber of oe Tuno sg which is found in many other sections of Central Amer uatemala ranks low in the piere varieties, Br S m ; resinous substance which gives it a tarry appearance. It comes in sheets pressed together. There is a rubber which comes from Angostura as good as Para. When cut it is found to contain little spots of white as large as a pea. Tuxpan, Mexico, once sent a fine grade of strip rubber; but as the trees have been destroyed by eutting them down instead of tapping for rubber, the imports from there are now very small. The rubber is gathered by scraping from the bark. SERRE. comes in large flakes or lumps of a whitish colour in the best sorts, the inferior sorts being porous and exuding a black liquid which stains the knife and hands. As in a great many “ Centrals” the name is often confounded with the sorts, 5 Esme ralda comes from Guiana, is a strip rubber, and is also made into “sausages.” Some brokers are of the opinion that very little of the real Esmeralda finds its way to America, it being almost indistinguishable from other viec It brings a high price. Certainly little of it finds its way to Europe, brokers dn quoting it there. A great deal of the rubo gathered in Colombia finds its way to the Amazon and Para In rubber from Asia the A probably take ihe lead, and are rated above coarse Para in pri There are three or four grades, the lower ones poing very dirty and all of them equina much washing. ere are two grades of rubber coming from Borneo. The It is a white, soft, porous or spongy rubber, the pores being filled with salt water or whey. The better grade is a fair rubber, but the second grade is often when cut almost as soft as putty and practically worthless. Of Africans there are many varieties. The favourite sorts come from Madagascar. The pinky sort comes in the shape of round halls, weighing l4 to 4 pounds. It is not so strong as fine Para. There is always a good demand for it, and it is rarely found in hree the grade called * black " comes from Majunga, is exported i small balls, and has a dark colour when cut. From the West Coast of Africa there are many desse the e. is a very good rubber. There is also a small ball rubber about 1} inches in diameter. It cuts white, and is fairly Congo ball is made from small ade v of AT and m into balls, from 1 to 25 inches in diam It is a firm and v elastic rubber, but there is more or pen "fi in uita nd as manu- facturers do not always have proper machinery to Grille it, they do not buy readily. Sierra Leone comes in balls 3 to 4 inches in diameter, and is a- td fair grade of rubber. It has a considerable demand from boot and shoe and mechanical goods men. Like all West Coast Fibber it rise us by way of Hamburg or Liverpool. . The finer grade of Mozambique is called “white ball.” It resembles Congo ball in appearance, and comes in about the same shape. The “red ball" is mixed with a reddish bark, and gets its name for that reason. — both varieties of “ ball” will be found filled in the centre with bark. The rubber is then called unripe Mozambique," and sells for 10 cents less per pound. From Liberia comes a lump rubber. There are three rivers in Liberia from which rubber is gathered, but it is all assembled at 6 the common mouth, and the grades are not kept separately, making a class of rubber which is very variable, and therefore disliked by manufacturers. There is, on the whole, a growing tendency toward the use of Africans, and in this is a true check on the price of Para. In time drawn into internal enterprises, In Europe the stocks of Africans are always larger than of Para, and a steady growth is very noticeable. IL—FOREST PRODUCTS OF SIERRA LEONE. [K.B., 1897, pp. 318-320.] The following interesting account of the forest products of Sierra Leone and their possible development is taken from the U.S. Consular Reports for November, 1896 (pp. 442-444). It is an extract from an address made by the Governor of Sierra Leone (now Sir Frederic Cardew, K.C M.G.) to the Legislative Some portions of the forests described have been referred to in the report made by Mr. Scott-Elliot, already noticed in the Kew Bulletin (1893, pp. 167-169) .— The valuable timber awaiting exportation. They have been in no sense explored, and they only require intelligent and systematic methods for gathering the rubber to yield their wealth to the first comer who has the necessary enterprise. For instance, the forest to which I have already referred as lying between Makali and Kruto may be roughly estimated to on the west and the Bagwe on the east, and an east and west line drawn through Kruto in the north, and a similar line drawn through Makali in the south. This area comprises portions of the Kuniki and Koranko districts, and the extent of forest land within it may, on the most moderate caleulation, be computed at about 600 square miles. Along a great portion of the route taken by my party the forest is of some eight to ten years’ growth, but in many parts of the it is invariably cut up into small pieces of about 6 inches in length, and thus completely destroyed. The * kewatia," i.e., the rubber tree, appears to grow rapidly, and in eight or ten years to "57 ättain a girth of from: 2 to 3 feet, but the tree, however, like the “nofe,” trunk. The rubber appears to be treated in a different way to that of the vines; the latter is, as you know, coagulated with lime juice, but the rubber which exudes from the rings cut in the tree is plac ed in hot water, on the surface of which it coagulates, and is then cut into strips, which are formed into balls for the market. I have ventured, at the risk of being tedious, to go into detail in ee the manner in which the rubber is gathered. I think we must all eed that the i processes are crude and wasteful in the extreme, and it is evident if more intelligent and economical methods were ddoMbod. as I understand is the case in the Bra diti ia other parts of South America, there would be a far larger yield, and every probability that the West African rubber would command as high a price as South American. But if some steps are not taken to teach the naiives better methods of AK rubber than they now use, it ma safely be predicted that with the increasing demand for rubber, in a few years t nk: will become extinct, and an industry which should cn one of the most thriving in the colony will be ruined. In the forests I am speaking of the rubber is gathered by Susu traders in the crude and wasteful manner I have described. Lows natives in the Koranko and Kuniki districis, especially in former, appear to be very ignorant of its value and the tiathoda of gathering it. I feel quite convinced _ r traders were to either agen ese par experienced in the industry, they Welt bo rewarđed for their trouble and expense with rich harvests. studied "ud je ver if found pui here. short Mdb iut of the preparation of the Para rubber, n: is the premier rubber of the world and is ob from w d a large tree extensive forests in the lowlands of the Amazon, was Arip cone at the — fi at ltural Exhibition, and the curator is now dra up @ ount of other ee which may be suitable to uod rubber iududtey of this colon The natives of the interior require to be trained in an intelligent way of working, not only in the preparation of rubb abs o thi and so completely destroyed. In the territory of the Amazon, each rubber tree is made to yield an annual crop, and the bark, instead of being ringed, has a number of incisions made in it as e milk i i m ies work is done by the Indians, and there is no reason w rigines of the interior should not be taught to adopt similar paes a If the traders who purchase the rubber and other indigenous products would inform the Government in what 8* direction they Sre reforms should be oie in nci, di systems of gathering such produce, the Government would, I feel sure, kde an attentive ear to their suggestions. The forests in the Kuniki and Koranko districts are, relatively speaking, very accessible from here ; Magbeli, from which place they can x sprich pea Siria about seven days' easy marching, an ere is water c arriage for light Puri 2n Benkia, two marches Hö "Magbeli, down ves Roquelle riv But these forests are small compared to ee on the Anglo- Liberian frontier, along the Morro and Mano rivers, which extend for 800 or 1,000 miles. Had it not been for the border raids which and the oly pes portions of which are within two days’ journey of Sulim IIL—RUBBER: GAMBIA BOTANIC STATION. [K.B., 1898, pp. 40, 41.] There are four different species of rubber-producing rri growing in the station. The most common species are the native rubbers (anrop beradik an ane L. florida). These abound on the Gambia, but owing to the ruthless manner in which the trees are tapped, it is pues they will soon disappear. Hevea brasiliensis (Para rubber).—A few plants of this are at the station, but they do a appear to be growing very well, owing to the long dry seas Castilloa € irum American rubber).—Several plants were brought o y me as already mentioned from Kew. The are now Sena UE and are about two feet high. "These plants are said to grow well in a deep warm soil, composed of loam and sandy clay; a dry or rainy climate seems vic suitable, but a high and equal temperature, which does not sink below 60° F. at any time is essential. Manihot Glaziovii yields the rubber known in commerce by the name of Ceara rubber. This plant grows well in the Colony. The only difficulty up to the present has been to procure the rubber from the tree. The sample of rubber collected from a tree growing at the station is free from impurity, but e sho be impressed on the local rubber collectors. The plant is very hardy, amd will grow almost anywhere. Its healthy ene in this Colony shows that it may prove of great ue, ð IV.—FIJI INDIA-RUBBER. [K.B., 1898, pp. 164-166.] the Kew Report for 1877, p. 31, it is stated that a specimen of native caoutchouc had oe received from Sir Arthur Gordon (now Lord Stanmore), Governor of Fiji. This is still in the w Museum. It was favourably reported upon at the time This was twenty-one years ago. t the present time the price would a tind be 2s. or 2s. 6d. per pound. After so promising a beginning it was boped that a successful rubber industry w ould » established in the Fiji Archipelago. So far, however, this expectation has not been realized. It was stated oa the tree from which the rubber was obtained “was very com in the islands." In 187 r. John Horne, F.L.S., then Director of the Boise Gardens at Mauritius, visited Fiji and paid particular attention to their economic resources. A report on the Caoutchouc or India rubber plants is published as an Appendix to his * Year in Fiji” (London, Stanford, 1881), pp. 195-202. The Fijia an name for caoutchouc is *drega," and the ^ drega kau ” is generally applied to all trees that have a milly juice. Mr. Horne found a species of Tabernaemontana (since named T. Thurstoni, Baker, Journ. Linn. Soc. XX., 368), with white flower and a reddish-yellow berry about 4 inch diameter. “When wounded a thin milk-white juice exudes which yields a ee quantity of caoutchouc." Locally ME is known as * Kau Drega," or “ Talotalo." Mr. olmes (in the or to the Governor’s despatch of the 15th “April, 1898) speaks of it as - Pas edly our best rubber-yielding tree.” He A ug : z It grows a large size. Those that I saw were up to 18 inches or 2 feet rider at the base. It is found scattered in the forest on the hills and valleys, but is not gregarious.” The specimen of rubber from this tree recently received from Fiji was hard and gutta-like and without elasticity. In the condition in which it reached this country it was of little or no commercial valu The most promising india rubber plant met with by Mr. Horne was Alstonia plumosa, Labill.; of this possibly, A. villosa, enn is k Meier form. The account given of this tree is as prieta “The ' Fijian n name,” s Mr. Horne, “is * Drega quruquru. They collect the jujse ^ 4 their mouths, which makes the caoutchouc as adhesive as glue, and of about the consistency and colour of putty. To get the juice, the Fijians break off the leaves m the branches, and collect it as it flows from the petioles and the à wounds on the branches caused by leaves. The branches are next broken off the trees, and each branch is broken up into sd ne 6 inches to a foot long. "As fast as the pieces are n, first one end of them is placed in the mouth, then de iut till the mouth is full of za et E b eo FR p^ ern B © 10 erude caoutchouc. Several mouthfuls are Saks oe together and squeezed into a round mass or ball. This method of collecting the juice, with the ruthless manner of ireiline the trees, some- what surprised me when I first saw it done. Since then repeated trials in all parts of Fiji have convinced me that the sap or juice does not flow freely by NEA the bark on the trunk of the tree in any way whatever. This is the reason for breaking the to the air, and the wound has t o be giae to cause the sap io flow anew. Ted the branches a are broken into pieces of ex The coagulated juice would seem to have some attraction for the juice in a semi-liquid condition. If a portion of the not be Separated, and a slight ES es the semi-coagulated juice clean out of the many fissures or pns in the ends of the broken tai orüde- caoutchouc from this tree ess (more or less) as may be required. Samples of it have ean sent to England, em the quality was highly valued." Nothing dried was done in a popan to Fiji des until last year, when response to an inquiry from efforts were made to obtain botanical eiea. of all the aita yielding a ona jui e first Mun les proved e ricis Accel The second, received i in March, 1898, were more promising. Alstonia plumosa is known in Viti Levu as “Sarua.” It is described as abounding in the forests and if carefully € might prove a useful rubber-producing plant. Mr. Joske, e Commissioner for Colo North, states *the leaves are la g It is then detached with a bit of bamboo or knife and the different particles are pressed ee bogs balls. That is the way it is produced when required as an article of commerce It is also chewed by children as a pestiue e and made into plastic balls with which to play." ^ 4 11 oske adds, “I remember twenty years ago that i was collected on both of the above islands [Viti Levu and Vann vu] as an article of commerce. If I recollect rightly, it even then fetched a good i in the European markets. The export of it fell off owing to the difficulty of getting the natives to continue steadily at the industry, and owing to the fact also that settlers hoped to do better with what they then considered more important articles such as cotton, sugar and coffee It is possible that under the stimulus of higher priees rubber gathering in Fiji may be revived. It is evident, however, that George O'Bri soft and v n the Mr ls with little or no daba. ds Secr re i Maie value A ida er specimen, received in June last, was not so viscid, but n Im it gradually became hard and inelastic. Mr. mes confirms Mr. Horne that no milk is obtlinátile from the ste With the above was ene closed a sample of i i from a tree known as “ Baka” (Ficus obliqua Forst. M According to are placed €: ire receive the sap as it pours out. It is gosquialod by me of heat, the natives say they could im ends. po of this ‘hous much trouble. Were it a that the rubber was of commercial value it would prove an estimable boon to the natives of these islands." Although the specimens of “Baka” rubber received at Kew had not been sufficiently coagulated, it was regarded by Messrs. Hecht, Levis, and Kahn as suitable for mud por poms and its value mit was placed at 1s. to 1s. 3d. per p A substance obtained from the “ = ” tree, er a member of the Sapotaceae, but, in the abse of flowers, otherwise x determinable, cud slightly elastic eT might command a sale a 10d. to 1s. per Other specimens, obtained from the * Wasalili " (Carruthersia scandens, Seem.) and the * Malawaci" (Trophis anthropopha- gorum, Seem.), were entirely deficient of elastic properties and ported to be of no commercial value. V.—COAGULATION OF RUBBER-MILK. [K.B., 1898, pp. 177-181.] The extensive use of India-rubber in the arts and manufac- tures, renders the production of this substance a matter of general interest. One of the most important problems that awaits solution is a Fs s effective means for coagulating the In the following paper, which has recently appeared in 12 some of the West India Islands. Mr. Biffen has therefore had . a favourable opportunity for becoming acquainted E the con- ditions under which rubber is at present prepared, vigi to ae scientific methods for the porca of the ind While pde during ie latter part of 1896 in studying the functions of latex, my ention was frequently called to its spontaneous coagulation rene in contact with the air. e Bary describes the phenomenon as follows* :—“ As soon as butt comes in contact with the air, and still epe quiekly on treatment with water, aleohol, ether, or aci ids, ula appear in P and iu: e further inyontigeti nation of the subject was enu commenced with were continued, together with other researches on a larger scale, in Mexico, Brazil, and the West Indian Islands. Ru bons -yielding plants, which always have laticiferous cells, were for the most part chosen on account of the ease with which large quantities - — could be obtained, and because the various processes used i e preparation of crade rubber seemed likely to throw some light upon the subject. A microscopic examination of any of these scis shows that its milky appearance is due to the presence of innumerable small granules of caoutchouc, which in themselves a “soft and sticky, for they readily cohere to form a small mass of rubber if the cover-glass i is lightly d on the slide. Some of the — employed to prepare this rubber may be described here In the EE of = rubber, a thin layer of the latex of Hevea brasiliensis (Muell ae) or other species of Hevea, is exposed to the action of the smoke of burning * urucuri’ ' nuts (Attalea excelsa, Mart.) ; sae tation is immediately brought about, resulting in the formation of a we eoe mass of rubber, which on ing becomes tough and elas same process is now being a Hei with good results to the laziovii The preparation of Ceará rubber from the latex of Manihot G (Muell. Arg.). * De Bary, Comp. Anat. of uas i Peck pe IHE 13 The venally accepted explanation of this is that the water contained in the latex is simply evaporated off ;* pat as the coagulation is brought abou in so short a time, and moreover as there is no loss of weight on its occurrence, thig is ad. incorrect. nd e for t consist mainly of edi acid, sad the later of creosote aaa ene of AR eraio tiv case lime-juice is added,t and Helfer "8 food of ad ing acetic acid to the latex of Artocarpus Ohiplash (Roxb.),f may be Eus It is worthy of note that the latex of Hevea br t" is in itself alkaline, and that the addition of a solution ammonia pee method of clotting latex is to add an excess bd common lt. This me thod is almost invariably applied in the case of e “ma i Coagulation may also be brought about NE boiling the latex, as, for e example, in the preparation of “balata” from Mimusops globosa in Venezuela and Trinidad. There are several other methods in general use besides the few that have been quoted, and many others have been suggested from time X time}. As the rubber exists in particles in the latex, it seemed possible that the centrifugal method of separation might be adopted in modi the ordinary centrifugal milk-tester was, S designed capable of being rotated some 6,000 times per minu Ernst, Trinidad Bulletin, vol. iii., p. 2 Kew balleta. 1890, Art. 142, La 89 + t Watt's Dict. Economic Prod ip. 13. vol, iv., p. 343. § Belt, Naturalist in Nidseifun, v gp a orem ete account, see de Caoutchouc et la Gutta-percha, pen Lamy, and Falconnet, Paris, 1896, 14 The latex was taken pud ui the trees, strained through wire gauze to remove any pieces of bark, and then, if very thick, diluted > about the OAY of thin cream. The first experi- ere made with the latex of Castilloa elastica. After ceci fagi ng for from three to four minutes, ihe. rubber- particles completely separated as a thick, creamy, white layer, rom the deep bro i an excess of water to thoroughly wash it, and again separated. The separated particles were then shaken with water, so as to form an emulsion, and alkalies were added. No coagulation now occurred, even ipeo the mixture e. qaem to stand for several days. The particles could, how , be brought into a solid mass by pressure, by gentle hosting, oi by drying off the water with a porous tile. So pr epared, the rubber formed a pure white mass, without any trace of its usually characteristie smell. On exposure to the air for several days, the surface became brown, probably owing to oxidation The pe satin’ of rubber in the latex was estimated at son ae time by wis ting = * C. The weight of the dry substan 2:5 grammes, which, as the specific gravity s Sa astien latex is rain ly " » gives a yield of 25 per e On treating the latex of Hevea brasiliensis in the same way for a slightly longer time, a similar separation occurred. The same mployed i form a solid mass, while the addition of acetic sige and the action of the smoke of barning urucuri nuts had no e The yield ern estimated as before, was bin 28 to 30 per cent. "The latex of Manihot Glaziovii also separated readily and gave results Seely parallel with those mentioned above. This latex is interesting, as it is readily clotted by churning. A soft spongy clot is formed in a few minutes containing in its meshes the greater part of the solution in which the rubber-particles were suspended. If this clot is cut e slices NN liat oft and pressed between sugar-cane crus or in a heavy press, the tm of 2 ruinam is extracted pes a o pilis rubber is ng, it does not zc e usd the Sand smell iaaiiai of ie ordinary Ceara “ Other Te can also be clotted. weg dann but the process is a long on The la ur of Hancornia speciosa and of gett ge dps gave similar results on centrifugalizing. In the f the latter, the pink colouring-matter which characterizes "balata * Was Tani to have s separated as a thin layer at the bottom of the tubes Artocarpus enge contains a very viscous latex cA, by the Brazilians as a bird-lime or as a substitute for glue. When diluted and cenbrifagaliaed it m CI giving a creamy white layer which dries to à resinous mass somewhat resembling -percha. At the ordinary Marna ture this i is quite hard and gutta brittle, but if the temperature is raised slightly it becomes plastic, - 15 and at the temperature of boiling water it is soft and excessively sticky. The substance a. soluble in carbon bi Err iig nd insoluble in alcohol and water Ur be re Gamelleira* CEA a similar substance of a chocolate- brown colou + We thus see that I mere action of centrifugal force effects the Separation of rubber; and from the failure of the processes lly loyed, involving the use of chemical reagents, to bring teed the clotting of the separated and washed rubb rticl must infer that no chemica a occurs in t a es, l nge ine itself, and that the cause of coagulation must = looked for n the medium in which they are susperded. From our knowledge of the gren of latex, it is evident that the proteids are the most likely substances to cause this when riói with acids, alkafioh, excess of M &c., and when boiled. Unfortunately few latices have as yet been examined for their proteid constituents, chiefly on account of the difficulty of obtain- ing them in their natural condition in European laboratories, d peptone in several rubber-yielding latices.t In the clear solatio left after separation of the rubber-particles the xanthoproteie reaction always showed the presence of proteid pea but under the circumstances it was impossible to identify them Now albumins are characterized by the iani ion of their solution on heating, especially in the presence of dilute acids, and globulins by their Pan precipitation with the salt-solution and their coagulation on heating. Thus = the latex of Hevea brasiliensis is held in the smoke of the burning urucuri nuts, the albumin it — is elotted by the action of heat in the presence of dilute acetic a The globulin of Manihot Glaziovii latex cam on heating when the temperature rises to 74—76? C.| The acid latex of Castilloa elastica contains an acid albumin, which on neutralization forms a gelatinous precipitate. n the same way as the white-of-egg p parti in seiiston when clotted for the purpose of pgs jellies e ey even push the old analogy of blood and latex further, and compare the formation of a rubber-clot, y s, to the formation of together by fibrin. In this case, — À we must remember * Mart. Fl vice E. wd Ficus m: x Mart. Sys. Mat. Med. Bras + This does ot apply to the latex of Mimusops globosa, or E gunt specie, which we be be ke t - ogy 8 without t undergoing any c i tJ.R $ Faraday Fe ice Le "Cuouchouc et la gutta-percha. || J. R. Green, ibid, 16 that the rubber-particles, owing to their being sticky bodies unprotected by any external film, as e.g., the fat-partieles of milk are, are capable of aggregating together of their own accord to o olid mass. Rubber then, as now prepared, contains among other substances proteid matters. To these must be ascribed the well-known : 8 smoke of the burning nuts acts as an antiseptic and prevents this proteid decomposition.* for the coagulated proteids is not an easy mattte tai R. H. BIFFEN. Botanical Laboratory, Cambridge. February, 188. VL—ARTIFICIAL PRODUCTION OF INDIA- RUBBER. [ K.B., 1399, pp. 27, 28.] India-rubber, or caoutchouc, is chemically a hydrocarbon. But what is called its molecular constitution is un nown. that has been ascertained is that when decomposed by heat (distillation in closed vessels) it is broken up into simpler hydrocarbons, amongst which is isoprene. Caoutchouc is found in a considerable number of plants in no way related by botanical affinity. But they are for the most part . All chemical substances of vegetable origin sooner or later yield In many cases they remain merely of theoretical interest as, though practicable, they are too cumbrous and expensive to be of actual utility. The artificial production of every organic compound is, then, a scientific problem which may have commercial results. It is mot HE SIUS BISHQUENISESADSSHGU TUQUE M UE * Cf., the smoking of fish. &o., for preserving purposes, 17 always a matter of interest to note and place on record the first step towards its solution, although the commercial application y be remote. Such a first step has been achieved by Dr. Tilden, F.R.S., Professo or of Chemistry in the Royal College of Science, South : "He as ki more recent revisions. They have also been republished in th» Chemical News. * Note on the Spontaneous Conuet sion of Isoprene into Caoutcho * [Read before the Birmingham penes. Society, May 18th, 1892.] “Tsoprene is a hydrocarbon which was discovered d: Greville Williams many years ago among the products of the destructive > i (Tr upon oil of turpentine and other terpenes. It is a very volatile liquid, boiling at about 36°. Its molecular formula is C; H,, and it forms a tetrabromide, C, H, Br, but no metallic derivatives like the two homologues of. acetylene. * Bouchardat (Compt. rend., vol. 87, p. 654, and vol. 89, pp. 361 and 1117) observed that when isoprene is heated to a temperature near 300°, it gradually polymerises into a terpene, which he called diisoprene, but which is now called dipentene. This compound produced by the action of heat upon turpentine, is formed at the ^ Aem : sam n isoprene is brought into contact with strong ids, aqueous hydrochloric acid for example, a small portion of it is rted into a tough elastic solid, which has been examined by G. Bouchardat and by myself. It appears to be true india- rubber. “Specimens of isoprene were made from several terpenes in the course of my work on oe compounds, and some of them have preserved. Iw rised a few weeks ago at finding the contents of the bottles S naniu isoprene from turpentine entirely changed in appearance. In place of a limpid colourless liquid, the bottle contained a dense syrup in which was floating several large masses of a solid of a yellowish colour. Upon isoprene by spontaneous polymerisation has not, to my knowledge been observed before. I can only account tor it by the hypothesis that a small quantity of acetic or irs acid had been produced by the oxidising actior diee - air, and that the presence of this compound had bee n the ns of t ransforming the dee The Mua was acid à De Sera yor yielded a small portion of nchanged isopre * The har. india-rubber, like natural ety. appears t consist of two substances, one of which i ore soluble in nzene or carbon bisulphide than the other. 25781 B 18 “A solution of the artificial rubber in benzene leaves on evaporation a residue whic E s in all characters with a similar preparation from Para-rubber “ The artificial rubber ORE with sulphur in the same way as moraery rubber, forming a tough elastic compound. “The constitutional formula of DH is now known to be :— Methyl-crotonylene, C =C€ “It is obvious that fT such . as gere containing doubly-linked carbon, may polymerise in a variety of ways; and, in the present condition of our knowledge even of in we i would be idle to speculate as to which out o ume possible arrangements would correspond. to the Sonsdiqtion of eaoutchouc."—(Proc. Birm. Phil. Soc. viii., Pt. try In a recent letter Professor Tilden states :—' As you inagine, I have tried everything I can think of as likely promote this change, but without success. The Kok Sibel proceeds very slowly, occupying, according to my experience, several years, and all attempts to hurry it result in the production not of rubber but of ‘colophene,’ a thick sticky oil quite useless for all the purposes to which rubber is applied.” VIL—GUTTA PERCHA FROM A CHINESE TREE. (Eucommia ulmoides, Oliv.) [K.B., 1901, pp. 89-94.] Between 1887 and 1890, from several localities on the middle he adds, *but I was informed it ‘occurs so in Fang and other districts to the north.” Fang is the name of a region near the middle part of the Yangtze-Kiang in the province of Hupeh. This plant Prof. D. Oliver described (Hooker’s Icones Plantarum, t. da as Hucommia ulmoides S. Flow not being 2i agas Ana what material he had so ME that its aeos aer ips were not eias Prof. Oliver left the determination of the order of Tu ucommia open, merely siding that the tribe Phyllantheae of Ern cta occurred to him of probable affinity. The interest to us lies not so much in this as in his indication of the presence in the tissues of gutta percha. The discovery he made known in c following words :— E a perhaps the w per,—in the bark (in the usual sense of the word), the leaves and poem dde pericarp; any of these, snapped across, and the parts drawn ay exhibit the silvery 'sheen of innumerable d of this sra 19 His account continues: “The morphological relations and general Aro eorth of the cells which give rise to the substance, fluid or living, which, through Dr. Henry’s kind offices, there is probability. we may soon receive.” PM the promised specimens arrived (now Prof.) . E. Weiss undertook the examination of aiken aii from the xt dp of his investigations, published in the Transactions of the Linnean Society A M 2, Botany, iii, p. 243), the following sentences are dra * The threads M Po consist of caoutchoue, for they are insoluble in alcohol, acids and alkalis, though they become soft when treated with rur They dissolve a chloroform and turpentine, and swell up in ether. When heated they melt, and they burn with the ohar iico gna smell of büritüg rubber * From the bark the arie can very readily be extracted. If the bark be broken in pieces and pounded in a mortar, the mass can be roughly sepa ut n into two parts, one consisting of the tangled elastic threads, with small bits of broken bark adhering to them, the other chiefly of bits of bark containing, no doubt, smaller pieces of the threads. From both parts chloroform will ‘dissolve out caoutchouc, a larger amount naturally from the portion which consists chiefly of the threads. Thusa kn ga u? the threads and bark weighing 443 mg. gave as much as 25 of c acc this while the remaining bark, weighing 607 3 mg., yielded onfy 6 mg. Taking the two quantities together, the yield of caoutchouc was 3 per cent. of the weight of the dry bark, and the same figure w arrived at independently by Prof. F. W. Oliver with iio sample. “ The threads are clear and homogeneous, and the only impurity = the chloroform extract seems to be a little resin, which can be ashed out with alcohol. * Whether the bark can be made use of commercially I must leave to those who are more experienced in technical matters. “The distribution of the caoutchouc-containing cells I had been able to determine from the dry material which I first ination of the material preserved in alcohol. They occur in the inner portions of the cortex, very much in the position in which the latex cells of Euphorbia are ouii pm are even more frequent in the secondary phloem, where they run between the companion cells, and in both cases present the appearanee of very long narrow cells, attaining such a length that one only occasionally finds their ends. * In the leaf a group of caoutchouc-containing cells wie ie the ramifying fibro-vaseular bundles, running just w ihe phloem, while in the petiole and all along the bunila of the midrib they form two groups at the sides of the bundle, and do not run below it. “ The pe carp of Eucommia, which resembles in appearance that of ud end is especially rich in these caoutchouc-containing 25781 B2 20 cells, Below the dicc uis we find a few layers of large chloro- bundles, the main trunks running longitudinally, and connected by branching and anastomosing lesser bundles. ‘The longitudinal bundles have a strong group of. frien viernes end cells accom- panying them on their inner side, and immediately beneath them we find a large mass of circularly running cells of the same nature, forming quite a dense coat of hyphae-like thin-walled cells, showing their cell-walls very distinctly when the caoutchouc has been dissolved out by chloroform.” These oa as iege did not settle the d of the gen and Mr. Weiss left the matter with the remark that perhaps the tribe Unona might include Zucommia in n préfefenóe to Phyl- lantheae of the same order—Euphorbiaceae. Since these first researches, made on imperfect material, further knowledge has been due to the success of scientific and horti cul- tural establishments in Paris in obtaining first dod flowering specimens and now living plants. From the museum t o rR D antes came enabled to publish a second figure (Hooker’s Icones Plantarum, t. 2361), and Dr. Solereder’s researches tci der Deutschen botanischen Cele xvii, 1899, 387) were made upon flowers sent to him from Pari s and fruits supplied from Kew ; while the living plants in salit vatfon at the Jardin Colonial, in the garden of the Faculty of Medicine, and by the firm of id mination of the dried flowering specimens which had been received in 1894 from a French missionary— ére Farges—and were taken from trees cultivated in Szechuen, caused Professors Oliver and Baillon to agree in placing Hucommia in the order drae o i a ea ac impossible to discuss here the cause of this difference of opinion ; let it suffice to say that it indicates the difficulty experienced in assigning to its true position this peculiar genus. Wherever from external morphological characters we place it, the allied Le are not rubber- or gutta-yielding plants. Solereder observ es this, and compares in justifica ation of his view the Hippo repite in which caoutchouc cells are found in certain speci There are great differences between the caoutchouc cells of Eucommia and of the Euphorbiaceae. In the latter the whole system is one com plicated network arising from the branching of cells which are present in the embryo, which grow with grow- ing plant, ramifying and uniting, so that the outflow of one cut vessel is more a its contents, because other vessels feed it as it bleeds. In Zucommia the caoutchoue vessels do not branch and ‘their contents, too, are more of the nature of gutta percha than indiarubber ; and iu structure they are much more similar to the 21 cells which yield the guita percha in Dichopsis than to the laticiferous vessels of Hevea, Manihot, Sapium, and other uphorbiaceous plants. To Weiss’ description of the anatomy Barthelat adds somewhat. He found that the cortical parenchyma of the young stem con- me cells in the phloem, and in the petioles both i in and below the phloem; while in the leaf-blades they were very plentiful, running with the nerves and branc des from them to end in a micro extremity under the palisade parenchyma of the upper su Caoutchouc is thus seen to be present in every part of the plant except the wood and the outer layer of parenchyma of the young roots. We may now leave the anatomy of the plant to quote from the paper by MM. Dybowski an m Fron of the economic possibilities which Hucommia may possess. ‘The following statements are translated from pp. 559- 560. of their paper :— “Our attention was called to the similar way in which the ormer. first on some fresh leaves of a plant € Eucommia grown in the Jardin Colonial. The leaves are 3 t inches long and 1} to 2 inches wide. They are oval, pointed’ 4 the end, finely dentate, in lengt elm. Operating upon 20 grammes of dried leaves, we obtained 0-45 gr. of products soluble in toluene, ein corresponds to a return of 2°25 gr. per cent. This € is poor, remembering that the fresh leaves contain 70 per ét. of water. The bark is full of laticiferous vessels. But the lant which we possess being still very young, we have not been able to take any branches away for examination “A second series of observations was made upon the fruits. The fruit is a samara, the length of it being 13-12 inches, ne. the width nearly $ inch. Two hundred fruits weigh abou 14 extraction of matter soluble in Samus has given us the following results :—- 1st me 15 pok ees T gr. soluble in toluene 2nd 412gr.. , » té, 820 gr. fini 30 grammes “of matter, or a ds of 27-34 per cent. We worked with fruits not dried. The fruit contains a Mert proportion of water, equal to 7*4 per cent. produet obtained is of a brown colour with metallic reflections on the surface. Plunged into hot water it — soft a stretches out in thin flakes like goldbeater's skin, an under pressure will take the impress of metal. In cooling it ie its suppleness and becomes q uite hard. 22 , Eucommia ulmoides is wn to t in China, it is not easy to get a quantity of seed; and, further, germination seems slow and irregular e sowing produced a single seedling af ter the lapse of six weeks, a second after five months, and others later. Fortunately cuttings seem to give better results. They will strike root at any season, and give vigorous plants; but spring, when the branches are still leafless, seems to be the most favourable time for taking them.” Eucommia ulmoides promises to be hardy at Kew. November, 1897, M. Maurice L. de Vilmorin presented a plant to the Royal Botanic Gardens, where it has been grown successfully in the open without protection. In Paris, where the winters are more severe than at Kew, the plant has survived through them, as testified by the following answer dated November 13, 1899, kindly sent by M. M. de Vilmorin to a question from Kew :— “Two plants of Hucommia ulmoides remained unprotected against a wall in our Paris garden during the two last mild winters, and stood uninjured through as low a temperature as Dro ui. The Jardin Colonial has already experiments in hand in Annam, Tonkin, and North Africa. The bark of Tu chung had attracted attention long before the discovery of the tree to which it belonged. The following notice appeared in the Kew Report for 1831, p. 47 :— Chinese collections of Materia Medica often contain Specimens of a drug consisting of blackened fragments of bark and small pieces of twigs. These ontai (with the Chinese name Tu chung), and from Smithsonian Institution, Washington. The botanical origin has been hitherto altogether uncertain. eems, however, probable from a notice re, Director of the Botanic Garde Saigon ( ions et Reconnaissances, No. Saigon), that this drug is the produce of Parameria glanduli Vera. This is an apocynaceous imber, ascending e summits of the highest |; i exactly the appearance of milk, and may even be used as a sub- stitute for it; it has a slight nutty flavour. In the liquid state ans. The bark | d at 20 to 25 franes the pieul (= 1233 lbs.), and exported to China. The bark is a medicinal produet, esteemed by the Chinese.” i 23 The real source of the drug was cleared up air the specimen of Euc ucommia, collected in Hupeh in 1887 by Dr. A. Henry, was described in 1890 by Prof. Oliver in the Icones Pla niarum. Dr. Henry's specimens were accompanied by the following note :— The Tu chung tree, 20-30 feet. The bark of this ge^ s a most valued medicine with the Chinese, selling at 4s. to 8s. Mons. Pierre concurred a the suggested aoi with Pürameri ia must ndoned. Subsequently further specimens were received from the Museum d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris. These had been collected in Szechuen in 1874 by Rev Agen Farges. They were accompanied by the following note Lorsqu’on ETE l'écorce les vaisseaux corticaux s'étirent comme des fils de soies; c'est pour cela qu'il est appelé aussi vulgairement mien. Kcorce officinale usitée Rae les maladies des reins et comme une charpie dans les blessure Eucommia is a tree of spb omer districts. The name Tu. chung is, however, applied by the hy passi = e tree of the plains, which is almost certainly a Huo not improbably E. hamiltonianus, Wall. (See nei Bulletin, "1899, p. 219). VIII.—A HARDY INDIA-RUBBER TREE. (Eucommia ulmoides, Oliver.) [K.B., 1904, pp. 4-6.] In the Kew Bulletin for 1901 (pp. 89-94) [p. 18], under bas title * Gutta-Percha from a Chinese Tree," some account is gi of this interesting merce : The figure given Professor Oliver in ZHooker's Icones: PIA (pl. 2361) i i now reproduced. To this may be added the following interesting D sugs furnished by Dr. Henry, the well-known Chinese Botan Tu Chung is the name given by the Chinese to the vs ee, “which has been described by Prof. Oliver as Eucommia ulmoides e bark is the only part used, and is much esteemed by the Chinese a drug, tonic and various other properties being assigned to it. It is described i in nearly all Chinese works on materia medica and tany, the earliest mention of it being given in the herbal of which the Emperor Shén-Nung is the reputed author, and which was pU iam to writing probably as early as the first century of our The tree is uai in small plantations in the mo regions of Szechwan, Hupeh, and Shensi ; and from these districts it is brou ught to Hankow, the ve mart for drugs that ar produced in the western prov From this port seme 100 tons are annually exported by preci to the other treaty e value of this export is put down in the Customs ports. Th returns at about £18,000; the price varies much from year to year and with the quu of the bark. 24 In the Customs List of Medicines mention is made of a small export, about 100 pounds annually, from Pakhei, and this is said to be produced in the province of Kwangsi. I was not fortunate enough to co u he tree in the wil state, but the natives report that it is occasionally to be met wit d in the woods on the great tain range that form the It was stated in the Kew Bulletin (1. c. p. 93) that ** Zucommia ulmoides promises to be hardy at Kew." As will be seen from the following note by Mr. W. J. Bean, the Assistant Curator, this expectation has been fully realised :— Eucommia ulmoides has been grown out of doors at Kew with- doubt but that the species will prove quite hardy in most parts of Great Britain. It is a vigorous, free-rooting plant and bears transplanting well. It wili, I believe, thrive in any soil of average quality, but seems io prefer a rich light loam. In such a soil at Kew, young trees Struck from cuttings five years ago are now 6 feet high and make shoots 2 feet to 2} feet long in one season. Tt can be propagated easily by means of cuttings, and with these two methods may be adopted. The quickest method is to take , : L 8 growth, about 6 inches long, in late ; ra cloche. cr hand-light. They will take root the following spring. This method is not so quick as the other, nor d the in height till a clean trunk of (say) 6 feet has been formed. — the plants are pruned they assume a more or less bushy orm. 25 IX.—COLORADO RUBBER. (Hymenoxys sp.) [K.B., 1906, pp. 218-219.] Early in 1994 a correspondent forwarded to Kew an extract from the Denver Post of 26th November, 1903, which gave a somewhat enthusiastic account of the discovery by a prospector in Colorado of a rubber-yielding plant. This was spoken of as occurring abundantly in the hills and mesas in the vicinity of Salida, the belt extending into the San Luis Valley, Gunniston eas and as far south as New Mexico. In June, 1905, . E. Naylor, of Bradford, presented to the Museum at Kew a Pa dn of the dried plant, together with samples of crude and manufactured rubber obtained from it. Mr. Naylor eM also communicated seeds of the plant Mr. T. D. A. Cockerell, to whom the Museum is also indebted for specimens of the plant and of its rubber, published an account the species in the Bulletin of the Colorado Museum for December, 1903. The plant, which is a Meis of the natural amily Compositae, i is there identified as Picradenia floribunda, utilis, which Mr. Cockerell considers to be part of the aggregate Actinella Richardsoni. Subsequently, in the Bulletin of the h indicated ud Picradenia may be considered a subgenus of Hymenoxys, Cass. If this view be correct the Colorado Rubber plant is therefore a species of Hymen dett In July, 1906, Mr. Naylor forwarded to Kew a further supply of material. Accompanying this was the following extract from the letter which Mr. Naylor had received with the specimens :— I s er i kept in a warm plac e will Deonue adit and sticky. The round piece is just as it rand from the plant; the flat piece is after its second trip through the machine, and in this form is shipped east to the refinery. The full size of the pieces as shipped is 10 to 15 - long and 18 inches wide. The root of the native plant yields ut 10 per cent. of rubber From the evidence em obtained there is hardly room for doubt ME this species of Hymenoxys yields a rubber-like product. This does Sok hea compare favourably with many of the lower grades of rubber already on the market. It is there- fore somewhat doubtful whether the expectations which haye been formed regarding it in some quarters will be realised. 26 X.—S0UDAN PRODUCTS. [K.B., 1899, pp. 198, 199.] Comparatively little is known at breed as to the available resources 0 e Soudan. The following preliminary account appears in the boari of Trade DE h or July of the presens year (pp. 30, 81) : — rubber creeper (Landolphia Jlorida) is found i usion If the rubber yielded by this creeper be of kon so pons a quality as that obtained from the Assam india-rubber tree (Ficus elastica), it is still of sufficient value to be counted as an im- portant asset in the future trade of the Soudan. This plant, which has large laurel-shaped leaves, and a white flower resem- bling a jasmine, requires several years to mature before yielding rubber in any quantity. The natives obtain what they require by tapping the stem, usually i in such a reckless manner that the creeper dies under the operation. ‘The Assam india-rubber tree annum that [^ introduction into the country is well worth attempting. XL—MADAGASCAR INDIA-RUBBER. [K.B., 1899, pp. 35-39.] Enquiries are frequently made about the ee ee plene e gres inel This island has long been kn rnish y of nido rubber to Glide. (See rau Bulletin," 1802. H 10 [p. 5].) Sammy hy " has been supposed e, About 1892 an immense yal adt of the rubber-trade dcn. place in Southern Madagascar. The following account is borr wed from the Zndia-rubber ‘and Gutta Percha and Electrical Trades Journal (Nov. 3, 1893, p. 107) :— The French Vice-Resident, writing from Nossi Vé (not to be eonfounded with Nossi Bé)— his report appearing in the Moniteur Officiel du Commerce of November 2nd—says :—* Caoutchouc has ei, a biarr caoutchouc fever has raged with erorien especially the natives. Everything has been neglected for the rich product, leading -to- great modifieations in wages, in the nt of workers, and in the prices of food and goods, &c. But the opoo of caoutchouc has been carried out with veritable vandalism ; the trees and shrubs producing it have been 27 savagely destroyed ; hence bed diminution in the yield, as well as in the quality, because the natives have mixed other substances with the caoutchouc to increase the size and weight of the balls." Some further cep dum which has attracted a good deal of attention appeared in a letter from Mr. Abraham Kingdon which appeared in the Standard of. Dee 22, 1896. I call your attention to the iHd oe cf St. Mary’s, the southernmost part of Madagascar, from which district an iene ous amount of india-rubber has been eai during the last few years. The india-rubber is procured from an almost leafless shrub with a large bulbous root. The ertet] that this shrub produced india.rubber was made by a “fluke.” p to the time of the discovery, — gaged had only been procured from Landolphia, ich grows freely in all the low-lying peris of Madagascar, keas of the arid district of St. Mary's. One day, however, a young native (who did not beliove that shat a-rubber could be procured from anything but the rA) brought two balls of india-rnbber to Mr. Marchal, of Fort Dauphin. He said, have brought you two balls of something which looks like india.rubber ; but I do not think it can be india-rubber, because it was not procured from the vahy mes ae but if you bin buy some of it I will bring it to you om boys playing with these balls. They were en from the jaie of a shrub, Which è coagulates as soon as it is gems to the air." t five dollars (one pound) per hundred Ibs., M archal aecepted t e rubber w ro in such large ee that Mr. Mar as very soon cleared out of goods rubber is now sold at Fort Dauphin at forty-five and fifty dollars per hundred lbs. Unfortunately the natives destroy the shrub in the operation of collecting the india-rubber ; for, in order to take the milk from the bulb, they root up the shrub. For the most recent information Kew is indebted to the follow- ing communication from the Foreign Office : FOREIGN OFFICE TO ROYAL GARDENS, KEW. SIR, Foreign Office, September 3, eh I AM directed by the Secretary of of State for Foreign Affairs transmit to you the accompanying copy of an article e d from the Dépéche pde tease respecting the Bey mi of India- rubber in Madagascar. The Director, .- ed cQ E H. VILLIERS. Royal Ghandi, Kow! ps E ORE SIC i 28 EXTRACT from the Dépéche Coloniale, August 28, 1898. The Exploitation of India-rubber in Madagascar. The localities favourable for the cultivation of india-rubber in Madagascar are numerous, especially on the coast and lower levels of the Island. es l properly studied. The best known rubber-trees are: the Hevea, Manihot, Castilloa, Landolphia, Willughbeia and Ficus. Besides the vines (Landolpha) and the Euphorbiaceae of the south, there exists a tree met with on the east side of the Island which the natives designate barabanja. This tree, which furnishes an abundant and much-prized latex, appears destined to pla an important role in the future. The o varieties, the one, the more important, with large leaves, the other with small leaves. They belong to the family of the Apocynaceae, tribe Alstonieae. incisions, and very often even cut down the tree in order to gather the latex The tree propagates itself readily from suckers, and it is to this that the present abundance of the tree is due. Very fine specimens are reported from the neighbourhood of Antalaha, Sahambava and Soavinandriana. The cultivation of india-rubber trees has already been tried in different parts of the Colony. The preference seems to have been given to plants of Hevea, from Para, which appears likely to give satisfactory results. With regard to the production of india-rubber, certain regions of Madagascar have been specially favoured. In the province of Fort Dauphin, for example, where an increasing production has been most observed, there were only 12 to 15 tons a year of rubber ` riant commercial movement towards this district ; the harvest has been collected more energetically, and this has resulted in the zone of the rubber production being reduced to a consider- able extent, For the last few months natives of the west of the province of Fort Dauphin have begun to bring a little rubber to the coast ; 29 but a European could not at present devote himself to — and systematically working the substance n: to the bad s of communication in the Fist of the co During the journey from the forest to Fort Dauphin, the caoutchouc carried on the back, in loads of 65 lbs., loses from the heat of the sun a certain part of its weight. At the present i on board the vessel in the Fort Dauphin Road. From Fort Dauphin Harbour alone there were exported in— 1896 ies ses .. 167,857 kilos. (369,985 lbs.) 1897 e: wwe wer 55222 —., (141,288 , ) the province of Majunga, the india-rubber is one of the artiola of export which occupy the largest place in the local A mer d = importance increases each day. The rubber at o ena comes from Morarano for the most part, from the bay o Mahaj . from Namakia, Soalala, Marambitsy, and especially Peme and Morondava. Generally the rubbers from the west coast are produced from “ vines,” which the natives incise without any care, cutting even the roots in order to obtain the largest amount of sap. The most sought after is the * pink rubber," but one also finds the * aetidddo. ” « godroa " and * vea." In the north uth, contrary, it is coagulated with salt only. The value er e ped in commerce is inferior to that of the north. Rubber prepared with sulphuric acid is worth at the moment from 350 fcs. to 360 per 100 hrs m lbs.) whilst other rubbers hardly fetch 300 fes. per 100 k ' There were exported— From Majunga, in 1896, 19,445 kilos. ; in 1897, 41,448 kilos. From Nossi Bé, in 1896, 11,340 kilos.; in 1897, 40,766 kilos. From Nossi Vé, in 1896, 122,313 kilos.; in 1897, 122,129 kilos. As soon as roads become more numerous in Madagascar, the colonists who wish to devote themselves to a rational cultivation and working of rubber will obtain good results; but they must act with judgment, "x not take from the plant more latex than it can reasonably produc The botanical ner of the Madagascar rubber-yielding en is obscure. It is much to be regretted that the French botani do not investigate it and clear it up. M. Henri — has devoted a chapter to the subject in his * Les Plantes Caoutchouc et à Gutta dans les Colonies iret tapas © pp. ^04 116 ipo pue Of the ** vines " he states that the valuable is the Vahy (Landolphia ne oe voci of the mites name are no doubt the Vahea and V. tioned above, It appears to yield “ pink rubber,” 30 Intisy isa small leafless Euphorbiaceous tree. It is certainly the shrub described by Mr. Kingdon. What he terms the “ large bulbous root" is probably the fleshy stem. Little appears to be known about the barabanja except that it is a tree of fifty feet in height. It Mcd be conjectured thai it is an undescribed Tabernaemontana The late M. Raoul sent to Kew a specimen of what he described as the “ best rubber-yielding plant in South Madagascar,” which appeared to M a new species of that genus, or possibly a Mascarenhasi ''he Godroa isa small tree, perhaps also Apocynaceous. XII.—-MADAGASCAR INDIA-RUBBER—(Contin ued). [K.B., 1900, p. 30.] anion? Perieri—The following information supplements that upon Madagascar Bete oct" in a recent number of the Bulletin (1899, pp. 35-39) [p. 26]. It is borrowed from three communications by M. Henri Jumelle, the first om m cs pagers es Sciences, Paris (Comptes-rendus, CXxix., pp. S91), t others to the Revue des Cultures Coloniales c 4 prn. 22d 154, 1 Landolphia Perieri is a rather ene liane of the forests in Madagascar lying between the watershed and the north-west coast. Its stem attains 6 inches in pereme but ngek sad the majority of stems met with are much smaller. The ves who apply the names of ‘ Piralahy' and * Vahealahy " to Es plant, make rubber from it by — these stems into lengths, collecting the latex which drips from the ends and coagulating it with lemon juice or with bruised 1 fruits of the tamarind. The latex is very thin and wa du so that a whole day's work EISE in but a little more t a poun rubber selling o spot at 63d.-9d. The paii return for tlie labour jv dil the collectors to forsake their occupation for gold-mining. M. Jumelle notes that better preparation would ensure a better 892, p. of reagents precipitate a pinky-white caoutchouc. These re- agents are notably acids—sulphuric, acetic, or een salts ; amongst the latter are common salt and Chili saltpetr It has not been customary for the Sakalavas to interfere bis the root; and after the stem has been cut to the soil a number shoots spring up w which in two to three years may possibly ^ ready to cut again 31 XIIL—WEST AFRICAN RUBBERS. [ K.B., 1889, pp. 63-66.] The information contained n the Schall correspondence and papers in respect to ane s Afric arere may be usefully perused in continuation of t medii pu ed in a recent number of the Kew Bulletin aan 1888, dE 253) [p. 141] :— FOREIGN OFFICE to ROYAL GARDENS, KEW. SIR, Foreign Office, 17th June, 1887. I AM directed by the Marquis of Salisbury to transmit to you herewith certain samples of india-rubber which have been obtained from a district under British protection to, the west of the Rio del Rey, by “es H. H. Johnston, British Vice-Consul at ue inlay be tested, and to report the result to this Department. I am, &c., (Signed) T. V. LISTER. W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, Esq., C.M.G., &c., Royal Gardens, Kew. Mr. S. W. SILVER, F.L.S., to ROYAL GARDENS, KEW. 3, York Gate, paper Park, N.W., DEAR SIR, 27th J 1887. REFERRING to mine of the 29th serum T Msn the pleasure io forward a copy of the report from our chemist at Rilveriown, with samples showing the results, and pe state that sample as a market value of ls. per lb.; No. 3 (dark), ls. 6d. ; a E (light), Is. 10d. and 2s. ; No. 5, about 2s. 3d. I am, &e., (Signed) S. W. SILVER. D. Morris, Esq., Royal Gardens, Kew. ; HaponT of ine INDIA-RUBBER, GUTTA PRORA, AND TELE- RAPH WORKS COMPANY, LIMITE Silvertown, 21st July, 1887. Description, éc.—Four samples ee Pertti ge bod received, No. 5. marked respectively No. 2, No. 3, No. 3 (dark), an e samples marked No. 3 have jn dealt s as duplicate sam of the same rubber. Sample No. 2 was black and sticky on the outside, due to oxidation ; the freshly-c urfaces w slate-grey colour. The rubber was a on-adhesive to the on e The samples marked No. 3 differed slightly in appear- e was much darker than the ot e er sample eéidently would be more prone to decay than the lighter sample, 32 s still laco samples are remarkably good for African rubber. g rubber. dene. if these samples are from the same plant, the difference in eolour of the tears must be due to the incision or puncture extending to different tissues. The light-coloured particles were very similar to good Ceara rubber. The freshly-cut surfaces of sample No. 5 were whitish in colour. It was very similar to the better specimen of No. 3, and as a raw article is quite equal to the best kinds of Brazilian rubber. On so small a sample, it would be difficult to say how it would behave in general manufacture. The ` behaviour of a diy men under manipulation is of primary import- ance in fixin commercial value. However, this specimen is far above the ros kinds of African rubber. rican vulcanized fairly well and free from éponginose. It would bardly be suitable for working by itself, but with firmer kinds of rubber it would mix well and yield a produet suitable for many low class manufactures. The two samples marked No. 3 lost 5°6 per cent. on washing and drying. The samples were mixed together and behaved very well in grinding and mixing. It v ulcanizes very well in being elastic, firm, and solid. In this stage it takes a dark colour, but is not offensive in smell. No. 5 sample gave a loss of 8 per cent. on washing and drying. It vuleanizes very well, although i in colour. Its smell is not offensive but stro Remarks.—As a rule the African rubbers give dark products on vulcanizing, and many of them have an offensive odour, here arises no doubt from the action of sulphur, in vulcanizing, o some aneri contained in the natural sap of the plant yioldind the rubber, Messrs. Taylor, Laughland and Company, of Glasgow, recently forwarded specimens of West African rubber with a letter of which the following is`an extract :— One s our agents in Old Calabar, West Africa, has collected and sent usa few samples which he is very anxious to get classified, and thinking that you would help us in this, we have sent to-day to your address per Globe Parcel Express, wii. paid, a parcel osed lis eontaining these samples as per encl He is anxious to get the natives deer cultivata the rubber vine cii make rubber more e has been up the country and finds the various and, secure the best plants, he has sent home specimens of the leaves of four common kinds of vines with the native names, and if you ean give us the scientific names we shall feel much obliged. He 33 sends also the rubber from them, but, as you will see, it is ver y badly made. Can you say which is the most valuable of these four vines ? Three of the four specimens sent were wholly inadequate for any determination. But one called Npok was identifiable as Landolphia owariensis, which is found from Sierra Leone to Angola and is no doubt the most important source of West African rubber, [See Kew Report for 1880, p. 38. An investigation into india-rubber milk received at Kew from the Ni iger delta i is described in the following correspondence :— 38, Elthiron Road, Fulham, S.W., DEAR pee 14th September, 1888. SEVERAL gentlemen to whom I have applied for information about indie ruber have recommended me to communicate wi you cw therefore venture to ask if you can help me, and trust explain myself fully, let me say that I have for some years been trading on the West Coast of red ga in the oil rivers (the deltas of the Na ger). For some time past we have been endeavouring to introduce and foster the india- e trade, and have been partially successful. There are quantities of rubber trees and vines, but the natives of these districts, having hitherto never cultivated the article, are quite ignorant of the mode of preparing the milk obtained from these trees and vines to convert it into a commercial form. We are quite certain that this matter will open a wide field of commerce to the benefit of the native, the trader, and the consumer, if we could learn the m treatment. What I wish to ask you is if you can inform me of the best mode of congealing the milk as it is obtained from the notice, I will most gladly furnish you with a larger sample for experimental or other purposes (Signed) JAMES S. COCKBURN. W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, gua Š Royal Gardens, Kew ROYAL GARDENS, KEW, to MR. JAMES COCKBURN. Royal Gardens, Kew, SIR, 2nd No vember, 1888. I BEG to forward herewith a copy of a report received from S. W. Silver, Esq., F.L.S., on the sample of rubber milk from the delta of the Niger which you recently forwarded to this establishment. 9. I regret to ron het this substance is not of a character likely to be of us merce, and the results of the experi- ments are such as ' preclude any hope of solving the gosten of coagulating the milk in a satisfactory manner on this si 25871 C 34 3. If we had specimens of the leaves, flowers, and fruit of the iree from which the milk was obtained, we might then be ina position to suggest a treatment that would afford satisfactory. results present we have no dei. pan n which to work, and the matter cannot be carried any furt. 4. We would suggest -m steps s Rie to procure specimen of tarb f flowers, and fruit of all rubber plants in the district i in which you are setae, and we enclose instructions for collecting and preparing such specimens, so that they might arrive in this country in a suitable state for examination. I am, &c., (Signed) D. MORRIS, J. Cockburn, Esq. [ Enclosure. ] EROR of the INDIA-RUBBER, GUTTA PERCHA, AND TELEGRAPH RKS COMPANY, on SPECIMEN of INDIA-RUBBER MILK ho WEST COAST OF AFRICA. Silvertown, October 26, 1888. eec ru: of the tin were strongly acid ; on pouring out the t was found that the tin contained a large quantity of nneady coagulated m, which could ae e remov cutting off the lid. The part coagulated was treated by itself. T det À cause a separation of coagulun ration. The portion which separated in this case bins "end T by itself. Both products were very sticky, and becam 8 the washing process was continued ; they tdiimately. aedes on unma nage- able for the subsequent stages of drying, &c.; the substance is quite unsuited for any ordinary india-rubber manufacture y destructive distillation it does not yield esiétclibusifs which is the principal characteristic of caoutchouc or india- rubber. The distillate more closely resembles in smell that of some principles, balsams, &c., which yield cinnamic acid leaving the same exposed in open vessels, and E what forms on the surface from time to time so as to increase the chance of further evaporation, &c. If it be intended to send these natural juices for examination, it will be best to add mmonia freely, so as to neutralise any acid which may be generated whilst in transit. The Resident DUM adds : “ i; o do not see our way to make = "3 this material We quite agree with your remarks to rris a8 to the chemical change in these juices that takes md betas they can arrive in this country.” 35 XIV.—MANGABEIRA RUBBER. (Hancornia speciosa, Gomez) [ K.B., 1899, pp. 185-190.] Kew Reports .— Hancornia speciosa.—Our attention having been drawn to this lant as a source of Mangabeira rubber, steps were taken to obtain, through correspondents, a supply of seeds. These we course : i Collins, Report on Caoutchouc, pp. 23, 24). The rubber appears be of good quality, and the tree has also the merit of producing in colour, speckled with red. The fruit, in fact, in Pernambuco, is more valued than the caoutchouc. I extract the following information from Consul Bonham’s lumps of rubber are then placed in the sun, after which it is sent to the market; from this defective mode of preparation a great loss of weight afterwards occurs, frequently as much as 40 to per cent. some say even more." (1880, pp. 47, 48.) A quantity of good seeds of this plant (Hancornia speciosa) were sent to Kew by Mr. C. Craven, of Pernambuco, and were distributed among the following Botanic Gardens :—Brisbane Calcutta, Ceylon, Demerara, Singapore, Java, and Jamaica. The seeds sown at Kew germinated freely, but owing to damp the The following detailed account of the plant, and of the rubber obtained from it, is translated from a paper by Professor O. rburg, in Der T'ropenflanzer, Zeitschrift für Tropische Land- wirthschaft, iii., p. 147 :— “ Mangabeira rubber is the product of Hancornia speciosa, a tree of the Natural Order Apocynaceae, found in those dry 25871 C2 36 regions of Pia Mesas lie = the south of the forests of the Amazon. It the so-called Campos cerrados, in the Provinces of Paridi Duo, Bahia, Gye Minas Geraes, Matto Grosso and São Paulo. In the Provinces of Bahia and Pernam- buco the rubber is chiefly obtained. The tree is abundant in the Provinces of Goyaz and Minas Geraes, and, according to Edwall,* e a places where it occurs are Serra Azul, Cravintras, Sao Simao, raraquara, Casa Branca, Riberao Preto. While it is probable that as a wild plant it pira the well-marked dry period of its native campo, it can be grown in a more moist climate to a less luxuriant extent. Towards the west it spreads through Matto Grosso to the boundaries of Peru Paraguay, at Jacuati, to the sóndi oit of Concepcion, Balansa has collected a plant which, if not the same, is a very all = the Gran Chaco, and in Para uay, an abundant t tree, known he Guarani as herr icé, and robably identical, yields an skoall caoutchouc which is collected in considerable quantity by a primitive method about Villa San Pedro. DESCRIPTION, The Mangabeira tree of the Brazilians attains the size of an apple tree, i.e., a height of 16 to 23 feet, but in the Province of Sáo Paulo fails at scarcely 12 feet. It bran ches freely, forming a crown, the breadth of which often considerably exceeds ee whole or long-elliptie pe, are contracted towards the rounded apex, 2-4 in. long and j-1j in. broad. The leaf-stalks are short—as a rule but 4 in. long. nervation the leaf is well marked; it has a straight midrib from which on either side Spring numerous veins parallel to one another, and sometimes forked to support ihe margin, close to which they end. The flowers are shortly stalked, about 1$ in. long, and grouped many as seven together, on the ends of the branches. The calyx is small, about +, in. long, gla nona or hairy, with five small, ovate, obtuse teeth. The corolla is 11-14 in. long, with a long, nen dee : : b e five stamens are insert n and enclosed within the ont ey and have lanceolate acute anthers. The style is filiform, long, and bears its x a two-lobed s e ovary is two-celled, with many ovules in each cell, of which but one cell and a few ovules mature in the ripening fruit. ge Edwall, “ Die Mangabeira,” in Deutsche Zeitung S. Paulo, No. 99, 31 J mbiu-catu, which means * goo eat.” A drink as well as a conserve is made from it CLIMATIC REQUIREMENTS. te grows from or even 4,000 to 5, feet above the sea is, according to Marval Irmaos, of Bahia, incorrect, the E RUE on which it occurs being but of 500 to 600 feet elevation. CULTIVATION. But little pesos information is to hand under this head. In most of the great gardens of Asia and the West Indies the tree Seems not t e grown, aitkonch in 1880 steps were taken by the Botanic Gardens of Kew to cultivate it. Seeds were Tenat ie and ps raised at Kew, but of the result we have no informatio At any oie, the tree needs no shade. Experiments are needed as to the best method of propagating it, which in the Province of Sao Paulo is done both by cuttings and from seed. YIELD. gy sor little is certain at present about the yield. When four ears old, or, according to other trustworthy authorities, when six years old, the tree e is mature enough to be tapped. This f incisions, by the use of a little moist 2a» a trough is made to district, celebrated for its coffee—as much as 11 lbs. of juice may _be obtain A colouring matter in the bark gives to the fresh "juice a delicate rose tint. : The latex from the little clay s troughs is then poured into larger vessels, and mixed with alum (Stauss' method). This produces coagulation in two or three gi Bie Two teaspoonsful drain The product thus prepared is in the form of large ken called biscuits ; it still contains much water, and belongs to "m of caoutchoucs known as moist rubbers. 38 Tt is obvious that the making of the rubber into thin “ sheets,’ instead of biscuits, is of adva vantage, for it gives facilities for : of pré r fou which will yield more nearly such a product as the trade desires ? TRADE. “Pernambuco biscuits” are large rectangular cakes of a reddish- brown colour outside, but bright rose-coloured inside, with a peculiar sweet scent, full of cavities containing a solution of alum, and usually with marks of its exudation on the surface. In the working up of the rubber, a loss, sometimes of as much as 40 to 60 per cent., occurs. The caoutchouc is but little elastic, hardens a nd for such rubber is small, and due chiefly to its pleasing colour ; and the price in consequence is but half that P. ecently, however, the price of Mangabeira rubber has advanced by reason n of the improvement in the purity, and on account of its great suitability, when pure, for certain ses. n consequence, the disparity between the price of the best sorts and that of Para rubber is much diminished. At the end of last year, a kilogramme (2 lbs. 3 ozs.) of the best Mangabeira rubber guard against adulteration by addition of iron or stones put in to make weight, pieces of rubber only 3-4 in. thick and 2 ft. long by 10 ins. broad, the so-called **sheets"' of commerce, are welcome in the trade. Of recent years, the exploitation of this source of rubber has a considerable extension. And, while the intelligent collectors, who start from Bahia and work toward the interior, have only tap mature trees, improvident a collectors, making their own profit out of the pressing demand of the time, have in many places mischiev vously drawn on the supply and threatened its continua The chief me je expen of Mangabeira rubber are Bahia and Pernambuco. A large supply is brought down the river Sao bene tre and "i pani and from this town, in 1889, 134 tons exported ; in 1899, 4 362 bales, to the value of £22, $26; and m 1893, 3,293 bales, to the value of £20,362. From Pernambuco were exported, in 1896, 54 tons, to the value of £1,800.* A small amount of caoutchouc from the Province of Matto Grosso (prob- ably —À rubber) is exported down the Parana through Paraguay, great quantities from Minas Geraes are shipped through Rio. de Sadiéiro. * Probably an error for £18,000. 39 in this business. In this Province, an idea of the importance of cultivating and protecting the tree is arising. Many coffee-planters are turning their attention to the sowing of Hancornia, and seed is already u S that the Mangabeira tree shall be protected, and its cultivation extended, as is advisable. This decree, in brief, runs as follows : — Article 1. $i. A premium of 25 contos of reis (25,000 milreis, distance of 60 kilometres (37 miles) of a railway, he has planted and cultivated, for two years at least, the greatest gabeira trees, preserving between the trees enough room for their free development. $ii. A premium of 15 contos (nearly £470) to him who shall have planted the second greatest number. all the conditions of the first paragraph, excepting the requirement with regard to the distance from a railway §iv. A premium of 25 contos to him who, within the same space of time, and within the prescribed 60 kilometres of a railway, shall have cultivated, for two years at least, the greatest number of Mangabeira trees, provided that at the same time he shall have enclosed the ground, and removed all other trees. $v. A premium of 15 contos to whoever shall have cultivated, etc., the second greatest amount. $vi. A premium of 15 contos to whoever shall have fulfilled all the conditions of the fourth paragraph, except the requirement with regard to the distance from a railway. §vii, A premium of 10 contos (about £313) to whoever shall prove that within the same lapse of time he shall 40 have acclimatised in a manner profitable from the agricultural ccn any other species of rubber tree, e.g., Manihot Glazio Article 2. A premium of 45 contos of reis to whoever shall show that within the same time he has devised the best method of extracting the latex. Although but little is known so far of the cultivation of M ; ^ under the rough treatment of the Indians it preserves its fruit- fulness, and also the facility with which it can be cultivated, promise a future. And, taking a wide view of its possi bilities, rman Colonies of — a, Usambara and Togoland alike, such, for instance, as occur at Misahóhe, in the latter colony. For these soils it promises to be considerably a suited than the Ceara rubber plant (Manihot Glaziovit), and the Para rubbers (Hevea), and will probably give better tnia I sc gati than which it is more hardy, earlier maturing, and smal XV.—FORSTERONIA RUBBER. (Forsteronia gracilis, Benth.) [ K.B., 1888, pp. 69-71.] The flora of British Guiana is in course of being. carefully and Brain investigated by Mr. Jenman, the Government Botanist and Superintendent of the Botanic Garden at George- itic: i ied on a s Kew, where typical specimens are added to the collections of Guiana plants already existing in this establishment. Among the plants for which we are indebted to the zeal and sagacity of Mr. Jenman there are many of economic value. Recently we received from him dried botanical specimens and sample of rubber from a plant locally called Macwarrieballi, not hitherto known to yield utcho tanical examination of t e specimen by Professor Oliver proved that this plant was a species of Forsteronia (F. gracilis, Benth.), a genus of Apocynaceae. This family is twining plant, the stem of which trails on the floor of the forest, snake-like, and the head spreads over the tops of the highest trees ed " He continues: “the flowers are not quite out. I send so a ‘sample of the rubber, which, if you could obtain a report ang I should be greatly obliged. It is discoloured from the creek water in which it was washed, the only kind of water that was ML 41 ` Through the kindness of Mr. S. W. Silver, F.L.S.; to whose good offices in connection with e investigation of te caia Arroa of rubber this establishment is greatly indebted, we have been Sarana by the India-rubber, Gutta-percha, and Telegraph W mpany, Limited, of Silvertown, with an interesting repari ind 20th January, 1888, upon the properties of this new of rubber from British Guiana. We are informed that the sabéis ossessed “so many rapa i properties, that it would i a ity could be pl: i be well to ascertain whether a larger quantity l ed in our hand her experiment he present quantity is far to small to enable anyone to say whether it would be practic- aare B . “We note.the remark as to its being ‘discoloured by being washed in peaty water'; this treatment has in no way interfered with our being able to report bsc it. One i of it is coated with a brownish substance of a resinous character, and is ev idenuy produced either b ee > the rn itself, contained in this substance, or from some other * The substance, as it is, cannot $ worked E all with the present india-rubber appliances ; this is due to its adhesiveness. This introduces the serious difficulty of rem Bie orai rom it by any ordinary process of drying, which i is prid A with Hadisu Bie oval of the resin, the caoutchouc is recovered in a soft sticky condition, quite unfit for manipulating as india-rubber * When a substance of such promise is sent for examination, it is not only important that a larger dese d should be ststinblo, Sk t for req vegetable product by accident, from being able to fall back upon it, as it were, as opportunity presents itself.” So far, there appear good grounds for abe that if the plant from which the rubber was extracted exists in any quantity in the interior of Demerara, the collection of the rabber would bo, a very prominin 9 commercial under n with this inbisek it may be useful to d th In tio Him r^ "ihe fact that another species of Forsteronia Qe. Jloribu called in Jamaica milk-wythe or green-wythe, has long been ion to yield caoutchouc. In the Report of the Director of the Botanical Department, Jamaica, 1883, p. 17, it is stated that, *an indigenous plant, known as the ‘green withe' of Jamaica, yields excellent rubber, a specimen of which was sent to me by the Rev. E. Bassett Key. “This plant, probably a species of Echites [Forsteronia] is found only in the interior woods of Manchester and St. Elizabeth, and, so far, I have been unable to obtain specimens in flower or fruit." In the Report for the year 1884, pp. 46-47, it is further stated that the * —— plant, known as the * milk-withe,'" pat tg in the mounta of Manchester and St. a an excellent werd 42 * A specimen of what I believe to be the same rubber presented some dad age to the Museum of the Pharmacentical Society of Great Bri by Mr. John Sawyers, of Derry, in parish of Manche “The plant peng this rubber has now (thanks to further specimens sent to me by Mr. Te Sey been determined at Kew as Forsteronia floribunda, G. D XVI.-JAMAICA INDIA-RUBBER. (Forsteronia floribunda, G. Don.) [K.B., 1888, pp. 292-294.] MET attention has been py in the Kew Bulletin to more than one direction in which it may be hoped to enlarge our Mi ue of india-rubber, and correspondents of ihis establishment, at home and abroad, have suggested improved methods of tapping the trees and coagulating the milk, so as to produce the best qualities of commercial rubber. The principal papers on ihai subjects are: Nicaragua, or Central American rubber (Castilloa elastica), Kew uui December, 1887, 13 [p. : cuni mim or Dem rubber (Forsteronia gracilis), March, 1888, 69 [p. 40]; "ind Lagos rubber (Ficus Vogelit), November, 1858. p. 253 [p. 141]. To these may now be added a ciem note on a new rubber plant, native of Jamaica, which has already been referred to in the Kew Bulletin for March 'of the Loans year (pp. 70, 71) [p. 41] as Forsteronia floribunda cenam s Flora, British West Indian pears Jamaica, and is found as a pinea shrub in the mountain woods of the interior in the parishes of Sireen and St. Elizabeth. It is closely allied to the Demerara rubber plant already men- tioned, but the caoutchouc, judging by the results of experiments made by the India-rubber and Gutta-percha Company of Silver- town, appears to lend itself more readily to the requirement of manu Attention was first drawn to the Jamaica rubber plant in the Report of the Die of the Botanical Department, 1883, p. 17, and again in the Report for the year SE pp. 46, 47, from which the above particulars have been taken ROYAL GARDENS, KEW, to COLONIAL OFFICE. Royal Gardens, Kew SIR, 26th queue 1888. I HAVE the honour to forward herewith the ac ing papers relating to an important india-rubber plant (Forsteronia oribunda, G. Don), native of Tapion, which has been in course of investigation by this establishmen 2. The inquiry in regard to this si was first taken u time ago, but recently at the request of Kew, the Rev. E. Bassett 43 Key, who throughout has taken a warm interest in the subject, forwarded here a bottle of latex for the purpose of determining the commercial value of the rubber. 3. The report of the India-rubber, Gutta-percha, and Telegraph Company of Silvertown, obtained through S. W. Silver, Esq., .L.S., proves that this native rubber of Jamaica is of high in- dustrial value, and it might give rise to an important local industry if it were found possible to increase the plant by cultivation and to pursue the subject in á systematic manner. n this latter point the Government of Jamaica will, no doubt, consult Mr. Fawcett, Director of the Botanical Department. 5. The supply of india-rubber as a forest product is destined to fall far short of the supply, and under these circumstances the of information as regards a native rubber plant which stands so high in intrinsic value. Various samples of commercial rubber manufactured from the Jamaica plant are enclosed. I am, &c., Edward Wingfield, Esq., (Signed) D. MORRIS. Colonial Office. [Enclosure. ] INDIA-RUBBER, GUTTA-PERCHA, AND TELEGRAPH WORKS COMPANY to ROYAL GARDENS, KEW. Silvertown, London, E., 17th October, 1888. . The sample received with letter from Kew, dated 12th Septem- ber, 1888, consisted of a lactescent juice partially coagulated, with a strongly acid reaction. Fortunately it was contained in a stout glass bottle, about 10 ounces capacity. The portion which had coagulated in the bottle could be removed only by fracturing the same. It was rinsed out so as to free it from adherent non-solidified milk, &c., and treated subsequently by itself. It will be referred to hereafter as A. The non-coagulated portion was mixed with about twice its volume of water, with about an ounce (fluid measure) ordinary acetic acid, British Pharmacopoeia strength, &c. After a few days’ exposure the coagulum rose to the surface in a fairly coherent form, and was collected and squeezed. This portion will be referred to hereafter as B. The residual liquid was evaporated to complete dryness (and yielded less than half-ounce of solid, princi or sap of the tree; the aqueous portion evaporates during the “process of coagulation. It is doubtful whether the juice of the Forsteronia floribunda could with advantage be treated in this 44 way. The juices of india-rubber producing plants are saem or neutral, never acid. By a process of fermentation w savutehous as it was coagulated idunt rds any artificial means; The dirae recently given by tes iar Millson for the recovery of caoutchoue from the “Abba” tree, is admirably adapted for the treatment of the juice of the Forsteronia flori- bunda. The rubber from this plant is so remarkably good that no time should be lost in submitting samples prepared on the spot. The rubber cannot = Ey deteriorated by any process likely to be used in its recovery. There is no deat but that the Ciis of the natural juice of a plant will, in most cases, enable one to point out what pre- cautions should be taken to emm the best result; still, the fact must not be loss sight of that such an examination might lead one to suggest methods difficult of being carried out under surrounding circumstance The juice of the MAD Jloribunda aen greene one pound. of dry and washed caoutchouc, or about 22 o s of ordinary crude caoutchouc as DaN met with, per qu de A.—About 23 ounces of this product was recovered, the weight being that of the washed and dried article. In "colour and t perfectly, in _being solid, firm, and strong. It is a light colour when vulcanized. B.—A bout 13 ounce of this produci was recovered when washed and dried. It was much darker in colour than sample marked A. "This remark applies "Hie to the washed product, but it is not nearly so tough as A. XVIL—NEW RUBBER INDUSTRY IN LAGOS. ; (Kickxia africana, Benth.) [K.B., 1895, pp. 241-247.] n the Kew Bulletin, E de ig 1 i» eee pe is an aei of rubber extrac t Lag tree (Ficus durar Miq.). A Pete ean is sarc my in 2 Bulletin, Me pe. pe at Ep [p. 150]. This rubber, although promising, e itse i n devoted to other sources of supply. „In West Africa it is well kno reial rubb 45 Landolphia, consisting of climbing shrubs, with stems 4 to 6 inches in diameter dividing above into numerous branches, and m an m plants, a very importan bber industry was started at the A industry in La d suggesting “the adoption of meas having for their object the addition of one more to the industries of the colony." The result of this was not immediate t. : ly apparen But in 1894 the present Governor of Lagos, Sir Gilbert T. Carter, K.C.M.G., issued the following notice, as appears from the Report TA te Botanic Station for the quarter ending the 30th June, Following this came the announcement that a new rubber-yield- ing plant had been discovered in the colony of Lagos, and that it was a large tree abundantly distributed in the interior forests. In the report on the Botanic Station at Lagos for the quarter ending 3lst December, 1894, the Curator states: The rubber industry of the colony is rapidly extending. Large quantities are be submitted to the authorities at Kew for a report. The native name of the tree is “Ire,” Mr. Millen adds, “It may prove very valuable to the colony.” In April 1895, Captain Denton, C.M.G., the Acting-Governor, communicated some specimens to Kew with the following emarks :— a valuable article of export, and there appears to be every chance of the quantity produced increasing. I obtained these specimens m the district between Ilogbero and llaso, where I saw the pro- cess of procuring the juice from the tree in course of progress. The Irai tree, at the base, is between 3 and 4 feet in cireumference 46 and is some 30 to 40 feet high. The natives score the bark to a depth of five-eighths of an inch, and the men, who have had experi- ence of the work in other places, contend that the tree can be tapped again with good results in about 18 months’ time. If this is so, we have started what is likely to prove a valuable industry." So far it had not been possible to iden ntify this ten rubber- yielding tree. The specimens hitherto received at Kew were imperfect, and i E some cases even consisted of saris of totally different "plant The next contribution received was from Mr. Jonathan C. . Olubi, F.R.G.S., who forwarded excellent speci- mens of the tree and samples of "the Il accompanying them with the folowing interesting letter : Mamu Forest Station, Ibadan District, DEAR eun, Lagos, May 3, 1895. For identification, improvement on, and advice about the rubber tree discovered in this forest not quite a year ago by the energy of Governor Carter, I now send you the following parcels. I have seen many fore rubber trees and vines in the Botanic Station at Lagos, such as the Kosa rubber, Para rubber, and the Ficus elastica, but not this particular tree that I am going to describe. It was first discovered in Accra about the year 1883, and from its foni dà teu Europeans and natives have made their fortunes. The native name of this rubber tree is Ire, Ireh, or The Ire tree is one of the most beautiful trees in the forest. From the ground it grows evenly in bulk and smoothly to the height of 60 to 70 feet. The average thickness of the tree is 12 to 14 inches in diameter. In the rainy season, when the trees are full of milk, a tree well tapped is — of producing from to 15 lbs. of rubber, which i is worth about 1s. per lb. here if pro- perly prepared, and 2s. ld. to 2s. 4d. in English markets if made into "placult. resent method by which the milk is extracted is shown on or direct me to where I can get a sample? There are many ways in which the milk is prepared : first by cutting a coffin-like hole in the trunk of a tree and throwing in milk daily until it is full, then the milk is well covered, airtight if possible, and within a month it is quite solid. Of course e in “he rainy season it ma e two months erste it is solid. This is known as the silk rubber. The one oe and cooked in water and whose _ appearance a causes it to get black pry some days of exposure) is known as the first quality rubber. The rubber cooked as ed ‘aid thickened by heat directly in the pot obtains bogie prices. Can one improve on these methods? I know of one method, but it is difficult to follow, for one cannot get the fresh milk. The custom is to pur- chase already cooked milk. The preparation I speak of is to allow the milk to remain in cold water (about double the = ine of the milk) for twenty-four hours, then the milk is then and put in a bag, which Ehe qp-for 47 perfect draining or the bag put in a box with so many holes for the water to escape. This fetches a good, and, I dare say, the best value; but unless one can command his own forest the fresh milk is hard to get. The sample of rubber sent is of the general pre- paration cooked as brought from the tree. If Sosire pia I shall me appropriate for the tree and any improvement on the e ration of the rubber, also for paret the same, I shall thank you very much. I remain, &c., The Dire (Signed) J. C. OLUBI. Royal € Gardens, Kew. THE RUBBER PLANT. e specimens sent by Mr. Olubi led to the identification of the new rubber plant as Kickxia ne Benth. Of this plant we had very little previous information In May 1888, a sample of seeds area * India-rubber seeds ” from Winnebah, Gold Coast, West Africa, was forwarded to Kew by Messrs. J. Bowden & Co., Liverpool. The seeds were stated to be worth 72s. per lb. There was, however, no further reference made to the plant yielding them as a source of India-rubber. The seeds were determined as those of Kickxia africana, Benth., a tree of the order Apoc. eae, kn ca, from Sierra Leone to the delta of the Niger, and in the island of Fernando Po. As the seeds were then i mm 8 a substi- erc tute for Strophanthus seeds, it was inferred that the high price they fetched was due to this and not to their value as a means of propagating India-rubber plants. In fact, it seems that they were never suspected to have any other importance than that they lent em ron Mr. LUE 8 letter quoted above it von s appear that the ew arl 1583 a rubber tree, and this evidently accounts for the sample of pir? sent by Messrs Bowden . to Kew, in 1888, being called India-rubber seeds, rue vernacular name of the tree is spelt Ire, Iré, Irai, Ireh, and A similar nam re” occurs in Numer s List of Timbers in | Forestry y of West Pede . 207, No. 6. It is there applied to a tree 25-33 feet high and f feet in Em, but no further Dilar are given. The description of Kickxia africana a up by Bentham for Hooker’s Icones Plantarum (t. 1276) was based upon rather scanty Z Notes on false Strophanthus seed, in Pharm. Journ. Vol, XVII. (1887) 903, t New Commercial Plants and Drugs (1887), No. 10, p. 11, ane fig. 7 on p. 10. + Kickxia and Stro thus, in Z. öst. Apoth. 1887, Nos. 20, nde iere la matiére vélo par ia fail des Apoeynées (50) « PP. . 48 material. Dr.:Stapf who is engaged in the elaboration of the Apocynaceae for the Flora of Tropical Africa, has therefore pre- pared a more complete description from the fuller material now availa ble. Kickxia africana, Benth. in Hook. Ic. plant. t, 1976. dpt large trlsbfous tree, 50-60 feet high with terete branchlets which turn black in drying. Leaves 4-9 in. sone 15-3 in. bro: and m amana iarr being overtopped by a branch from the axil of one of the uppermost leaves; peduncle short, to 3 lin. long ; in. | 1i lin. long, 9-partite, segments ovate, with several glands at the rolla salver-shaped, Im tube fleshy, constricted at or just balan the middle, 3 lin. long; lobes 5-6 lin. long, oblong, height. Ovary of 2 free minutely hairy carpels; style filiform ; stigma capitate, slightly ieved. "oontrioted into a broad, conical apex ; bes pendulous, numerous in each cell. Follicles about 4-6 i Spreading, thick, spindle-shaped, with two sharp longitudinal ridges, w woody. “Seeds 6-7 lin. Miis taa compre , With a long basal awn Saeed towards the base of the folliele), and a fine point on the other t the e, otherwise covered with long scent silky hairs; , cotyledons contortuplicate and much longer than the superior di The laticiferous vessels are found in great numbers in the inner within a zone of hardened tissue and accompanied by cells oe crystals. In September last Kew received heat Captain Denton, C.M.G., two pieces of the trunk of the Lagos rubber tree each about ` 10 inches to a foot in diameter, scored with the marks of the rubber under rers. These will be placed in the Kew museums. The re sent as the “female” rubber tree,a name we learn that is applied ub to the Kickxia africana, Benth. It is thus distinguis rom Holarrhena africana, quite a different -— . which is fancifully called the “male” rubber tree. The latter a Rubiaceous plant not known to yield any rubber. 49 As showing the remarkable igs dime which has taken place in the rubber industry at Lagos during the last six months, ihe Acting Governor has lemihed: Kew with the following particulars ;— RETURN of RUBBER exported from LaGos qu the half year ended June 30, 1895 Month. Weight, Value. lbs. January ... e v i 1,131 1,213 10 3 February ... aa é ive ` 15,888 777 0 h »" $ . ^ 26,316 1,419 7 April vx Enea 39,763 2,078 16 6 Meo ao, >i SN E: 216,916 11700 0 une é ee . sis 268,619 12 577 2 6 ToO Loc e E Peace 588,033 29,765 18 5 E. A. LOVELL, Collector of Customs, July 12, 1895. EXTRACTING THE RUBBER. . The following information respect ing the ae of tapping the Ire trees and preparing the rubber is taken from the Report of the Botanic Station at Lagos for the quarter ended Sat March, 1895. This Report was prepared during the absence of Mr. Millen on mi - Mr. F. G. R. Leigh, the acting-curator. apping the trees the bark is first cut in a vertical direction ros ths bottom to the top. This single line is about } to $ of an inch broad, and deep enough to reach the inner dir “This forms the main groove. On each side of this, tw series of oblique grooves, about two feet apart, are cut, each running i into the main groove. The side grooves are made, beginning at the top and gradually scathing the -— E the tree. All the milk exuding from the lateral grooves l find its way into the main groove, riis a e ultimately reach d bottom, where a vessel is placed to ve it, When eet DUK ‘has accumulated it is then collecsia and made into r The methods OX a coagulating the milk are then described. These are at present of two kinds, viz., “the cold rocess" and “the heat process.” The cold process is chiefly e Gold Coas k of. n o form a -— of the vice €— for holding the milk collected After being kneaded and pressed together, the ribi thus obtained has a dark brownish colour, with the inner portions of a bis oat lighter colour. Such rubber is known locally as “silk 25781 D ^80 The local price is-from. 102. to 1s. 2d: per pound: -c The heat poules is the one generally adopted by the natives T Lagos. This is much: simpler in working, asit disposes of all the milk Selected, at the vid of each day. After being "x the milk is placed in a vessel and boi led. The rubber be — and ot ab satel colour. The local 1 price of this rubber is ~ t6 Is. though simpler, impairs the quility of. the rubber, and is caleu- lated to injure the industry. It is probable that if bs heat roces were somewhat modified ihe results be lat ee without. being sticky. A-sample of this received at Kew was reported upon by Messrs. Hecht, Bet and a Ea n: It the coe m referred to below as No. 2... Messrs. HECHT, LEVIS, and KAHN to ROYAL GARDENS, KEW. : 21, Mincing Lane, London, E.C., DEAR SIR, ue September 13, 1895. WE have your yesterday” 8 lines, and also two samples of Lagos rubber. We have had, both in Liverpool and in Hamburg, for the last six months, large imports of rubber from Lagos, Nn. this deseri ip- tion seems to have been favourably received by consumers. - You r sample No. 2 is of very fine quality, and Sie be worth, if sent in the.same clean and dry condition, from 2s. 3d. to 2s, 4d. per lb.. Your sample No. 3 is also good, but less close in texture and much damper, hick seriously detracts from its value. Still, the rubber is cleaner than the average arrivals from Lagos, and ay's value would be about 1s. 5d. to 1s. 6d. per lb. From what we hear the production of rubber in Lagos is likely to inerease largely, and we only hope that the producers wi ilt keep the rubber as clean and free from impurities as possible. _ Always at your service, Dis rs We remain, ds. | : (Signed) HECHT, LEVIS, & KAHN. m os Jackson, Esq. Royal Gardena! Kew. history of this new rubber industry in Lagos is full of interest, and illustrates the wonderfully rich resources of the vast ts Afri t shows also very clearly how largely ese resources can be Be cloned hy judicious and intelligent action on the part of the Gove Should the new Kickria Bb cum ser ut of commereial value. there: is no doubt that it will eventually be possible to establish regular :plantations, and thus make the industry-a permanent one, It has always been seen that owing to the climbing habit of the a H PES p 51 ronde of EAS S AEA Man have hitherto MEM iion rubber, it was not practicable to cultivate them in regular planta- tions as they required the support of other plants, and when once side: many years would have to elapse before they would be fit to yield another crop. With the Kickxia these Dude difficulties disappear The important position now occupied by the rubber industry in British Possessions in West Africa may be gathered from the following table compiled from the ‘Supplement to the India Rubber Journal of August 12, 1895 :— RETURN of Raw CAOUTCHOUC received in the UNITED KING- DOM from BRITISH WEST AFRICA, including the GOLD Coast and LAGOS. Year. Weight. Value, etie Tm — ¥ Cwts. £ og mes tO eG E 33,876 297,453 175 1891.. as bes wai 48,164 408,646 169 1892 41,967 357,133 170 1893 54,357 452,799 166 1894 aoe tee E 47,4 393,990 166 . Total .. ...] gap ago 1,910,021 169 XVIIL—NEW RUBBER INDUSTRY IN LAGOS— (Continued). ; (Kickxia africana, Benth.) [ K.B., 1896, pp. 76, 77.] ' The rubber industry at Lagos of which an account was give ni the Kew Bulletin, 1895, pp. 241-247 ym a plate) [p. 44]; affords one of the most remarkable instances 0 rapid development of an rd at & Tagas ita the asit two or three ow. It was found to de new At the present hë Kickxia rubber from sues has established itself as a commercial article in great demand. -Fhe exports in January 1895 were 21,131 Ibs. of the vidas of 1,2147. This was practically the beginning of the industry. In December 1895 the ts had increased to 948,000 Ibs. of the value of 51,4887. 9s. 4d. Es a recent return, communicated to piis by the Government Lagos, the total exports during the year 1895 amounted to 5 ,069,504 Ibs. (2, 263 tons) of tej value of 969, 8927. 13s. 10d. This ‘considerable industry has therefore been called into existence native labour. The success of the industry is another indication 25781 D2 52 of the undeveloped resources of our West African Colonies. It is only a few years ago that a somewhat similar though more gradual, rubber industry was ca called into existence at the Gold Coast. The u 1889 “0. pe 110, 1890): e Althou gh the youngest of our industries, the preparation “of india-rubber is now only second in importance to that of palm-oil. Attention was ‘first t drawn to this valuable product by Sir Alfred Moloney (now Governor of Lagos) when dministering the government of the Gold Coast Colony in 1882, n gpl to the local press. The first practical experiments were y Cc. d e quickly followed by others, and the undertaking proving remunerative, the collection of 'rübber began in every part of the colony. The q peg’ now pr roduced annually ranges from 30, po. to 40, 0001. in value. During the year mom the Gold Coast exported rubber to the Een of 3,395,990 Ibs., and of the value of 218,1627. The following details respecting the exports of Lagos rubber have been received from the Government of the Colony :— Colonial Secretary's Office, Lagos, January 13, 1896. DEAR THISELTON-DYER, I ENCLOSE a return showing the export of rubber during 1895. Tremendous, is it not ? It seems to be the general opinion that there will be a considerable falling off this year, but I question if anyone can speak with any degree of certainty on this point. We have had a good year on the whole ; revenue, 142,0007., the largest on record. Believe me, &oc., (Signed) GEORGE C. DENTON. EXPORT of RUBBER from the Colony of LAGos from Ist January to 31st December, 1895. Month. Weight in lbs, Value. UATY oes oon . ove 21,131 1,218.10. 3 February — RR 15,888 T 1 i 5 uu Mir E 26,316 1419 7 AmHE C cuu ; x 39,763 2,078 16 6 Ma; we Le it 216,916 11,7 T IU e Pup ar 268,619 12,577 6 a 5 461,765 22,593 13 3 ust... . : i 354,990 19,951 18 3 September ; : i 673,160 36,172 19 9 OdsbM io io 1,059,158 57,117 1.10 November ae nae = ud 983,394 52,802 13 0 ae ee 948,404 51,488 9 4 Total wi e 5,069,504 269,892 13 10 E. A, LOVELL, Collector of Customs. 53 XIX.—RUBBER IN LAGOS. [ K.B., 1897, pp. 414, 415.] The following extract taken from the Annual Report for 1895 n the Colony of Lagos, West Africa (Colonial Reports, Annual, No. 185, 1896), contains interesting information respecting the progress of the rubber industry lately developed in that dependency. The rubber industry was discussed in these pages two years ago (K.B. 1895, pp. 241-247 with plate ; and 1896, pp. 76-77) [pp. 44, 51 ]. * By far the most important factor is the extraordinary develop- ment of the rubber industry, the statistics of which are almost ineredible. On the Gold Coast we are told that the export of rubber, which in 1882 was nil, had attained in 1893 to the annual value of £200,000. Lagos, in n 1894, shipped 5, iba lbs. of rubber to Great Britain, Li 144 lbs. to Germany, in all 5,867 Ibs., of the value of £324 6s. 4d. In 1895 these pii rs ‘to no less than 5,069,576 Ibs., "T a total sterling Salus of £26 * So far back as 1882, Sir Alfred akg a a M.G., to whom is due the credit of starting the industry mn the Gold Coast, had suggested the possibility of a similar industry in Lagos, but it was not until 1894 that any progress became apparent. In that year the Governor of Lagos, Sir Gilbert Carter, K.C.M.G., issued the following notice :—- ** His Excellency the Governor desires to notify to the mer- cantile community of Lagos that he has been able to induce a f natives from the Gold Coast, experienc r collecting, to come to Lagos, with a vi the development of this valuable and important industry. Th hav eady inspected certain epis which they report to be rich in rubber- producing plants, and it is confidently hoped that Lagos will Shortly be able to compete with the sister Colony of the Gold Coast in the great export of the product,’ “This confident hope was quickly justified. Merchants took up the idea with enthusiasm. With startling suddenness the easy-going native awoke to the fact that wealth abounded in the forests round him, and ley for the first time that in sitting under his own fig tree had been unconsciously reposing in the shade of the family ban k. * There is, unhappily, reason to fear that the usual result may follow this sudden discovery. Already there seem to be mm ica for the belief that, in so far as the term ‘rubber industry ' implie the — growth and cultivation of the plant for profit, it conveys a false impression of the methods in vogue in the interior. * Judieious tapping with due regard to the life of the pee, pas its future usefulness, is psu exception ; rubber-bearing t ruthlessly sacrificed by irresponsible seekers after M s dead trunks are Faime a too familiar feature in the landscape of the productive districts. Sooner or later a purely destructive policy of this kind must exhaust the richest d ; adventurers will have to stray further afield, and the cost of transport equal or exceed the value of the artic le. M XX.-LAGOS RUBBER INDUSTRY. I[K.B., 1899, pp. 29-35:] - In the Kew pian for 1895 (pp. PH na Lo. on an account. is given of the important commerce w had resulted in Lagos from the Ta paelan of rubber from PR Ire tree (Kickxia africana). It is, AE er, to be feared hes this slant of wealth to the Colony will be short-lived, owing to the reckless way in ‘bi ie the Phong trees had been asianet by the rubber. collec } reports given in the following correspondence depict a state ot things which, unless arrested by some remedial measures, can only lead to the extinction of the industry. These reports are highly creditable to the eae young Africans, Messrs. Leigh and awodu, by whom they we e drawn up. As stated in the Kew Bulletin. (1893, p. 365) they ie had the advantage of raining in the Botanical Department of Jamaica and subsequently at The Ire tree, or, as it is locally called, ae a female Ire - is Kickria africana. an Apocynaceous tree. The “male Ire appears to. be Holarrhena africana, as XoocihaesguA Im Kew Bulletin for 1895-(p. 245) it is described by an oversight A eiee It yields rubber oil apparently of little Copt merpial ps Ficus referred to in ihe reports is probably Ficus Vogelii, discussed in the Kew Bulletin for 1888 (pp. 253-261) [p. 141] and 1890 (pp. pss 2 [p. 150], the saps of fe: from which appears ave met with little su It s first indicated asa DW p rubber in the Kew Rant for 1878, E ks Govanion McCALLUM TO MR. CHAMBERLAIN. Government Hou P Lag gos, 24 June, 1897. . SIR, despatch * Interior," dated 9th February, 1897, E enu 5 and o Biadh Denton referred to the wholesale destruction of rubber in the Hinterland, and the consequent injury to a n ^ ha that the destruction is very widespread, porie to the Ekiti- arapo Confederacy as well to Ibadah and Je l also enclose return for the last six bith from the Acting Collector . of Customs, showing that there is a falling off in export of rubber amounting to 33 per cent. compared with 1896. A 3. This falling off is serious, for—ceteris paribus—it means a rresponding diminution. of Meet and therefore of revenue. H à 55 T do not, however, anticipate any serious reduction of revenue, ‘for, from other causes, the total amount which has been collected for five months is not below that estimated. -~ 4, I, moreover, entertain hopes that the present visit, for the first time in history, of kings and chiefs of the Hi nterland, with their numerous followers, will be of the greatest benefit to ‘the Colony, and be the means of securing a marked increase of trade with the interior, 5. It is important, however, to take steps Wolo will protect thè forests from being ruthlessly destroyed, and which will allow young rubber trees Mean us before EM A tapped by irrespon- t à * ae $% 5 E e also to organize some system by whi ch the native chiefs will exercise more control over the collectors, Es this I can scarcely do until [ visit the country myself, and see what promises to be the best means of securing permanence of supply. 8. In the meanwhile, I have thought it desirable to give you some idea as to how the question stands, for you will probably, have its importance representel to you by the merchants Liverpool and Manchester, who will suffer from the falling. off in the supply of rubber which has taken place during the current, year. "o Eh 9. Had the collection been entrusted to the chiefs of -Yoruba and their men, it is probable that our controlling influence would f de have checked the destruction whic aken place, but Fantees Gold Coast have not had permanency of supply in their minds when they have destroyed trees in all directions, and imperilled the constant supply of a material for which there is now go much demand. ( (Miphed) huoc UE . Gov The zs em Honourable ^ Virga t HE seph Chasiiberlülzi MP; ; : Secretary of. State for the Colonies. i ; ['Enclosure.] SIR, Ife, May 25th, 1897 WE beg "uis ipd to report to you our work and progress since we left Ibadan We shou ld state that Gm SE is we od an sy eee with His Excellency the Acting Governor In this interview we informed His ates of the ruined state and condition of the Jebu and Ibadan forests which we had. then just visited ; and also conveyed | to him the information We had gathered from those interested in the industry to the effect. there was no rubber forest in the neighbourhood of these two. countries that has not been spoiled by overworking, At ai ce ef 56 We were then instructed by His Excellency to go to the Ekiti country, “whos e, we told him, as we were informed ourselves, rubber working was going on then. Accordingly we lot Ibadan going o on the 21st of March for the Ekiti countries, and went as far as Owo, which town, we x dec is the limit of the Pedledtointo of the Lagos Colony on that si But we regret to say that all ie rubber forests through which we have passed and vaste — the whole tour have all pon ake i towns we visited, that it is the wish of his Excellency the overnor to improve the quality of the rubber, and to make the industry a permanent one; that his Excellency desires this, not only in the interest of trade, but also for the lasting benefit - itera oe and children ; and that for this purpose we had bee sent out by the Government. In order to effect the wish of His Excellency, four important things were impressed on thei inds :— l. Considering the present state of the forests, we strongly advised them to leave off tapping for two years, when all the trees in their forests which have been almost stripped of their barks shall have x up, and be in a fit state for extracting fresh supply of jui 2. That PE the trees shall have healed up the process of tapping should only have one season in a year, and this should be during the rainy season. We explained that by 80 doing the trees biens be allowed ample time to heal up and thus be in a good te for the next year's tapping. zi That in tapping the trees the rubber collector meal be very parotit in making his lateral incision ; these should be 2 feet This we e explained is very important as on it ccs the life of the tre 4. In des | os juice is ayailable we have seized the opportunity of teaching those who are interested in this industry the proper mode of preparing rubber Our present plan is to go round i the zorana forests to teach these facts as has been done in the other distric We are, &c., (Signed) F. G. R. LEIGH and T. B. DAWODU. The Acting Resident, . Ibadan. AcTING GOVERNOR CAPTAIN G. C. DENTON TO Mr. CHAMBERLAIN Government House r Lagos, 38th 3 une, 1898. T R, I HAVE the honour to forward a report by Messrs. Leigh and Dawodu, Assistant Curators of the Botanie Station, giving the results of their aed i the interior upon which they were sent by me in February, 1 57 y the rubber and other trees if the Government, acting through the authorities of the country, will take upon themselves the super- vision of all the forests. ` eg to suggest that Messrs. Leigh and Dawodu’s anpa be transmitted to the Director of the sw Gardens, Kew. I hav (Signed) gu C. DENTO Acting ovaio. The seh Honourable Joseph Chamberlain, M.P., Salidoury of State for the Colonies. [ Enclosure. ] Botanic iter Ebute Meta, 8, 1897. SIR, . E have the honour to submit for the information of His Excellency a soe report of the work done during our absence in the inte Leaving Tagos on the ae poca we fsb ope it to biete vid pe, where arrived o e 13th instant. Here ived definite inatiratitiofia as to thé sen fate of our insta: During our stay at Ibadan, and before we received instructions ^ proceed further up country, we took the opportunity of visiting e Ibadan and Jebu forests, which are so rich in rubber and tapped, and the forests have in consequence been ruined. Large numbers of trees have died from sheer exhaustion, and those that survived were in a very poor condition, and would take a couple of years to recover themselves. As all ae working had practically ceased in the Ibadan and Jebu forests owing to the destruction of the trees, we were instructed by Hi is Excellency to proceed further up country where rubber-working was still going on, and teach the people. e irees may be preserved and the industry made a permanent one. We accordingly left Ibadan on the 21st of March, and Dem first to the Ekiti countries, where we understood r was still going on. We found the forests of all these Peserai abound, more or less, in Ire rubber trees; but we discovered that all rubber-worki ng ed practically ceased even in these off countries, a consequence due entirely to the overworking of the ein far r hes could inspect them all the trees had been over- So onsequently many of them were dinp: as is the case with the pow and Ibadan forests. 58 We thought it penes our best plan, seeing the condition of their forests, to call together the kings, chiefs, and townspeople of the different towns we visited, and conveyed to them the wishes of the Lagos Government with regard to the rubber eem ' We called their attention to the ruined condition of all the rubber trees in their forests, and pointed out to them the folly and short-sightedness of the i pem of * killing the goose for the golden eggs." We made them to We me that it is the earnest wish of the last another five years with the present system of working the abóund) to attain tapable sizes. After this period of time every proprietor should then n begin to work his bush on quits a different preon "That in this way the industry would be permanent, and ‘they would derive yearly income from their forests. inted out to them the great commercial value of this tree, and it fore strongly urged them to devote ich, if not greater, attention ct me rearing and cultivation “Of this tree as they do to the latter They were = to understand that by doing this they would i h s G t be 0 which is a duty incümbent on them, but that er would also bé: Mc the interest of Made and be benefiting themselves and il ‘i Finally we told them that it is their duty to stop all intruders in their forests, as it was strangers who had ruined their forests more than the inhabitants themselves. We regret to ze tie that all over Yorubaland, beginning from mS and as far a e went in this direction, ihe forests are and there Sei iibri fields than anything else. Consequently t ere are few rubber trees in those parts, and a good deal of what there are are what the natives call "e peg Ire tree [ Holarrhena africana]; it produces a similar juice to the female Ire tree, but this coagulates only to the eonsisteney of the soft lre rubber (Landolphia sp.; this deserves investigation as it is very plentiful in some parts and yields anne of juice). The only parts where good bits of forest were found were Osogbo, Ila-Oke, Ilobu, Ejigbo. All over Yorubaland, therefore, d strongly urged the people to take to. planting Tre trees, as y do cola and palm trees, . where suitable lands are available, battasi: how they should be. 59 planted, and: what a great t of income such an undertaking will be to them in the futu We are pleased mts SOLON that the people seemed to fall in atts with this sugge We furthermore impressed on them that Sel process of tapping should only be done once a year, and during the rainy season, that sufficient time = allowed "the trees to rebark themselves against the next seaso We explained to thas the advisability i their s fully 2 feet between the oblique lateral grooves: this is just the point where the native tappers destroy the Ato they t not allow more than from 6 to 9 inches between ue literal grooves, thus leaving a very limited amount of " between the grooves, subsequently the trees all wither (SEAT during the dry season) and die The mode adopted by the Fantees, who are to be found in good numbers at Owo and its vicinity, for extracting the juice is the one frost RNE h and convenient. The first point is for the tapper to make a vertical groove (3 to in. wide) from the bottom to the top of the tree, and in such a way as to gouge out a bit of. the true bark ; after this i is done, and as the tapper i is dosent” vertical groove are made, of e same width; thus all the exudation of the lateral grooves flows into the main deae which, together with its own exudation, finds its way down e base of the tree where a receptacle of some kind is placed da istelts the milk, The method the natives adopt for coagulating the j — isa very: dirty and improper one, but a better and simpler way of produc- - ing a whiter and superior qum was shown them. “This i is done System. Thi -white, an when prosit (to get rid of water), has an agreeable smell and a superior quality. We pointed out to them the advantage gain in taking a little trouble in the preparation, as on it depends the value of their produc bserv Landolphia,. Ficus, ies of Ya a R peme, the soft rubber is found plentifully i in the Ekiti forests, but owing to its softness, and the low prices offered by m merchants, the people do not consider it remunerative enough. The other species of apace (probably L. owariensis) which produces the harder and superior rubber is much preferred, but as it is very scarce -— not so common in the interior as the i soft one, very few balls have en brought down and sold at very | lucrative prices. During all our tour thé only place where it was : 60 bserved to exist (but not in a very large quántity) i is in the Isoya forests. We advised them to search for this particular species, which is commonly known under the sieh: name of Ibo Akitipa, and to collect rubber of it, which, ured them, will be readily sold at as good a price, ‘if not Pin unn that offered for the Ire rubber. The tapping of this species of Landolphia will not take so much time as the Ire. ‘The operation is simple enough, and can be successfully done by intelligent and careful natives. The stem of the vine (which is as thick as a man's arm) is 6 to 8 ft. apart, under these incisions vessels are placed to receive the milk, which easily and readily coagulates, and is then balled or wound up. This kind of rubber has no water whatever in it. The species of Ficus noticed are several, but owing to the insignificance and inferiority of Ju rubber (specimens have sent to England and valued at a very low price) we did not recommend these to them. On the whole we are compelled to say that the Government was rather too late in taking up this matter, and that unless our suggestions and recommendations are followed by the people we very much fear for the permanency of the rubber industry. Rubber collectors have now to go 15 or 16 days off Ibadan for rubber beyond the working i of this Colony. 'The countries he Ow only three days off Benin) which, we understood, is the limit of our Protectorate on that side. EI * E EI We have, &c., (Signed) F. GR. —€— T. B. Daw preje Curators. ExTRACT from LAGOS ANNUAL REPORT for 1897. * As was anticipated, the falling off in the production of et due to the reckless way in which it was collected, has com pass, the amount shipped in 1897 in. 4,458,327 lbs. as fine 6,434,365 lbs. in 1896. It is early to talk pessimistically of the ac At the same time the greed and guile of the small minority that collects and adulterates rubber, coupled with the apathy of the large majority that only looks on, must inevitably deal a severe blow to the trade. Steps are, however, being taken to encourage the native chiefs to have the rubber oólleotod in a thrifty and systematic manner, which, it is hoped, will show good faults i in the near future " (pp. 6, 7). 61 XXI—ON KICKXIA AND FUNTUMIA. [ K.B., 1905, pp. 45-59.] The genus hera known as Kickzia, was originally described as Hasseltia by Blume in 1825 (Bijdr. Fl. Ned. Ind. p. 1045) from a tree fndigónjus in Java. Finding subsequently that this name had already been given by Kunth (H. B. & K., Nov. Gen. et Spec. vii. p. 231) to a Tiliaceous plant, he changed it into Kixia (FI. Java, Praef. p. vii., 1828), in dedication to the Dutch botanists Jean Kickx (latinised Kixius), father and i de of pelling was generally i se (see Endlicher, Mein De Sano etc.) until Blume himself in 1848 altered it i umphia iv. p. 25). Lindley used the cm i. a laie as ^ 135: Veg. Kingd., 3rd ed., i, p. 601); but with his exception, Kickxia has been so universally adopted that it would be pedantry to fall back on the original form Kivia, although this is no doubt more Jed to the eye of a scholar. So much as to the name Kickxi A second alayan species, K. Blancoi, a native of the Philip- pines was added to the genus by Rolfe in 1884 (Journ. Linn. Soc. xxi. p. 313), and a third species by Koorders from Celebes in 1898 (Mededeel. *s Lands Plantent. xix. p. 528). If we further add. a species from Sarawak, sa Borneo, which I described and figured in Hooker’s Icon. Plant. t. 2693, as K. borneensis, the number of VA species of Kickria | is brought up to four. Previous, however, to the discovery of these last three species, Bentham and Hooker recorded in 1876 (Gen. Plant. ii. p. T21) a species from West Africa which was subsequently described and figured by Bentham in Hooker’s Icones Plantarum t. 1276 (1879) K. uit cently si r ribed under Kickxia, namely K. latifolia, Stapf (Kew Bull 1898, p. 307) from t go, K. elastica, reges tizbl. Bot. e Con rt. u. Mus. Berlin, ii. 1899, p. 353), from the Cameroon 18, K. Scheffleri, K. Schum. (Notizbl. Bot. Gart. u. ia. Berlin, iii. 1900, p. 81) from German East Africa, K. Zenkeri, K. Schum. (l. c.) from the Cameroons, K. Gilletii, De Wild. (Rev. Cult. Colon. vii. 1900, p. 744) from the lower Congo, and K. congolana, De Wild. (l. c. p. 748), nn from. the lower Congo. ies these, how- ever, the four pe named species have, on closer amination, been found to be identical with K.a africana and °K. latifolia respectively. Taken in the sense of the Genera Plantarum and all the modern o Apocynaceae ; but they are rare. Of the 100-105 Ai aos genera which inhabit the tropics of the Old World, only 12 are common to Africa and Asia, and of these five do not extend from the Indo-Malayan region farther west than the Mascarene Hide or the East Coast of Africa, whilst one C EIE o is wn to occur in Africa only in Natal, The remaining six 62 the greater part of tropical Africa; they are found in the rene finds and "eds Ge cepting Voacanga which is not known from India proper) in Ceylon. and Western India, whence they spread more or less into the Malayan region. One of them is, moreover, represented by numerous species in the New World, namely, Rauwolfia. This distinct differentiation of the genera of yocynaceae in the African and the Indo-Malayan region suggests an S eie evolution of the order in the two areas for a very long time. A glance at the Malayan species of Kickxia is sufficient to show that the case of Kickxia is no exception to this theory. In fact, 2 d an equally conspicuous morphological differentiation. I gies this very summarily before the Linnean Society more ey ago (Proc. Linn. Soc. December 7, 1599), and a little more fally i in Hooker's Icones Plantarum, sub tt. 2694-2695. To make, however, the matter perfectly clear, I will place side by side the diagnoses of the two groups, as drawn from the material in the Kew Herbarium. r MALAYAN GROUP. AFRICAN GROUP, Calyx ad basin 5-partitus, intus | Calyx ad basin S-partitus, - — glandulis munitus, persistens ; seg- glandulis munitus, persistens; seg menta imbricata, anguste vel late menta imbricata, lata, magis minusve ovata, acuta vel obtusa; glandulae obtusa; sandule numerosae vel pau- numerosae, pargas dispositae, fim- cae, semper applanatae, sapnaiath 4p. ester oe ee ulae cum uno- emen qn sewer? iue arcte appressae, appo Corol la : jinfeibiliformis be ig Corolla hy . peers eec gm ha, majuse — vula; tubus brev ge vel nile dum aie, red e yir tie- supra Boer orien superne cras- iricosa cylindricus vel gradatim | sissimus, carnosus, oe sie — ` attenuatus, supra cupulae vel campan- | prominente - cincto poriformi ; lobi modo ampliatus, ad constrictionem lineares vel o aori, praefloratione dex- magis minusve incrassatus et annulo trorsum obtegen i obi ob tamina 5, annulo tubi inserta, in | Stamina 5, in medio tubo inserta, conum circumcirca liberum $n tubum in conum os vic attingentan arcte inclu- Ss Lis suat conniventia ; sum conniventia 4 filamenta brevis- . fi brevissima, crassa; an- sima, crassa ; antherae sagittatae intus eee: if euinss intus basi glandula basi glandula viscose munitae, cruribus viscosa munitae, cruribus duris soli- duris solidis quam filamentis sub- dis filamentis aequilongis, loculis an- longioribus ; pee ulis angustissimis issimis brevibus. brevibus. Discus breviter tubulosus, subin- | Discus breviter tubulosus, 5-lobus teger vel 5-lobus, tenuiter carnos vel 5-partitus, earnos e Carpella libera, ovato - lanceolata, Carpella libera, brevia truncata sensim in stylum attenuata, e disco lateraliter abrupt: in stylum constricta, exserta, glaberrima ; styli filiformes, '0 exserta vel ab eo paulo superata, ; sti ovoide vertice pub ; Styli filiform: tum, ope anthe glandularum ti; stigma ovoideo-cla- con rens; placentae vatum, ope antherarum -— bipartitae, lamellis liberis pomos li ad basin Teens ; placentae ad peti facie d ovulis multi- bipartitae, rita garpellé lateri obsitis, Mural Lien is facie dorsali ovulis m ms obsitis 2 63 Fructus. follie distincti, Portales ek paraleli coriacei, dehiscéntes ; paceaths ici e fragiles vel Jacile: | separatae, i oer Semina lice tthe elongato - fusifor- Fructus cy eig breves vel elongati, d i coriacei vel lignosi, pooner suturam `` dehisce distincti; ntes; p maturae tantum zona angusta rugulosa wieliique secun- dum - suturam | pereurr. indicatae, rente caeterum a folliculi pariete haud dis- tinctae. Semina plurima, fusiformia, i ubsemiteretia, sicca quidem semiteretia, basi coma stipitata reverse ventre canaliculati, basi c: tipi- mosa ; ph liformis, reverse plumosa ornata; raphe prominula ; tenuis; albume filiformis, prominula ; tenuis ; rnosu Mu tenui embryonem cir- albu carnosum strato tenui em- cumd : bryonem circumdans. ` Embryo elongatus, subsemiteres; | Embryo elongatus, subsem ; , radicula supera, longiuscula ; seit: radicula supera, longiuscula ; peri . dones foliaceae, longit tudinaliter e dones foliaceae, longitudinaliter con- ` tortu cr qi i : p ^W erae Arbores vel frutices, Arbo heirs nacea et decidua vel | Folia Siir binid coriacea. — usve coriacea. majusculi, M hF 10cm poll.) longi, in cym Hail wk s vel ad flor : s dispositi, longe vel. brevissime pedicellati, albi Un inferne vires- centes vel flavesce Flores M eain 12-20 mm. (6- 10 Lin. ae ser. an foliorum, tain detitóvtii rds cymos0-congesti, breviter vel evissime pedioeliati, albidi vel flavescentes. comparison of these two deseriptions shows most con- vincingly that the differences in the characters of the two groups any EN genera in the tribe of Echitideae, m to be con nsidered as two distinct p. ia, I pare proposed the name or Ý O'Fun 'a vernacular name of the rubber-yielding species of the Gold Coast, "iet and the Cameroons (Proc. Linn. Soc., Dec. 7, his o genera are so different that it would be difficult to understand how they could ever have be een united if it were not Piiraa ma d, appears ndix to the former, no better place fab been available for it at the time. The oppas of a flying apparatus in the shape of a tuft of hairs or ose awn attached to the ds is a univ contriva ee in Echitideae. The tufts spring. either from the. chalazal end of the seed, and then they are ter l, or from. the micropylar end, when they are styled apical, or € pibe. fróm both ends. Sometim es they are transformed in udi irent awns by the lengthening of t the axis of the tuft, and ‘often also by- the intercalation of a naked stalk between the seed proper and the- 64 plume. The commonest form is an apical tuft. Basal tufts D ithoat apical ones are characteristic of Wrightia; basal and apical t occur together in Isonema, ium, and Haplophyton ; species of Strophanthus; basal awns alone in Kickxia and Funtumia. Where two tufts or a tuft and a plumose awn occur simultaneously, the basal tuft is often early deciduous and does not leave the follicle with the seed; nevertheless its occurrence proves there is a more general disposition towards eid the flying contrivance from the chalazal end of the seed than generally assume t the same ibis we see that tiie presence of this peculiar disseminative organ is not confined to genera whic are admittedly close allies, as a glance at the different attempts to group the genera of Echitideae will show. To summarise briefly, the basal awn of the € T Kickria and Funtumia is unique in the order in so far as no other case known, the asa in eculiar modification, but it has its homologue in several not closely allied genera, and therefore cannot ‘be co onsidered as a character in itself indicative of close relationship. What is true of the basal awn may be said of the apical plumose awn of Strophanthus, Laubertia, Stipecoma, Urechiies, ete. It is the Pal sa of the usual eles! tuft of the majority of Tanen and. occurs also in genera otherwise not closely linked together It is irütà conceivable that the basal awns in Kickxia and Funtumia have been evolved from the basal tufts of two types s : i ce otii) of the two genera and their place in the natural System of Echitideae we must look out for other characters. Both genera an embryo with contortuplicate cotyledons, a feature almost as iani d in the order as the basal seed-awn, flat foliaceous or planoconvex cotyledons being the rule. rhe Echitideae an olarr in Plumerieae where it occupies a somewhat anomalous position. We should not fare better with any other character if salen saei although anyone might form a ns. scope of the present paper, as it would involve a critical revision of the whole tribe of Echitideae; for it is only from a thorough and comprehensive investigation into the structure of the genera com- ing the tribe that we may hope to solve the intricate problem of their mutual relationship. ' If I may venture to suggest a place for Kickeia, it would be ear Wrightia. The suggestion is not new; it was made b Bei in y onmes pg iv. p. p. 26, on account of general resemblances, 65 and ve Miers in his essay “ On the Apocynaceae of South America,” p.9, on account of the great similarity of the fruits and ed I have already pointed out the homology of the basal tuft of the seeds of Wrightia and of the basal awn of Kickxia, and. the —— identity of the structure of the embryo in both gen Neither of these characters by itself is of very grea diim mic importance; but when they appear combined, and coincide besides with a general parallelism in the structure of the flower and fruit, they become indicative of a closer egree the case with Wrightia and Kickxia. Certain Malayan species of Wrightia approach Kickxia rather closely i sa: general appear- ance, and Blanco was actually misled to enumerate Kickzia Blancoi as a species of Anasser,a synonym of "Wrightia. Still there remain these differences :—the aestivation of the corolla Wrightia no disc surrounding the gynoeceum ice ed lately two new genera from Cochin-China, Microchonea and Paravallaris, which belong possibly to the same stock as the Asiatic spation o of Wrightia E Kickxia, so far as I can judge rom flowering specimens. As o Funtumia, however, the re- semblance with Kickxia ends w ith the homology of the nominal appenCage and the practical identity of the structure cf t ht e ment of Echitideae, or among Hu-Echitideae on account of the SUARUM of the flower. In either case it will occupy an isolated position. DESCRIPTIONS OF GENERA AND SPECIES. KICKXIA, Blume. Calyx ad basin 5-partitus, intus glandulis munitus, persistens ; : segmenta imbricata, anguste vel late ovata, acuta vel obtusa glandulae numero ee arenes dispositae, fimbrilliformes, au ut uoque pressae, ap natae. Corolla intandibalitornis, magna vel majuscula ; tubus ad vel supra medium constrictus, infra e basi subventricosa cylindricus vel gradatim attenuatus, supra cupulae vel campanulae modo epon ad constrictionem magis minusve incrassatus et annulo intus prominente munitus ; lobi oblongi, magis minusve obliqui, eel annah er obtegentes. Stamina 5, annulo tubi inserta, in conum circumcirca liberum in tubum ampliatum projectum conniventia; filamenta brevissima, crassa; antherae sagittatae, intus basi glandula viscosa munitae, cruribus filamentis aequilongis duris solidis, loculis angustissimis brevitus. Cus breviter tubulosus, subinteger vel 5-lobus, tenuiter carnosus, Carpella libera, ovato-lanceolata, sensim in stylum attenuata, 25781 E 66 e disco exserta, glaberrima ; styli filiformes, supra coaliti ee ] ovoideo-clavatum, ope antherarum glandularum cono nali adhaerens ; placentae ad basin bipartitae, lamellis liberi "paiíitis ie dorsali ovulis multiseriatim obsitis. ructus folliculi distineti, elongati, reflexi, paralleli, coriacei, secunduin sutura dehisc entes ; placentae maturae fragiles vel facile separatae, in- cumdans. Embryo elongatus, subsemiteres; radicula supera, beer uen cotyledones folladas, longitudinaliter contortuplic- ae.— Arbores -vel frutices. Folia membranacea et ecidua, vel magts minusve coriacea. Flores magni vel Wee in cymas axillares paucifloras vel ad florem solitarium reducta s dispositi, longe xe drca ime pedicellati, albi vel inferne virescentes vel flavesc o. i in archipelago Malayano et in insulis Philippinis. Key to the species. Glandulae ea a numerosae, fimbrilliformes, annu- latim dispos Fol = membranacea, eiad flores 6 em. (2} poll.) 1. arborea. Folia pergam coriacea, vie vel lanceolato- _ oblonga ; flores ad 10 om. aia poll.) lo 2. Wigmannii, eique appressae. Flores distincte pedicellati, 6 cm. (2} poll.) longi ; calycis eee obtusa Sie .. 3. Biancoi. Flores brevissime pedi cellati, et om. Qr poll.) longi ; Henry segmenta ac x i -.. 4, borneensis. . K. arborea, Blume, Rumph. iv. 26, t. 179, fig. 1. Arbor mediocris (Blume) ad 42 m. (140 ped.) alta (Koorders). Truncus ; én osae brevissime pedunculatae ; bracteae minutae, ovatae, acutae, atro- purpurascentes ; pedicelli Lees 4-5 em. (14-2 poll.) longi. Flores nutantes, ultra 6 em. (21 poll.) longi, flavescenti-albi, i. - Cal n 8 e basi ventricosa ad constrictionem cylindricus, viridis, deinde campanulatus, parte inferiore 14-16 mm. (7-8 lin.) longa, ubi 67 angustissima 3 mm. (13 lin.) lata, pereo 12 mm. (6 lin.) lon re 10 mm. " lin.) lata ; lobi obtusi, 3-5-4 cm. (11-12 poll.) longi, 12-15 mm. (6-73 lin.) lati ti, superne extus subvelutini, caeter glabri. Staminum filamenta viridula, extus glabra, intus i voit aee dense tomentella ; Ute 6 mm. (3 lin.) longae, flavidae, gla Discus cupuliformis, crenulatus, albidus. Fructus folliculi reflexi, paralleli, My n 60 em. (25 poll.) longi, extus longitudinaliter striati, di rides, tandem fuscescentes. Semina 3 em. (1} poll.) longa, Arist eirca 15 em. (6 poll.) longa, DC 9; Boe n Ind. i 1.4001 w Nak. & EAS Hasseltia arborea, Bl. Bijdr. 1016. Kibatalia uera, Don. Gen. Syst. iv. 86. Tejsmann! Lobb! According to Junghuhn (Java, i. 236, 937) barren acre of the woods of the dry hot hills of his first zone (upwards rd rm whilst Koorders & Valeton l.c. say that it is rare heterogeneous, evergreen primeval forest from 50-350 m. "(160-1160 uA They quote the following locali- - from Central and West Java :—Pekalongan, near Soebah ; K. Wigmannii, Koord. in Mededeel.’s Lands Plantent. xix. 528. ates or 12-15 m. (40-50 ped.) alta. Truncus erectus, cylindricus basi nor ont coma laxa, ar bles rami pr rimarii horizon- l ra vel asymmetrica, apice abrupte breviter m "33 em. (9) poll. ) longa, 6 em (21 poll.) lata, integerrima, subu ndu lata, margine exsiccando siii prie utrinque glaberri rima, juvenilia puberula, viva subcarnoso-pergamacea, exsiccata coriacea ve pergamacea, supra nitida obscure viridia, infra opaca pallidiora, nervis secun- dariis 8-14 parallelis fere marginem sttingentibus tertiariis venisque tenuibus; petiolus 5 mm. (9j lin.) longus. Cymae axillares, pauciflorae (2-Horae) ; pedicelli 15 mm. (74 lin.) longi. Flores 10 c m. (4 poll.) longi, albi. Cayz 10 mm. ó in.) longus ; segmenta ovatà, acuta; glandulae numerosae, inaequales, magis Minus ve per paria vel plures connatae, in annulum dispositae. Corollae tubus 32 mm. (16 lin.) longus, ore (5-53 lin.) latus, intus us, extus glaber ; ; lobi a anthesi patentes, 7 cm. (2% poll.) longi, 22 mm. (11 lin.) lati, glabri. Staminum filamenta glaberrima. Discus cupuliformis, minute 5-denticulatus, dentibus truncatis crassis apice 2-foveolatis. Fructus folliculi 22-2) cm. (9-11) m ei 3:5 em. (15 poll.) lati. Semina 30--34 e. ( : uilongis K. Va amis i Koord: Lc. 67, "169 (nomen). 25781 E2 68 NORTHEAST CELEBES. Minahassa, rare in very heterogeneous tall primeval forest, near Paku-ura and Kajoewatoe, between and 500 m. 1650 ft.). f Flowering £ from February to April and maturing the fruits at the ru unco of the De is copied from Koorders. There is only one detached and badly preserved corolla with the : s : pecime . Wigmannii at Kew its dimension considerably below those given by The corolla tube is scarcely 24 mm. (1 in.), and the lobes 42 ]à in.) long. throughout its length, with the exception of a slight constriction below the insertion of the stamens. It is therefore probable that e specimens of K. Wigmannii at Kew are either made up of a new genus, or at least a very marked subgenus of Kickria 3. K. Blancoi, Rolfe in Journ. Linn. Soc. xxi. 313 (nomen tan- tum). Arbor (?). Ramuli juniores graciles, exsiccando nigrescentes. Folia breviter petiolata ; lamina lanceolata vel RIE DERE utrinque acuta vel acuminata xd apice obtusa, 5-10 c poll.) longa, 2-34 em, (10-17 lin.) lata, integerrima, MURUS glaberrima, exsiccando plus minusve fuscescens, Subtus pallidior, perga- : qu onspicui 5 mm. (24 lin.) longus. Cymae a axillar, Tee peduneulatae, plerumque ad florem 1 redactae, rarius 2-florae; bracteae minutae, ET m. longi, albi. Calyx 5 mm. (2] lin.) longus; segmenta lata, ovata vel rotundata, obtusa, basi a is PCA intus glandula solitaria REDE rotunda appressa munita. Corollae tubus e basi ventricosa ad constric Senami sensi m. attenuatus deinde cupuliformis, Viper. matte inferiore 15-18 mm. (73-9 lin.) nga, i ang amis i mm. a. (1 in.) lata, superiore Ch -3 35-4 lin. pend ^E yd h Vidal Sin. Gen. Filip. 118. Anasser “otra especie con las flores axillares solitarias ” Blanco, Fl. Filip. ed. 1, 114; ed. 2, 81; ed. 3, 149 (in nota). PHILIPPINES: Luzon, Prov. Ankay Vidal, UM ! NU mo m 8. jou. Vidal, 3289! Guimaras, Vidal t 1 Naves's figure quoted above, agrees exactly with ch specimens, but for the very erudely dràwn analyses and the corolla-tube which is much more sinis than represented 69 K. borneensis, Stapf in Hook. Icon. Plant., t. 2693. Fru 2 m. .(6 ped. ) altus. Ramuli juniores exsiecando ni i salaili oblonga, basi subacuta, apice acuminata, 10-11 em. ( poll.) longa, 3-5 cm. (14-2 m) lata, integerrima, glaberrima, supra exsiccando nigro-fuscesc subtus pallidior, coriacea, nervis secundariis utrinque circiter 9 subpatulis s ub margine arcuatim b olae utae, obtusae ; pedicelli brevissimi. Flores 33-4 cm. (14-12 poll.) longi. Calyx 5-6 mm. (21-3 lin.) longus; segmenta ovata, ol constrictionem cylindricus, d rid campanulatus, parte inferiore 12 mm. (6 lin.) longa, ubi angustissima 3 mm. (1} lin.) lata, glabra, superiore 10 mm. (5 lin.) longa, ore 6-7 mm. (3-3 lin lata, intus sparsim Lack lobi oblique porrecti, Obtusi vel subacuti, 12 mm. (6 lin.) lon 29-4 mm. (15-2 lin. ) lati, intus basin versus E nee papilloso- =a ieee, caeterum glabri. Stami- num filamenta glabra ; antherae 5 mm. (23 lin.) longae, apicem versus in dites sparse pilosulae. Discus inaequaliter 5-partitus. varium cum stylo et stigmate 14 mm. (7 lin.) longum folliculi 15 cm. (6 poll.) longi, coriacei, extus longitudinaliter striati. Semina ignota. BORNEO. Sarawak, Lobb ! FUNTUMIA, Stapf. Calyx ad basin aprig intus glandulis munitus, persistens ; segmenta imbric lata, magis minusve obtusa ; glandulae numerosae vel d semper applanatae, segmentis appressae. Corolla hypocraterimorpha, parvula; tubus brevis, medio vel superne crassissim 8 annulo crasso prominente cincto poritormi ; lobi oblongi m lineares, praefloratione dextrorsum obtegentes. Stamina 5, medio tubo inserta, in conum vix os attingentem arcte o oike connivėntia; filamenta brevissima, crassa ; antherae sagittatae, intus basi glandula viscosa munitae, cruribus duris solidis quam fila- mentis sublongioribus, loculis an gate ay is b 8. ISCUS breviter tubulosus, 5-lobus vel 5-partitus, carnosus. Carpella Hoe. brevia, truncata, decis lateraliter i in stylum constricta, e disc ZA Y el ab eo paulo superata, vertice puberula ; styli filiformés, superne coaliti, Dear. a stigma o ovoideo-c avatum, — ee , caeterum à folliculi | poriete haud aines Semin na pores fusiformia, subsemi a, basi coma stipitata reverse pua raphe filiformis | CANARD AR testa tenuis ; albumen car- nosum, strato tenui embryonem: cireumdans. Embryo aii nad 70 subsemiteres, radicula supera, vues et s a toS semine oli pericu coriacea. Flores parvuli, n umerosi, i xillis foli- ymas densas congesti, breviter vel brevissime pedicellati, albidi p flavescentes. Species 2 in Africa tropica. Key to the species. Alabastra cylindrica, 14-20 mm. (7-10 lin.) longa ; ; corollae lobi or ngo-lineares, tu tinete longiores * folia in r costam 'et nervos secundarios subt tus magis nina’ e pubesoantia, ht greet seminis arde bos inuda... 1. africana. la 4 conica, m. (3-6 lin.) longa; corollae lobi Corollae tubus extra glaberrimus, prope basin con- i iscus ovarium excedens, 5-crenulatum ; , glabra, foveolata ; seminis arista basi = sae .. 2, elastica. nf um ipsum constrictus; discus ovario eie ^dobns; olia in axillis inter costam et nervos secun su ru efoveolata; seminis ica ab ipsa basi p eru 3. latifolia, 1. F. africana, Stapf in Proc. Linn. Soc. 1900, 2. Arbor 45-24 m. (15-80 ped.) alta. Truncus erectus, cylindricus; cortex extus cinereus, sublaevis, medio fuscus, intus albidus; ramuli teretes vel sub nodos compressi, exsiccando plerumque ni g us. for tudine admodum variabilia ; lamina oblonga, rarius ovato-oblonga, basi attenuata vel interdum rotundata, apice breviter et abrupte acuminata, 12-23 cm. (5-9 poll.) longa, 4-9 em. ( 34 poll.) lata, integerrima, margine undulata et exsic eis revoluta, supra glaberrima, sicca plerumque fusca, infra in axillis inter costam et nervos secundarios plerumque pubescens, efoveolata nervis secundariis utrinque je (raro 11), M eins m pears or arcuato-connexis, tertiariis venisque inconspicuis s 4-8 m. (2-4 lin.) longus. Cvitine breviter pedunculatae, er pem labrae; pedunculus 6 mm. in. ded racteae parvae, ovatae, acutae vel subacutae ; pedicelli ad 4 mm. (2 lin.) longi. res flavescentes ; alabastra subcylindrica, paululo curvata, 14-20 mm. (7-10 lin.) longa. Cal yx 35 mm. (1$ lin. longus; segmenta late ovata vel elliptica, margine minute ciliolato un excepto glabra; degens - plures cum uoque segmen iine Corollae tubus medio vel paulo infra constrictus, 3—4 lin.) longus, glaber: lobi oblongo-lineares, 10-12 mm (5-6 Jin.) longi. Stam medio tabo vel paulo supra inserta ; minute pilosulae. Discus 5jlobfüs vel oo INE 9-partitus, ovario à brevior. Fructus folliculi fusiform acu minati, semi aliter siae PM ad 20 cm. (8 poll.) Jokipii sui 3-4 mm. a & siti (14-2 lin.) distantibus. Semina glabra, 12-16 mm. (6-8 lin.) longa ; arista 3-4 cm. (11-12 poll.) longa, basi nuda, pilis 6-7 € E Stapf in Hook. Icon. Plant. E 2696-2697, and in Fl. Trop. Afr. iv. 190; De Wild. in Rev. Cult. Col. x. 74. Kickxia africana, Benth. in Hook. Icon. "Plant. t. 1276; Henriques in Bol. Soc. 71 Broter. x. (1892) 141 ; Ande in Journ. Linn. Soc., xxx. (1894), 90 and in arep Bull., 1895, 4 cum icone* ; K. S ichu um. in Notizbl. ot. . und Mus. ciis t3 217-921 eum icone*; Warb. in Er f. trop. Landwirthsch. (Tropenpfl.) i. 99-103, cum icone* and Kautschukpfl. 110; Lecomte in Rev. Cult. Col. i. 12-19, 41-47, figs. 1,2 and 14; Preuss in Tropenpfl. iii. 65-71 ; Jumelle, Les Plantes a Caoutchouc, 68-73, fig. 10* ; Preuss in Notizbl. ot. Gart. und Mus. Berl. ii. 353-360, t. ii. ; Schlechter in Tropenpfl. iv. 326-330, et West-Afr. Kautschuk Exped. 41, 158, 160, 194, 309. 206, 235, 236, 307, fig. on p. 238 ; De Wildeman in Rev. Cult. Col. vii. 633, 634, 747. K. Zenkeri, K. Schum. 1. c. iii. 81. K. Gilletii, De Wildeman, 1. c. 744 . WEST TROPICAL AFRICA. Sierra Leone, without precise pavers Scott Elliot! Haydon (follicles and seeds)! near Kukuna n the Scarcies River, Scott Elliot, 4506 ! (fruit-bearing branch, with almost bright green and quite p leaves); Bagroo River, n ! Ba i s River, Dinklage, 835! Sinó Basin, Whyte! Ivory Coast, Boboi; Toll y, 174! 1691! Gold Coast, Sehwhi and Wam istrict, Armitage! (barren fap reve Koforidua, pre rere 494! E. Akim, Johnson, 692 flower- ing branches) Prah River, Johnson, 935! Togo lar sd. Amed- johve Mountain, Schlechter, 12 919. pepsin Baumann, 555! Dahomey, Adja Were, accordi ing to Hua. Low igeria, Bonny, Kulbreyer, 82! (detached Veiis a “follicles and seeds; the follicles are rather less coriaceous than in the other er siren Opobo, Holland, 157 ! Adiabo, Holland, $ 224! between Ekuke and ae together with F. elastica, according to Holland. Cross Rive er, tu, Holland, 5! Ekure, Holland, 160! Cameroons, virgin ful near Victoria, Pi dde 1382 ! Bipinde, Buli, Zenker, 2280! 2534! Gaboon, Libreville, Klaine, 662! Fernando Po, Mann ! Lower Congo, Kisantu, Gillet ! Flowers were polloried: in apone in the Cameroons, in January in Sierra Leone, in January and February in Gaboon, early in April (i. a very E state) on the — River. The fruits of the PEIRA year seem to ripen at about the same tim This tree appears to be common in the hill ges of the Pee Mts. and in the Boém Country, Togoland Pahlechion d in Mie coast region a. the Eur ape (Dr. Preu uss), and in the of the ungo as far the Bakossi Mts is. (Schlechter), and on the slopes of the hills a grecum (Chalot in Le Jardin, xi., 199). Lecomte claims to have discovered a plant identical with T afri- cana of Libreville, still farther south, at Kakamoeka, on the Kouila River; but he remarks that the fruits are rather longer and the stamens somewhat differently shaped. k Ede = = oo p= ~q m ms 7y © d B ib = [e2 K. was supposed to differ from Funtumia oferta in the henge c conl iobes and the shape of the disc; ther however, in my opinion, no difference whatever in these res joéputta! K. Gilletii, on Ag éthet hand, was distinguished from F. F. africana on account of the flowers bein ing smaller; but here again, I find that the size of the corollas comes well within the range of variation exhibited by the flowers of F. africana. There is also * Deseriptione et figuris fructuum exceptis. 72 ^ difference in the foliage, and unless the fruits should be found afford more tangible characters, we shall have to consider K. Gilletii as identical with F. africana. The rubber obtained from this species is sticky like bird-lime, and therefore worthless 2. F. PMPHON STE in Proc. Linn. Soc. 1900, 2. Arbor ad 30 m. (100 ped.) alta. Truncus erectus, ' cylindrieus ; ; cortex extus pallidus, maculatus; ramuli teretes, exsiccando y virus ; latex copiosus, coagulan do massam elasticam haud viscosam reddens. Folia petiolata ; lamina oblonga vel heoli oMa basi attenuata, apice in acumen angustum plerumque enm em. (11-25 ci bie 8-9) deter sub margine arc uatim connexis, tertiariis venisque inconspicuis; petiolus 4-10 mm. (2-5 lin.) longus. Cymae breviter pedunculatae, aee ene congestae, ovatae, obtusae vel subacutae ; pedicelli 3-5 mm . (13-21 lin.) longi. Flores albi vel flavescentes ; alabastra conica, ori ad 12 mm. (6 lin.) longa. Calyx 4-44 mm. (2- -21 lin.) longus ; segmenta latis- sima, ovata vel rotundata ; glandulae plerumque 2 cum unoquoque segmento. Corollae tubus supra basin sepia 1-8 mm. (34-4 lin.) longus, glaber; ris oblongi, obtusi, 5-6 m m. (21 -ə lin. ) longi. Stamina infra medium tubum inserta ; flamenta. intus minute tomentella ; Athare MA apice minute pilosulae. Discus 9-partitus, segmentis crenatis 8, ovarium paulo superans. Fructus folliculi clausi Dies: iss are apice obtusi vel rotundati, sectione Preuss in Notizbl. Bo: rt. 8 rlin, ii. 353-360, 1 pep en in Tropenpfl. iv. UD 141, 143, vi. 308, 423, 636, . 93, and in West-Afr tschuk Expe d. 16-19, 96-101, 103, 113, 113, 151-160, Kei ie 951, fige. on à p. 99 and opp. pp. 164 and 16; Warburg, Ka hukpfl. 110-112, 153; De Wildeman in Rev. Cult. Col. vii. 80, eeu 143—741. K. tee Stapf in Kew Bull. 1895, 244 cum i ; K. Sehum. in Notizbl. Bot, Gart. und us. Berlin, i 217-221, cum icone*; Warb. in Zeitschr. f. irop. Land wirthsch. (Tropenpii) L 99-103, cum icone,” Kautschukpfl. 110-112, and P "antes à caoutch. 200-205 partly; Lecomte in Rev. Cult. Col. i. 12-19, 41-47, fig, 2*; Jumelle, Les Plantes à P iei a 68-73, fig. 10* ; Thonner in De Wild. and Durand, - Thonner. Congol. xii.; Henriques, Der Kautschuk, 18; * Quoad fructus, 73 tabelle iii. ; Reinigen in Tropenpfl. vi. Beih. 2-3, 163-168 ; Zitzow Tropenpfl. vi i. 228-250, with fig. on p. 232 ; Stein in Trope npfl. viii. 597—611 ; Soskin i in Tropenpfi. x. 32-39; non Benth. WEST TROPICAL AFRICA. Liberia, about 40 miles up the Sind River, Sim! Gold Coast, Mampong Hills, Johnson, 255! Sehwhi ana Wam District, Armitage! (barren branches and a branch bearing very young fruits). Ashanti, Kumassi, Cummins, 217! (flowering branch, flowers young and partly deformed). Lagos, Jebu District, Millen, 178! 180! and without precise locality, Denton ! (fruits and seeds, also VIT UR branches from plants Brown n $ e Trinidad Bot. Garden, raised from those ee eds, rt!) Punch! Yoruba, Ibadan, meee / (open follicle py els) dense forests between Shagam Iba Schlechter, 12319. Lower Nigeria, Old Calabar, Doni delli with seeds); between (€— and Abarogba, Holland, 1581! 159! I me 161! 162! (flowering and fruitin he latter with remarkably small follicles); between Insofan EY Obeyon, Holland, ! meroons, right bank of ngo River, between Malende and Nyoke, and between Nyoke and Moyoka, Preuss, 1381! Mundame, Pre 62! between Kumba Nin Mokonje, Preuss, 6! forests on the upper Mungo River as f the Bakossi Mts., Schlechter. E meroons, goose in the Free State, e Laurent, 3036 ! (leaves) ; Neal Thonner, 13! Upper Ituri River, Arnold ! Uganda, Mabira Forest, Dawe, 1 The rubber tree observed by Dr. Preuss near Barombi Station in the Cameroons Hinterland (Tropenpfi. ii. 206) i is, sige, to him; probably also identical with F. elastica. It is the same tree ich was mentioned by him in Danckelmann's Mittheilungen ae den Deutschen Schutzgebieten, ii. 48, as a species of Ficus. 8 F. elastica flowers in December and January, and matures the fruits from the dii vious year DES t the ss eae ime. Vernacular name :—Funtum (Johnson); Female Funtum (Armitage). Ire (Denton, Millen). Fishunga (Schlechter, Balunds Language). Dr. 1 says (Notizbl. Bot. Gart. und Mus. Berlin, II. 355) that the“ Lagos specimens which he saw differed from those collected by himself in the Cameroons in having smaller and less wavy leaves with fewer lateral nerves and narrower fruits. confirm this so far as the size of the leaves and the number of e n. species is one of the most ESTER sources of West African rubber, 74 3. F. poe gar nent ex Schlechter, West-Afr. Kautschuk-Exped., 236. m. (50-100 ped.) alta. Truncus erectus, basi ad lm. saree 3 do diaii ; coma circiter 10 m. (35 ped.) a solo remota; ramuli superne magis minusve compressi, caeterum teretes, minutissime pubescentes vel subglabri, Adolat ndo nigri- spars issi ube margine integerrima, undulata, exsiccando vix revoluta, subtus in axillis inter costam et nervos secundarios efoveolata, nervis secundariis utrinque 10-15 (plerumque 12), tertiariis venisque inconspicuis ; petiolus 6-10 mm. (3-5 lin.) longus. Cymae breviter pedunculatae, multiflorae, congestae, minutissime puberulae; pe- us 4-6 tra brevia, elongato-conica, circiter 12-14 mm. (6-7 lin.) onga, extus magis minusve minutissime velutina. Calyx mm. (11-15 lin.) longus; segmenta ovata, obtusa vel subacuta, margine minute ciliolata, dorso sparsim minute 'pubescentia glandulae mm. 4 filamenta minute tomentella, antherae acuminatae, apice puberulae Discus 5-lobus, lobis integris vel crenulatis late rotundatis, ovarii : : 3 aeq uti 12-145 em. (5-6 poll.) longi, aperti 3-4 cm. (1j-1$ poll.) lati, dorso acute bicarinati, carinis a sutura 6 mm. (3 lin.) distantibus, tenuiter lignosis. Semina sparse longe sura -pilosa, 18-20 mm (9-10 lin.) longa, arista 22-24 mm. (11-12 lin.) longa, a basi plumosa, pilis ad 5 cm. (2 poll.) longis. Stapf in Hook. Ic. PI. sub tt. 2694-2695. Kickxia lati folia, Siapf in MN Bull., 1898, 307, in Ann. Mus. Congo, sér. 2, I. i. 42, and ii. 41, and in Fl. Trop. Afr. iv. Iu: Preuss in Notizbl Boi. noc u. Mus. Beide i. Meu fig. A-H on p. 356; Schlechter in Tropenpfl. est-Afr. Kautschuk-Exped, 63, 64, 236, 307, fig. on xd 335; d Wildeman in Rev. Cult. Col. vii 633, 634. AC Scheffleri, K. Schu an in Notizbl. Bot. Gart. u. Mus eter iii. 81. K. congolana, De Wildem. l. e WEsT TROPICAL AFRICA : Congo Free State, Lower Congo, Kisantu, Gillet, 387! near Nouvelle-Anvers, Duchesne, 14! near Coquilhatville, Gentil! Schlechter, 12,596 ! Bangala, Dewévre, 867 ! Lake Leopold II. District, Kutu Ibali, valley of the Kiri, Bollé? Mission Delhez, Delhez ! Kassai Distr., near Lusambo, "i / Zanzibar Nyasa, a follicle, communicated by ihe AA pes? Cor- poration ! Bolle says it occurs throughout the Lake Leopold lI. District. Mes pees name, Bolé or Bobolé (Bolle). Schefflert was compared by K. Schumann with Funtumia latifolia, from which he stated it differed in having smaller, 15 minutely pania corollas pow a somewhat different disc. The delicate indumentum of the corolla is, however, one of the most characteristic ceu of Pe latifolia, and as to the alleged differences in the disc, I cannot find them. K. con na was placed close to K. Scheffleri by De Wildeman and described as a ope species mainly on account of its distribution, whilst it was rated from F. latifolia for its more or less velvety corollas, those of T. Tun ed Bon described às glabrous by , pointed out in my origina description of et latifolia, Tabet | ‘the Stolk is very minutely pubescent witho This species, like F. africana, does not seem to yield any serviceable rubber. O. STAPF. XXIL—PARA RUBBER IN CEYLON. [ K.B., 1893, p. 159.] As stated in the Kew Report for 1876, p. 8, Mr. H. A. Wickham, a resident on the Amazon, was commissioned by the India Office to collect seeds of Hevea brasiliensis. He arrived in England on June 14th with 70,000 seeds obtained on the Rio Tapajos, and on August 12th following, about 2,000 plants raised at Kew fro these seeds were despatched to Ceylon in ardian pric Ninety per cent. of Mer plants reached their destination in perfect condition. A further consignment o plants was sent in 1877, making the total mages of plants transmitted to Ceylon 2,119 (Kew Report, 1877, p. 1 The following raras gives the first result of the experiment which affords anything like commercial data for deciding whether the cultivation of this staple would be a paying enterprise in the Old Wor DR. TRIMEN to ROYAL GARDENS, KEW. [Received February 6th, 1893.] India-rubber (2 1b.) from Hevea br gentis grown in Hene- ratgoda Botanic Garden, Ceylon, in The tree from which this was Gbialbod is now 15 years old, and the stem has a circumference of 6 ft. 5 in. at a yard above the ground. oe, now been tapped three times, and has given the following yie In 1888 it gave 1 1b. 113 oz. 90 ARID! ye Bid 55 making a total of 7 lb. 23 oz. of dry rubber in five years. The tree is in no respect the worse for this cian the ides in alternate years permitting the scars on the trunk to becom completely healed. (Signed) HENRY TRIMEN. 16 Messrs. HECHT, LEVIS. AND KAHN to ROYAL GARDENS, KEW. 21, Mincing Lane, London, E.C. Tth February, 1893. DEAR SIR We have received your yesterday’s letter, and also the sample of Ceylon rubber which you have sent to us. The quality of this rubber is very good indeed, and the curing of the same seems to have been effected in the proper manner. This quality would be easily saleable, and we estimate its value to-day as being about = 3d. to a ies per lb., according to whether the rubber would be dry or It would be easily saleable in large quantities. We Stan n the sample to you, according to your desire. We remain, &c., (Signed) HECHT, LEVIS AND KAHN. John R. Jacksoh, Esq., Royal Gardens, Kew. XXIIL—PARA RUBBER. (Hevea brasiliensis, Muell. Arg.) [ K.B., 1898, pp. 241-277.] What is known as the Para rubber of commerce is obtained from the pe region drained by the Amazon and its tributaries estimated to embrace a territory nearly two-thirds the size of urope. The plants yielding Para rubber consist of several species of Hevea belonging to the natural order Euphorbiaceae, familiarly known as Spurges We owe the first authentic account of the plants of this genus to M. de la Condamine, the leader of the French expedition sent ont in 1773 to measure an are of the meridian near Quito. The ree was known in the Andean region as * Heve” or * Jeve,” but according to Spruce this name is also applied to Castilloa Sope and to Siphocampylus Caoutchouc. In the Amazon valley it called “ Cahuchu,” probably the origin of the Gerd (lo year The Portuguese, in Brazil, call the rubber * Seringa," and the native collectors s 'Slerindetirod " The tree is * Pao de Seringa." names suggest that the syringe was one of the earliest uses to which indis-rubber was locally mi ed. other part of the world. In the present "vs of our povera d CE a review of the species of Hevea by Mr. W. B. Hemsley, i in Hooker's cones Plantarum, figures are given of Hevea spruceana, | Muell. Arg. (t. 2570), found in North Brazil, and of H. ben- thamiana, Muell. Arg. (t. 257 D, collected by Spruce on the 77 Uaupés river in North Brazil, and reported to be under cultivation f compared and discriminated (t. 2575). This is the most recent revision of the Heveas, but their geographical distribution in each cas i additi East Peru. One or two species of Micrandra (with simple leaves) known as Seriya, and according to Spruce, yield a milk containing caoutcho It is admitted ids e: chief species yielding the Para rubber of commerce is Hevea brasiliensis, Muell. Arg. (Siphonia brasiliensis, -B.K.), the Seringa of the Portuguese and the Para rubber tree of the English. This is a slender tree ees. a rie y of 50 to 60 feet, with a circumference near the base of 6 to 8 feet. ze leaves are digitate-trifoliate on long dese petioles. diclinous flowers are produced in axillary panicles, the female larger and terminal. The fruit is a dry capsule splitting into three one-seeded pieces. The seeds are round-oblong about an inch in length, with a brown polished testa, mottled with dark blotches. (Collins! Caoutchouc, t. 1; Hooker’s Icones Plantar um, t. 2575, figs. 1-7 ; Siphonia brasiliensis, Haynes Gewache, xiv., t. 2 a report — TEEF to the Foreign Office, by Mr. Consul W. A. Churchill (F. O 2140, Annual Series, "Trade of Para and district for the io 1800, ‘the following account is given of this rubber tree (pp. 25, 2 “The Hevea tree is not conspicuous, and resembles many other forest trees. People have travelled for thousands of miles through the rubber region and have lived for years 2 the centres of the industry without even noticing it. The new-comer invariably expects to see the glossy dark-green euim “of the Ficus, and is disappointed with the insignificant appearance of the Hevea. In habit it is more like the English = than anything else. It pen to a height of upwards of 60 fe * The localities where rubber-trees "uina the best are on islands and low ground near rivers where the banks are periodically me, Ground that is above inde at all times or that has no oe e is = so suitable to the tree “A peculiarity of this rubber dpdi? is, that it will not grow satisfactorily on cleared and open ground. It requires the shade of other trees, and still air, from the time that its growth begins until it becomes an adult tree. Without these conditions the supply of milk is very much affected. In fact, the tree has been known to die soon after the clearing of ground around it. * No cultivation of rubber trees worth mentioning has been attempted in the Amazons region. It is considered useless to invest capital in n ar so long as the Amazonian forests Show no sign of exhaust A very interesting a on the early history of the vue industry on the Amazon was communicated by R. Spruce 78 Hooker's Journal of Botany deus vii, 1855, pp. 193-196). This gives a graphie account of t he beginning of the Men d and preparation of Para rubber * When I ascended the Rio Negro in 1851, I pointed out to the inhabitants the abundance of seringa trees they ssessed in their forests, and tried to induce them to set about exisacting the gum ; but they shook their heads, and said it would never answer. At length the demand for india-rubber, especially from the United tes, began to exceed the supply; the price consequently rose The next doti account is a * Report on the Vili. qi and collecting of ro. and seeds of the india-rubber trees of Para, &e.," by Robert Cross, presented to the Under Secretary of State for India i in 1877. Extract ts from this are given below Mr. Churchill’s report, already cited, contains the jntöat and most authentic information in regard to the Para rubber industry. ‘ Out of a revenue of £428,894 collected on exports in the State n Para in 1896-97, T 295 was collected on rubber alone. The export duty is 23 per ce e entire ques crop of 1895-96 amounted to 20, Jd tons, S hiieds that of 1896-97 reached 22,315 tons, an increase 6:4 per cent. The crop of the State of Para nter 1896-97 amounted to 8,844 tons. The sources of the rubber supply of the Amazonian region are approximately given by Mr. Consul Churchill, as follows Sources, Quantity. Tons. From River Purtis Et iis MT A ie E 3,500 » » Madeira ja eva EN E o" 2,200 » „ 4Juruá A ES M BIN js Pn 2,100 k » Rolimóes i SUR ids us ses idea 1,000 T á f Qui bes kò 700 b vary and Port of Iquitos ká e den 1,500 » Peru ani Bal scr de each ) "e Ses des 2,000 » PM ae oF 9,000 Apteotipala annual production ... "ss 22,000 79 “The internal water communication afforded by the river mazon and its numerous branches is so great that railroads and other means of transport are hardly needed. Ocean steamers can reach Manaos, which is about 1,000 miles from the sea, at all times of the year. There is a regular service of ocean steamers plying during high river as far as Iquitos, a port of Peru, which is 2,200 miles from the mouth of the Amazons.” Mr. Churchill continues : “The great demand for rubber and t ttrac It follows that the rich lands of the Amazon are practically untouched, except to tap the wild rubber trees growing upon them. Nearly all the necessaries of life are imported from other countries, The town of Para or Belem, the headquarters of the great rubber industry of the Amazon region, is on the right bank of the river Guama, and about 100 miles from the sea. It is not on the banks of the Amazons, but is connected with n, and is the emporium where is transacted the largest india-rubber business in the world. ; According to Mr. Churchill, during the year 1897, the distribu- tion of Amazonian rubber from Para was as follows :— Tons. United Kingdom S $e E 8,843 Franee ... TE He di. lis 2,010 Haly x Sid au Gi ʻi 6 United States of America ... 40321586 Tot a: Eoi 22,544 LOCALITY, SOIL, AND CLIMATE. Para is in about south latitude 1?, but the district of the same name extends over a vast fo i o the south and we For the remaining six months of the year very little falls,i but there are fine days in the wet season and occasional showers in 80 the dry. The whole country is covered with dense moist forests, and the soil near the numerous and gigantic rivers is deep, heavy, and very fertile. During the wet season much of the low-lying country near the Amazon's mouths is flooded. In the gapos near Para, visited by Mr. Cross, he found: a flat district only three or te : as 80 or 100 feet high, and very damp and unhealthy, the soil full of moisture and ver s rich and fertile. The young plants, however, were not often observed io grow actually within the reach of the tides, but it is ere that they must occasionally be partially covered with w PROPAGATION, The most convenient means for propagating Para rubber trees is by seeds. As might be expected, seeds are difficult to collect in the dense growth of the Amazonian reni There is, further, other ma f i a period of three or four weeks. Seeds forwarded from Ceylon ew in canvas bags have germinated to the extent of 95 per cent. If special precautions are necessary, the i sometimes experienced in despatching Para rubber seeds is due to the fact that the seeds have not been quite fresh when packed: It is absolutely necessary that they be packed within a day or two of the time they have been gathered. Where this is done the seeds, if sound, should bear transport for three weeks at least. The other method of propagating the tree is by cuttings. These cuttings may be taken from the green lateral Ais =y soon as they begin to harden ; they strike readily i in rich firm r. Cross (p. 8) observes that “for planting on inundated en the period would be required in this case, the lower ends of which should be sliced off in the form of a wedge. The workman could take a bundle of these, and wading into the water would plant at proper distances, but perfectly upright, taking care to push each cutting same rule would be applicable when planting in sludge or soft marsh land. The crowns of the cuttings must not, if possible, be put $e water, as the young growths springing therefrom migh Seeds will n circumstances and conditions, slight changes and modifications in the methods of working will no doubt suggest themselves. . . noted, apply only to the Amazon re on. In other parts of the world Para trees have been bata aai impatient of floods, and 81 have actually been killed by being planted opm their reach. gain, it would not be desirable to form vere in any locality where the temperature at any time falls to 60? F he tree when fully grown does not exceed a height of eos sixty feet, and the largest trunk measured by Mr. e TOSS Was 8 feet ten inches i in circumference at a yard from the the upright habit of ~ tree it will not be aiiiar ls plant at any great distance apart COLLECTION OF RUBBER. Several vedete have been given of this ; the fullest is that of Mr. saw in practice the methods opago in t jelah baT UN of Lent His deboription (p. 4) is as follows :— I do not attach much importance to this statement, but I have recorded it. Another and more probable reason is that as rain often falls about two or three o'clock in the afternoon the apotik must be done early, as in the event of a shower the milk would be spattered about and 1 m The collector, first of all, at the he r a esi are, where necessary, replace pr ceeding to his work the collector takes with him a small axe for tapping, cu a wicker basket containing a good-sized ball of well wrought clay. He usually has likewise a bag for the waste droppings, and for what m to the bottoms of the cups. These se promiscuous gatherings are termed sernamby, and form the * negrohead ' of the English market. The cups, as already stated, are of bu lay, and are E pisce but more frequently flat or slightly concave on one side, 80 as "to stick easily with a small portion x clay teid against the trunk of the tree. The contents of fif cups make one English imperial pint. Arriving at a tree the collector takes the axe in his right hand, and, striking in an upward direction as high as he can reach, makes a deep a and penetrates an inch or more into the wood. The cut is an inch in breadth. Frequently a small portion of bark breaks off from the upper side, and occasionally a thin splinter of wood is also raised. Quickly stooping down he takes a cup, and, pasting na ‘Close beneath the cut. By this time the milk, which is of dazzling whiteness, is beginning to exude, so that if requisite he so smooths the clay that it may trickle direct into the cup. At a distance of four or five inches, but at the same height, another cup is luted on, and so the process is co ntinued until a row of cups encircle the tree at the height of about six feet from the ground. Tree after tree is aes in like manner, until the tapping required for the day is finished. This work should be concluded by nine or ten o'elock in the morning, because the milk continues to exude 25781 F 82 slowly from the cuts for three hours, or perhaps longer. I may State that there is a great difference meh collectors in the performance of these duties. Some take care to get good clay prayionaly, a" incorporate it well, so un a ue small portion needed the cup to the trun ey also with aris and. intelligence, and invariably collect a good quantity of milk. Others, a again, do not take the trouble to prepare clay beforehand, but merely scrape up a handful when the dae it at the side ‘of a gapo, which is often of o proper method of iag The ra tat of milk that flows from e cut varies, but if the tree is large, and has not been much tapped, the majority of the cups will be more than half full, and occasionally a few may be filled to the brim. But if the tree is much gnarled from tapping, whether it grows in the rich sludge of the gapo or dry abis many of the cups will be found to contain of mil om ardly t way, only that the cuts or gashes beneath which the cups are placed are made from six to eight inches lower down the trunks ke his cu previously made. If the yield of milk from a tree is great, two rows of cups are put on at once, the one as high as can be reached, and the other at the surface of the ground, and in the course of working the upper row descending daily six or eight inches, while the lower one ascends the same distance, both rows in a few days come together. When the produce of milk diminishes in long-wrought trees, two or three cups are put on various parts of the tfe where the bark is thickest. Although many of the irees of this class are large, the quantity of milk obtained is surprisingly little. This state of things is not the result of over- and the energies of the tree are required in forming new layers to cover those numerous wounds. The best milk-yielding tree I examined had the marks of 12 rows of cups which had already en put on this season. The rows were only six inches apart, hree grew close to a gapo, only — porie d high-tide mark, d being a vigorous tree the cups were usually well filled, but "with two years or so of such treatment the tree would probably be pine im injured. It has been supposed that the quality of ins h is the case with some vegetable products, but as regards india- rubber there ought not, I think, to be any eese us difference. In the rainy season the milk probably contains a greater pro- portion of water, but, on the d hand, I am of opinion that then a larger quantity of milk flows from the tree. No doubt the dry season is the most suitable for caoutchouc collecting, although, 83 wherever a plantation is formed with preparing house, convenient tapping ind certainly always be carried on when the weather is fi ^ There are two other methods adopted in tapping, which are chiefly confined to the Upper Amazon and tributaries. Both are exactly on the same principle, the materials used bein, ng only a little different. The loose outside bark o is cleaned off to a height of about three feet. Beneat hji a gutter or raised border of clay is pasted or luted to the trunk, enclosing one-half of the entire circumference. Cuts are thickly made in the k above this, from which the milk flows down to the gutter, whence it is conveyed to fall into a calabash conveniently placed. The other mode is by winding round the trunk the stout flexible stem of a climber, and claying it round securely, so that : | n e P= pam Be = mr] B [4] E © =a [«] © e+ © ln] CM er o =p — i fe] gr o pears the milk has to run, and of the large quantity of clay oyed in the process “Going from tree to iro at a sort of running pace, the collector empties m contents into a large calabash, whi ich he carries in his d. Ash the milk out of ea ch eup he draws his thumb or forefinger over the bottom to clean out some which otherwise would adhere. Indeed, a small quantity does remain, which is afterwards pulled off and classed as sernamby. The cups on being emptied are laid in a little heap at the base of each tree to be ready for the following morning. The trees occur at various and surprised that the natives had not yet see that would be derived by forming wn vid whereby more than twice the quantity of caoutchouc me be collected in one-fourth the time, and at far less cost and labour The trees are tapped if they have a TR of eighteen or twenty-four inches, and the rough process above described is carried on for many years, until the constant and extensive injury to the young wood causes their death, for some years previous to which event they almost cease to yield milk and are practically abandoned. It will be advisable, in -— to avoid this injury, to employ an instrument for cutting so shaped and guarded that it shall not be able to penetrate beneath the inner bark. With this ni dire e recommended ; but actual experience alone can decide on the method of tapping which will secure the greatest yield with the least damage to the tree's general vitality. PREPARATION OF RUBBER. on a cheap and accessible supply of labour. The implements used are very simple. So far no rubber is so good as that prepared by smoking over a fire of uiu. -nuts. As suggested by Mr. pee coagulation is partly due to the acetic acid contained i in the smok 25781 — F2 84 the Straits Settlements the prices quoted are always below those of smoke-cured Para. The following graphic account of the pre- paration of Para rubber is taken from Wells’ * Voice of Urbano" (London: Allen, 1888) :— ‘ Master and men then departed to various out-buildings, where . the Indian boys and women, after partaking of a very hasty and meagre repast of dried piraurucu (a large river fish) and farinha, were set to work at converting the milk, or sap of the rubber tree, into. india-rubber. “This process does not require any great manual labour; it is e P rather a work of patience. In a distant corner of the yard, under of the Urucuri palm was burning on several fires. The burning ac boy h hand; the blade of the paddle is dipped into the milk, which, adhering to the wood, is held in the smoke of Urucuri, and rapidly eoagulated and turned almost at once to the black india- rubber of commerce. The round blade of the paddle, covered on the gr in until the collected sap is exhausted and the rubber stored away. “ Early the next morning, the Indians will again go away in the canoes to the forest, there to empty out the contents of the tins that have been previously left adhering to the rubber trees by a dab of clay below a gash in the bark, whence the milk slowly ps into the tin pans. The pan, when emptied, is then gnacio's men all the sap that it was possible to obtain was taken . from every tree " (pp. 119-120). In the Museum No. 1 at Kew there is shown, in case 93 [now 05], on the ground floor, a complete series of specimens illustrative of the Para rubber industry In the early stages, when the rubber was exported in small’ quantities, it appeared in the form of shoes or the grotesque form ` in the form 85 “biscuit” rubber. This is classed, , according to the oo in which it is produced, as “Islands” and “ Up-river, * hard- cured” and *goft-cured." The medium qualities E uei e jerai in which there are occasion ally some streaks of white scrapings from the trees, mixed with the residues from the collecting pots and vessels, are made up into large, irregularly rounded balls and form a third grade known as *sernamby " or * negrohead " the latter from the fancied resemblance of the mass to the head of a neg The NE of implements used in the preparation of Para rubber here given were prepared from articles in the Kew Museum, and are kindly lent by the Editor of the Phara Journal :— ies USED IN COLLECTING AND en PARA RUBBER (H evea) IN BRAZ A. Small se with cutting edge about 1-inch vu P Small earthenware cup placed below incision to receive the late : Calabash e Pai ried by the seringuiero, in which is Soilse the fae from the 4 Bean Ak a cala bash used to pour the latex over the paddle F. Wooden Linc ne to the right before use, to the left with a first layer of H. Cutlass em to collect the nuts of the Urucuri palm (Maximiliana regia), D. peu earthenware pot vene which the day's collection of latex is poured reparatory to coagulatio Mezzo. G. Earthenware stove under which a fire of palm nuts is kept up. The latex on the paddle after exposure to the heat and smoke, omenia at the top, is coagulated and assumes a firm texture and dark colo FUTURE PROSPECTS. Mr. Churchill discusses these as follows (p. 26) :— * Some people suppose that the supply of Sere rubber may become exhausted in the near future. The most competent authorities are not at all of this opinion, but cents that the pply is inexhaustible, because the Hevea is continually being ed ; c The district of Cametá, on me iver Tocantins, gave an excellent rani of rubber. There was a special quotation a it in the fore markets. This " district, however, is now Shell, eine for about 40 years thousands of men have ipod) its trees. All new-comers flocked to Cameta to make their fortunes. There are still many districts that have iot been tapped. “ The area that is cai to produce Para rubber amounts to at least 1,000,000 square miles. Further exploration, will, no doubt, show that this area is under-estimated, 87 * The richest zones as at present known are along the banks of all the southern tributaries of the River Amazons, and on the islands in the main stream and near Pará. * The most prolific part is on the River Aquiry or Acré, one of the tributaries of the River Purüs. Here 100 trees yield as much as one ton of rubber per annum “The northern arene of the Amazons do not — much rubber. Of these, the River Negro produces the quality, hiwévep, Ji is soft. "The River Branco vials very little rubber, and the upper part runs through pasture lands and high ground which is not suitable for good rubber. Some of the other northern giae n have not been explored, and may yet reveal large stores of rubber. The Hevea is known to exist on the banks of the Tovuti: but that district has not yet been opened up.” BOLIVIAN RUBBER. The LIT areis particulars yos air d the yield of Hevea rubber in Bolivia are taken from a Report to the Foreign Office (F.0., Violin 1897, No. 1841) by Mr. crudi St. John : — * Nearly the whole of the india-rubber collected in Bolivia goes to England vid Para. On the spot it is worth from 22 to 25 Bol. per arroba of 25 lbs. Through the Bolivian custom-house of Mos Bella on the Brazilian fiontlor, 69,040 arrobas were exported i 1894, viz., 63,663 arrobas of fine rubber, and 5,377 arrobas of the inferior kind known as sernamby. “During that year, about 3,400 arrobas are said to have been exported through La Paz (Puerto Porez), whilst 3,000 or 4,000 arrobas are ary to have been exported through Puerto Suarez on the Paraguayan frontier. Hevea brasiliensis, the tree which yields this valuable sap, abounds in the virgin forests of Bolivia. “Tf these figures be correct, and no contraband trade in that article be carried on, the annual production may be estimated at present at about 850 tons. The duty on fine rubber is 1 Bol. per arroba, and 50 c. on sernamby.” Some Bolivian rubber is shipped from the Port of Mollendo on he Peruvian coast. Itis brought by rail from Lake Titicaca, and takes rank with good Para rubber, and com almost identical prices. In Messrs. S. Figgis & Co.’s d gar dated the 8th July, 1898, is mentioned :—* Mo gu xui ages sold, ne, 3s. 1144. ; ; entrefine gutty, 3s. 10d. ; RT good, 3s. 21d. INTRODUCTION OF PARA RUBBER TREE TO THE OLD WORLD. The introduction of the ee we fel M America to British Possessions in the Eas rprise which, M co twenty years ago, Kew t hem an ative: part. The expense w irely borne bii the Government of India. The ee of the eine taken in regard to Para rubber is given in the s (1875, p. 7; 1816, pp. 8 and 9; 1877, p. 15, and 1878, p. nE 88 - A concise summary, published by Dr. —— in the Appendix to the Report of the New Products Commiss meo cpm Papers, Peri. 1881, No. 13, p. 9), is reproduced be low “T am desirous of taking this opportuni y ét putting upon record something of the history of the Produced » the valuable Para rubber into the East, which has been effected at a large cos and with much Sap ees. Mas n the Government of India had determined upon the erprise, a commission was Mr. Wiekham, then ver * Santarem, to collect seed at the rate fou r n ny a few height of 18 inches.’ (Kew Report, 1876.) At Sir Joseph Hooker’s suggestion, it had been previously arranged between the India and Colonial Offices that owing to the want of any accessible and roperly constituted Botanical Garden in any part of India suitable for the growth of this completely tropical species, the seedlings should be sent to Ceylon to be cultivated and propagated for subsequent distributions to Burma, and other hot and moist districts of the Indian Empire. Owing to the plants’ rapid jan — € pecial ad to be made gro their tra ransmission, and, on August 12th, thirty-eight of these, poe 1 UY p na Aas despatched from Kew in charge of a gardener (W. Chapm n due course they were received at Poldostys i in very ila r Mr. Cross's share in the introduction of Para rubber was a very small one. He, also, had been sent by the Indian Govern- ment to South America to bring home live plants in case the kip miese of living seed should prove impossible, and he arrived at Kew n 2lst t November, 1876. He brought with him about ; ith ie scarcely three per cent. could be saved. About 100 plants propagated at Kew from these were subsequently sent to Ceylon. - *'The cost of ait] the seeds of Para rubber, freight and other expenses, appears to have been no less than £1, 505 4s. 2d. the Wardian cases alone deris £120, and the gardener and his sage £163. kd whole of this large expenditure was Pini by the ye Government. An undertaking involving s an outlay as this, it is s obviously beyond the power of the Bxactive of this Colony carry 0 ee but in this case, it is Ceylon which (from elimatie causes chi efly) appears likely t o benefit most largely from the successful action of the Goretbment of India." EXPERIMENTAL PLANTING IN CEYLON. As Ceylon was adopted as the central point in the East Indies for the cultivation and distribution of the rubber plants intro- duced by the Government of India from tropical America, this island He aed took an active part in starting experimental plantation 89 A concise summary of the results attained up to the end of 1894 was prepared for Kew by the late Dr. Trimen, and as it contains observations made by a competent and experienced officer for many years in ges d charge of the experiments, it is a valuable rd :— ' “In October, 1876, Dr. Thwaites being at that time director, there were received at Peradeniy ew, in charge of a gardener. hapman, 38 Wardian cases containing some hundreds of. young "ors of. Hevea, brasiliensis in excellent condition * 2 see eodlings were at once planted in bamboo pots, and in the rainy season of the following year, 1877, were transferred from Persika to the new ground acquired for the purpose in the low country at Henaraigoda. Here they were planted out, and at once began to grow with great rapidity. Propagation by cuttings was com rie in order to send supplies to India, which was done in 1878 and 1879; and a moderate distribution was also made by Dr. resi to planters i in Ceylon * On my arrival here in February, 1850, I found at Henaratgoda about 300 of the original d tall, slender trees four years old, the tallest about 30 feet high, and at Pe radeniya about 20 trees, smaller and less luxuriant in growth. Since that time he number has been increased, mostly by cuttings, and now consists of about = seed-bearing Ros at the low-country garden,. and 3 ciae of puc of the essa during this period is shown in the Pi ee table, the measurements being taken from one of the best grown of the original posuer at Henaratgoda :— Ft. In. End of 1880 xin sie 1 4 5 22 4 NN He vi. dvi WIDE Ee ace s LN d p i 2 14 » IN3 nn s sU 4-8 » 1884 ne 9 0 5» 415 : 3:1 » 1886 a4 s e Ti 4 5) 2 TOS 5 0 4 oes 5-0 2» 19 9 91 » AOOk ese iid Hs 4 G I wu 1599 RUE Wer e e a^ BOS s 1899 in e ii e 5 y 1894 6 8 h branches f aig so that the trees do not oceupy m “The first flowering occurred at Henaraigoda í in April, 1881, and a few (36) seeds were secured that year; at Peradeniya there were no flowers till 1884. The tree does wi. ees profusely, and it was not till 1887 that any large quantity was produced, Till 90 that year they were for the most part sown in nurseries, and the young plants distributed in Ceylon to Government officers and a few planters for trial. But as soon as larger crops of seed were produced we were able to comply with official requests for seed from other Colonies (see below), and I was able also to advertise their sale at a low price to the planting community generally. Thus we have distributed in Ceylon :— Seeds, 1889 ` ‘ = 8,000 1891 : . i « aoe 1892 ; 4 : --- 16,000 1893 . E ir - . 90,000 MeL e CUL M IL BEAD “A large number of estates in the low country have now plantations of young seedling trees, and some must be themselves producing see the Province of Sabaragamuwa. In 1890 a small commencement “Mr. F. Lewis of the Forest Department (under whose charge the plantation is placed), has kindly given me a full report of the progress of the trees, from which I extract the following parti-’ culars. The land selected in May, 1890, is at a place called alu i i selected at a place called Yattipowa, 37 acres in extent, at a rather higher level on the same river, and not liable to flood, being raised in the centre, and sloping east and west; this was planted up in the same manner. It was necessary to weed carefully for the first two years, after which the young trees produced sufficient leaf-canopy to keep this vegetation down. They grew at a great pace, some reaching 16 feet high in the first year, branching 91 usually occurring in the second. At the end of 1893 a few of those P IM fruited, and the seed produced was successfully germin * Measurements taken recently (December, 1894) of average sample plots from each plantation give the following mean girth, at three feet from the ground :— a. aa ies (4 ders ber dM of 100 12-96 ins. At Edi (8 years "old), average of 50 8379 4 p Edangoda (2 ‘Years old), average of 20 4-96 ” At "Yattipowá d years old), average ‘of 108 trees, on western slope oS y At Yattipo owa (3 years old), average ‘of 108 on eastern slope 9:13 the Sasa in the last méneuseriente fo iue to sinn of exposure to wind, * My first ER PREDA tapping was made in October, 1882, of five trees, then six years old ; and about 2l ounces only ^ rubber was ain ned. This small sample was sent home, and reported by Messrs. Silver to be ‘fully equal to mue Para dadis- rubber as regards strength and elasticity, and to be worth 4s. eai lb. This was quite satisfactory as to ied but it was obvious that the trees were yet too young to afford any quantity of milk. I therefore deferred any further tapping for a few years, till 1888, when the trees were 11 years old. One of the best grown and healthiest was then selected, having a stem circum- ference of 4 ft. 24 ins. at a yard from. the ground. The plan followed was to scrape off a little of the rough outer inis and to make V-shaped incisions with a ł-inch chisel in the inner bark. The milk mostly dried on the trees in tears, thick siti, and small sheets, and that which ran down the trunk was prevented with the following results :—In 1888 gave 1 Ib. 112 ozs.; in 18 gave 2 lbs. 10 ozs. ; in 1892 gave 2 Ibs. 13 ozs. ; in 1894 gave 3 lbs, 3 ozs. ; being a total of 10 lbs. 72 ozs. Ne a sample of eu rubber sent home in Februar ry, 1893, Messrs. Hecht, Levis, & Ka saei. that it was ‘very good i idée? its value at that date being from 2s. 3d. to 2s. 6d. As lb., easily saleable in any quantity. “A yield of over 10} lbs. of first-class rubber from a single tree in six years fully warrants a belief that the cultivation of large plantations would be highly profitable. Nor is there any reason to suppose that the trees would not easily bear tapping annually, and continue to yield for very many years if the wood were not 92 injured. I do not think they should be bled, however, until at least 10 years old. It is noticeable how rapidly the yield increases with * In India the only localities in which the tree has been found to succeed are Lower Burma and ments in both districts, Mergui in the former, and Nilambur in the latter, seeds and plants have been largely sent from Ceylon as follows :— To Burma (Mergui) 1878, Plants (rooted cuttings) 500 a eeds. To Malabar (Nilambur) 1878, Plants (rooted cuttings). < B 79 ” 18 , ” ” bkd 33 3x " 1883, ,, (stumps) uc Rt ” ” 1884, » ” tee 26 » » 1884, Seeds. od " mA a san ye us AD 29 9 1887, EHI * In 1880 we sent two plants to the First Prince of Travancore, in 1881 a Wardian case of 28 plants to the Andaman Islands, and in 1-88 about 3,000 seeds to the Commissioner of Agriculture at Nagpur, Central Provinces. * We have also been able to comply with the requests for seed received from the Governments of several British Colonies, and in 1887 and 1888 we despatched to :— Singapore (1888) m E: -. 11,500 seeds. po (1887) ... sam "or .. Seeds t iji sra ane s -. 1,100 seeds. Queensland (1887) ... ce -. Seeds. North Borneo ... vm $e --- 40 plants. Jamaica (through Kew, 1887) -. 2,000 seeds. Jamaica (through Kew, 1893) -. 200 seeds. We have also suppiied seeds to the Botanie Gardens at Buitenzorg, Java, and to the German East Africa Company. HENRY TRIMEN." Gardens, and also by the Forest Department. A large quantity of seed has been sold to private planters since 1886. ‘Chere are about 450 trees in the Botanie Gardens produeing about 100,000 seeds per annum. * The number of trees on private estates in Ceylon is probably about 200,000 of various ages m one to twelve years. This number represents an area of about 750 acres. 33 * Soil.—In its native country Hevea is a jungle tree usually growing in deep, rich, alluvial soil which is liable to be flooded during the wet seasons. The earliest plantations made in Ceylon B © 5 B z E © 4 © D in p. etr = B in E et e -— et o mn e e fu ioe dà un o 5 < S cá tá o ze 3 —— = =] E of any great depth, whereas in Ceylon the valleys are narrower, and the water may easily rise several feet. Land liable to frequent tlooding should therefore be avoided. * Chena land has been tried at Edangoda, but the result has been unsatisfactory ; sandy soil has also been found unfavourable to the growth of Hevea, and the tree also grows badly where exposed to much wind. “Tt would appear therefore that the most suitable soil and situation for this tree is fairly flat land, at about sea level, with good alluvial soil, preferably jungle land, and not sandy. The land should not be subject to frequent floods or strong winds. “The area of land in Ceylon suitable for profitable rubber cultivation is thus comparatively small, possibly not more than 00) acres, but, on the other hand, this cultivation need not interfere with that of cocoanuts. “ Cultivation.—Hevea forms a moderately tall tree, not very much branched. It begins to flower at about six years old, but for planting purposes the seed of more mature trees (12 or more years old) is preferable. * About February, in Ceylon, the leaves mostly turn brown and flowe n afterwa r. They are e is usually in the hot part of the day, and scatter the seeds to some distance. The seed is very large, weighing about half an ounce. It has a hard seed coat and the interior substance is very oily. “The seed soon loses its power of germination, and ought to be sown within a week of its falling from the tree. If it has to be sent on a voyage of more than a week, it should be very carefully packed in charcoal. Even thus, however, the majority of the seeds soon die, and the only satisfactory way of sending seeds to distant countries is to plant them in soil in a Wardian case and allow them to grow on the w “The germination of the seed is very rapid, and a long tap root is soon produced. The seed should be sown about an inch deep in well prepared soil, in nurseries, or, if preferred, in bamboo pots or baskets. "They should be kept shaded and watered, and when and the ma ac L D the method of planting out the smaller seedlings is perhaps preferable. 94 “The plant may also be propagated by cuttings. The method employed in the botanic gardens has usually been to take cuttings further b: pencil, and is eut ied at both ends by oblique euts made just below leaf s ie The cuttings are planted in nurseries in wet earth. This method is somewhat precarious ; sometimes ey all i the Mieten: grow, at other times only a small proportion “The seedlings, stumps, or cuttings should be Buen. ant out ad e pee of cacao, and filled with qood soil. A little SERI e MEE The young plants require to be lightly shaded for a time until they Ad established, and probably for the first two or three years they will grow the better for a certain amount of shade, such as would be given by narrow belts of trees gogo through the plantation. These belts should be arranged to act as wind belts,as the Hevea is easily injured by wind. PE the time de irees are about three years old they will M wn up to a height of about 25 feet or 30 feet. and form their own shade. “Various distances apart have been tried in planting Hevea. The younger plantation at Henaratgoda Garden has the trees planted 12 feet apart. ‘Their average girth is now about 30 inches, will have been obtained by planting 8 or 10 feet apart each way. The s thus form their own shade and keep down weeds, and a process of natural selection of the best trees goes on, and the more weakly and dwarfed trees may be gradually thinned out in subsequent POM Another advantage of close planting is that the he grow up straight without forming many branches low down, and this very RS facilitates tapping. * Para rubber is a surface-feeding tree, and catch crops should not "ipis be grown between the trees, which require all the > ae that the soil can afford. nd dihet animals, and require careful protecti n for about Aaien hs, after which time they are elija tall enough to require but little further protection. “Weeding is also required for the first year or two, but Servum the trees form a dense shade, under which but p 8 grow. “ The ANTE superficial growth of the roots renders manuring easy, and it would probably be found advantageous in poor or sandy so larg the ground. The girth of this largest tree was taken annually after this, with the following results :—It was 30 inches in 1883, 95 36 in 1884, 43 in 1885, 49 in 1886, 535 in Late 60 in 1888, 65 in 1889, 692 in 1890, 73 in 1891, and 79} in 1893. The girth of the largest tree measured in Brazil by Mr, Cross was 82 inches. “The measurements above given are those of the largest tree. ti Henaratgoda in 1876. This now consists of 45 trees, about 30 feet apart. The girth was taken at the height of the eye, pen 9 feet 6 inches above the ground. The largest tree was 7 His ; Dong wi is smallest 2 feet 1 inch i in girth. The mean girth w: feet 1 E Me: ing.—The yield of rubber from very young or slender trees is too small to make their tapping worth while, and it is best for m many reasons to abstain from tapping a tree until it has reached a girth of 2 feet. In a large plantation the girth of the trees always varies between wide limits. A few trees may be fit ry. the bulk of the trees should be in bearing before the end of the eleventh year. The results of the experiments hitherto made à Henaratgoda go to show that it is inadvisable, having rega the future, to tap trees of less than two feet in girth, but it is still a should not be-fixed even higher. This, pedan esae of course necessitate longer waiting for the retur he rate of inerease of girth in trees of this size is gens about 3 raver per “The methods of tapping and of coagulation of the rubber employed by the native collectors in Brazil and elsewhere are rough, wasteful, and inefficient, an ere is grea m for provemen xperiments are being made test methods of tapping and coagulation, and their results will form the subject of a subsequent circular. e 8 years in the tappings carried on at Henaratgoda. “The requisites for the work are a j-inch chisel, a wooden mallet, a number of clean cocoanut shells, each cut in two so as to form small basins, a knife, and a supply of clay and water with which to form the gutters round the trees. “The tree is first carefully and lightly shaved with the knife from a height of about 6 feet down to the ground, so as to form a perfectly smooth surface. _ Only the outermost aur of the bark rail be re at vg e ing pleted polished by Hanae or davetulty brushed, The great object in view is to obtain a smooth and clean surface, over which the milk can run easily, without becoming contaminated by small particles of bark or other rubbish, as the market value of rubber depends on its cleanliness. “A clay pains is next made round the tree about 6 phe und, so arranged as to catch the milk which will trickle tte the tree and empty it by two or more ‘sponte | fs as 96 ** Incisions may now be made in the bark with the mallet aud chisel, commencing near the top of the cleaned portion. A V-shaped cut is made in two strokes. The object to bea said time make these cuts to such a depth as just not to Mode the wood. Thor should stop in the bark close to the cambium, as the vessels which contain the rubber occur only outside, but em close to the cambium. If the cambium is not injured the wound rapidly heals, but if the cut penetrates this layer, and enters the wood, the healing of the wound is much slower, and at the same time risk is run of introducing parasitic fungi into the wood, which may cause much ut amage. Injury to the wood also causes a check m o satisfactory to keep separate coolies for each of the various operations required, as they all need much practice. “As soon as the cut is made, the white and very sticky milk commences to flow. A second V-shaped incision should be made about a foot below the first, and others at similar distances down to the gutter at the base of the tree. Another set of incisions may then be made parallel to the first, at about 10 or 12 inches from : t : , sS a sufficient room for them. On a tree of 2 feet 6 inches in girth, four vertical rows of cuts may be made without serious injury. * As each eut is made, the milk flowing from the cut pipe it should lie guided downwards to it along the bark by means of a twig, otherwise the milk is liable to S wasted by reiese to the ground from projecting portions of t ark. “The bulk of the milk, especially in large trees or trees which have not been recently tapped, ultimately flows into the cups at the base of the tree. These hould be kept covered in such a way to April, and in August and September. The tapping should be done on dry role otherwise it is ON to" ‘prevent dilution of the milk and to dry the rubber. 97 “ The tappings may follow one another at intervals of a week for about four to eight weeks. The second tapping gives a much OZ, First week ... sis "a - ids 73 Second a: js sta : EM eioira di hird ; 4 : Fourth ,, 80 Fifth. .,, 61 Sixth ,, :02 Total vi ns AT * Yield.—The statements as to yield of rubber found in books of travel and popular artieles are very unreliable, and experiments 8 are being made to test a yard from the ground. ^It was tapped on seven days between January 25th and February l5th, yielding 17} oz. of rubber, on six days between July 20th and August 29th, yielding 7 oz. and on four days between December 6th and 20th, yielding 44 oz., a total of 1 Ih. - 123 oz. The same method was followed in alternate years, with results as shown below :— Ib. oz. INS. -a ess FS va be 1 123 MOU. ves P e" erc E I8 1892 2 13 1894 ‘ 3.3 1896 3 0 Total :.... wu dg. | “The average yield of this tree from the twelfth to the twenty- first year is thus almost 1} lb. per annum. This result is very e 1897, and that therefore this yield, if the tree tapped as a fair sample, represents rather the result to be expected after twenty years, by which time the average girth of the trees should to the acre. These data thus indicate a yield of about 90 Ib. of rubber per acre in the twentieth year, a result insufficient to make.it worth the while of private planters to take up rubber eultivation. “ It seemed probable that betier results might be obtained by tapping younger and smaller trees more closely planted, and experiments were therefore begun in 1896 on a younger planta- tion of trees at Henaratgoda, The mean girth in January, 1897, G 25781 98 taken at 5 feet 6 inches from the ground, of 225 of these trees, was 2 feet 4} inches. The figures already given for the average weekly yields represent the mean results of the tapping of the mean girth of the whole periere From Six — e . per was obtained. This represents a yield of 97 lb. per acre 2s 300 trees (12 feet apart). If the trees tapped had been of the s mean girth as the whole plantation, the yield would probably } fuso been at the rate of about 120 Ib. per aere. Further, only six tappings were made, and the trees, after a rest of a few months, would probably have stood three or four more poids whose yield might have been at the rate of 30 or 40 Ib. per acre e No record, Mein el was kept of the aie when this e X tenth year. This estimate is, however, liable to modification by the results of experiments which are still i in progress Cost of opening Plantations. — The fol aind estimate of the first year's cost of opening a plantation of 300 acres of forest land with rubber was am by Mr. F. Lewis, Assistant Conservator of Fores Colom Rs. Felling and clearing at - 12 per acre.. ass — UU Lining, 10 ft. by 10 ft., at Rs. 2 per acre. "e vem 600 Holing, at 75 holes per cooly at 40 cents 697 Filling and planting and carrying Ungua from their nursery to hol es, 300 per cooly at 175 Draining—300 ft. of drains per acre pns 1 cent per foct run 900 Lines for coolies—1 ‘shed of 10 rooms of 12 ft. by 10 ft., mud walls, and battocalla roof, at Rs. 30 per (d. s 300 Roads for inspection, 2 miles aes ped tbe 160 Plant nursery, including watering is ioe prea 150 Weeding, at Re. 1 per acre per month .. Ye scs. MOD Cost of surveying lines round plantation, 15 Contingencies, such as special work, » bridges over ig or supplying vacancies, &c. 250 Salary of assistant eh dos sed eee 1,000 Jue cooly e oe as T i Hi 120 Tola eis vis wx 921 * This represents an average of Rs. 40 per acre. A return umn of Rs. 4,200 is estimated to be obtained by the sale of timber and firew wood fro m the land cleared, "This should suffice to erect the Assistant's bungalow and leave a small xe for LEOIN “ To this estimate priv. te planters must adå the cost of land and of seed Coat Rs. 20 per 1000). These items will probably 99 iog up the total cost for the first year to at least Rs. 125 per acre, matter of fact, 300 acres is more than can be opened in one yar as the number of seeds required will be at least 160,000, which aponta to nearly two years’ crop of the trees in the Botanic Garden Rs. 5, crore Md that the patio roots in the 35 ars following is at the rate of Rs. 5 per acre, the cost of the plantation up to and including the tenth year might work out as follows :— Rs. Cost of land, ee acres at Rs. 75 e s34 - 22,000 Cost of see e e i di E s. 0,000 First year's ond asa | abov m Son uu TLIA. Weeding and supplying, second year n ie ber age " third year ... Pes .. 2,400 » ‘a fourth year 1,500 ey - tenth : years inclusive 9,000 Salary of assistant, "second t nth years, inclusive . 9,000 Tappal cooly and tools, rae d tenth vente inclusive 1,250 Total ... wee sd 4e 39 EN S “Allowing interest at the rate of 7 per cent. on all said expended up to the end of the tenth year, the outlay upon plantation will amount to at least Rs. 110,000 or Rs. 366:66 per bes “ Return.—The value of Para rubber in the London market varies between 2s. and 4s, per Ib., according to the quality of the . rubber and the state of the market. Of the rubber which has should on be more n Rs. 50 per acre, taster arriage to London. This leav » a margin of Rs. r PA representing a return of 27 per cent. upon the original outlay ; 2 per cent. be p allowed for contingencies and the usual aessa of a tropical cultivation, there remains still a prospect of a good return on the capital expended.” PARA pgn IN INDIA. The climate of Bengal, where there is a distinct cold season, was soon found i E unsuitable for the cultivation of Hevea fte efforts in other parts of India it was ultimately decided t E establish rubber plantations at Mergui, in Lower Burma, and Nilambur, in Southern India. In accordance ith th further consignment of plants and seeds. To Nilambur, from * [An error of calculation ; the correct total is Rs. 64,777.] 25781 G2 100 1878 to 1887, rooted cuttings and stumps were forwarded, as Well as several lots of seeds. Of the latter 300 were sent in 1885. Further, in 1880 two plants were sent to the First Prince of ravancore ; in 1881 a Wardian case with 28 plants was forwarded to the Andaman Islands, and in 1888 about 3,000 seeds were sent to the Commissioner of Agreda at Nagpur, in the Central Provinces. There are now numerous trees both in Burma and Malabar producing regular supplies of seed. The introduction of Hevea brasiliensis trees into India has, ipeo, din success- fully = d. In etter received from the India Office, bens the 24th September, 1888, the following memorandum was enclosed con- ining an account of the result, of the experimental cultivation of Hed brasiliensis in Burm NOTE on the CULTIVATION i Hevea a iino in the TENAS- SERIM FOREST CIRCLE, by CoL W. J. SEATON, CONSERVATOR of rome. dated ps iua 1888. Early Experiments. — Experiments on' a small scale were com- menced at Mergui in 1877, with eight seedlings, the survivors of a small batch jooired from Dr. King, Superintendent of the Royal Botanical Gardens, Calcutta They were successfully set sat in the Forest Office compound at Mergui, and although on a low hill, a not very desirable site, yet their growth was for some time satisfactor ry. In 1879, a large number of Hevea panie, believed to be well- rooted cuttings, were forwarded by Dr. Thwa tes, Director of the a small tidal creek. Only 64 of the healthiest plants survived the planting = earan, and of these again casualties continued to take place e yearly, o iei "reed to attacks of white ants, until the number was reduced to 50 1886, since when there have been no further casualties, The fülloviod were the sizes of ten of the largest trees of 1879 n 29th March, 1888 :— Girth in inches No. | Height in feet. at 2 feet —. rom ground, 1 39 291 Forked edens two branches 4 feet from 2 434 37 Man be bole of : — 3 40 38 " 1 341 404 364 391 Forked at 3 fei from und, 6 383 271 Clean bole of er us : 31 ” ” » 18. ” ” n 9 1 27 ” ” 6 "n 10 213 18} ices ke E 101 Propagation with cuttings. ior the Vg of 1879, ca GERUNT, from the young trees in the Forest Office compound w in the plantation, but the Madii eel unsucce wah i. Subsequent attempts made from time to time met with no better success, the cuttings generally dying off during the — year. iis eA € seed.—In 1884, a few of the older trees having commenced to , experiments were made, with the result that 51 — ve qe raise These, however, when tran lia into ien main plantati ion, were ipic educed in number to 28 by attacks of white ants and vues is owsing off of the young shoots e following year a large _ of seed was procured from the § 50 older tr a but, not being sown immediately after collec- tion, a great portion ot. it fa iled to en ey and only 121 seedlings were raised. In the rains of 1886 better results were obtained by the prid m the sowing of the seed obtained fro older trees, and by the par oval of the husk enclo maine the seed. As m many as 7,0 b see were raised, germination occupying three to four days. ments were continued in 1387, and 8,430 additional Seep e obtained. From Ceylon 54 seeds were received in October, 1887, of which only 31 were fit to sow, but all failed to germinate. Stock on hand at end of March, 1888.—The stock of trees and plants in the plantation and nurseries was as follows at the end of March :— Trees set out in 1879 ... 50 goes 1884 to Hos set iu in ie main at 20' x sis uec Oe - d. nurseries Pr i: transplanting xd distribution, of 1886 3,609 Do. do. of 1887 8,430 Grand Total ... .. 14,841 General Remarks.—The 50 older trees appear to be in perfect health, with evidence of such vigour as to leave no doubt that d are fully — and have outgrown all danger from tacks of white ants jen ey yield an sburidant supply of seed, some of which, if allowed to fall, occasionally germinate under the trees. The flowering takes place generally in January, in the cool season. The fruit forms in March and Sie aan = ripens in July and August, about the middle of the rainy It will be seen that the propagation of the ass the brasiliensis in this part of Burma is now quite independent of external i , and that its acclimitization has been successfully demonstrated. 102 e now only remains to subject the larger trees to periodical ing to ascertain ihe yield in caoutchoue, after which the question iss have to = determined as to the precise area which advisable t p pant. up at Mergui and other suitable balus with this valuable The following further dcc Es affords information Drehen the experimental tapping of Hevea in Ten m :— INDIA OFFICE to ROYAL GARDENS, KEW. India Office, ca. 1889. S.W. 8 April 2 continuation of Mr. Walpole's letter of the 94th September last d s. & C. 1269/88), I am directed by the Secretary of State for India in Council to forward for your information f letter Seid from the Government of India, together with its enclosures, reporting the results a from tapping Hevea brasiliensis trees near Mergui, in Tenasser The specimens of caoutchouc referred iis in i enclosures have been forwarded to you separately by parcels post. I am, &e., (Signed) C. E. SERKARIN Sec Revenue, piane and [gn iones Departmen The Director, Royal Gardens, Kew. MEMORANDUM from COLONEL W. J. SEATON, CONSERVATOR of FORESTS, TENASSERIM CIRCLE, to the CHIEF SECRETARY to the CHIEF COMMISSIONER of BURMA, dated 28th January, 1389. Referring to my letter, No. 330-24, dated 6th October, 1888, have the honour to advise the despatch by parcel post of a containing the following quantities of caoutchouc, which Roo been obtained in the tapping of the Hevea brasiliensis trees in the plantation near Merg Collected in July, 1888. (1,) From 5 trees on the west bank of the Bókchaungale, 5 oz. Collected in November, 1888. (2.) From 37 trees on the east side of the 9 oz. (3.) From 5 troos on the west bank g aoe 08. ing experiment was first didari d in July, under the i impression that the flow of milk would be more abundant in the rainy season Small bamboo pots were, in the first instance, affixed to the trees y means of well-wrought potter's clay, and above them small pieces of tin were also plaeed in such a position as to protect them from the rain; but as the clay yielded to the rain and fell to the ground, tapping had to be undertaken at intervals between 103 the showers, the bamboo pots being ME by Pn the f the *' Thitsi " collectors. n ds to obtain the largest quantity of milk in the shortest Lane’ possible, numerous incisions were made on the trees. The incisions were made in an upwa direction and converging as equine. e quan cA e nx collected was so small in the intervals hat it was deem imit th of the Bókchaungale, which flows through the plantation. The milk was found to flow much more freely from these trees, although not much larger than the trees first experimented upon. They have, paigal thicker bark, and it was observed that the exudation of milk was greatest near the ground, where the bark was thickest, while at a height of 6 or 7 feet it was almost nil. O wing to continued wet weather, it was found necessary to dry the milk over a fire and keep it subsequently in a warm place near the fire for about three weeks. he experiment was renewed between 22nd and 26th November, when the rains had fully ceased, 42 trees being operated on, viz., 5 to the west and 37 to the east of the Bókchaungale. 4. I append a statement exhibiting the girths of the Hevea trees tapped between the 22nd and 26th November, 1888, and the number of incisions made on each :— : Average number ee Average Girth. of Incisions. ft. ins 5 trees west of stream ... -— die 2. 1 22 37 trees east of stream ... s ed Bod dec 12 Mr. J. W. Oliver, Deputy Conservator of Forests in Charge of Tenasserim Circle, supplied the following ves ipiius explaining the method of collecting and drying the rubber The milk poaa Vue. the trees west of the stream was 30 per cent. of the milk was collected in the shape of poene Instead of keeping Mim separate, these odd pieces were placed in the milk in order to secure the rubber in one These are the darker pieces of Ft ik hh may be seen in the largest piece of nuptae I do not think that they effect the quality of the rubber in any way, the odd pieces themselves eg ge and so ens idi of a better quality than the surrounding ru . 104 ROYAL GARDENS, KEW, TO INDIA OFFICE. Royal Gardens, Kew, June 4, 1889. SIR, AM desired by Mr. Thiselton-Dyer to cordes the esata of your letter of the 26th April — (R. E vds . 614) forwarding a copy of a letter received from the Gov ment of India with enclosure reporting the results obtained from tapping trees of Hevea brasiliensis near Mergui in Tenass valuation pe report, through S. W. Silver, Esq., F.L.S., to the India Rubber, Gutta wo Permit, and Telegraph Works Company, Limited, at Silvertow 3. I enclose herewith a copy of the valuation and report Movet. sei un them. On the whole this report is favourable. The small quantity of rubber available (in no case exceeding a ew ounces in weight) rendered y manipulation somewhat difficult ; but bearing this fact in mind the result aa shown in the samples of prepared rubber ed in a separate cover is very encouragi ng. 5. The rubber mun No. 3) obtained from trees xm the — season was dried over a fire. The quality of this appears be better than either No. 1 or No. 2, and it approaches ve udis to No. 4. Except as regards the diffieulty of coagulating the Vel there appears from these experiments to be little difference between the specimens collected during the rainy season and those collected “when the rains had fully ceased.” 6. All the trees tapped were young, and few were more than 12 inches in diameter. Mr. Thiselton-Dyer is of opinion that it is very desirable that these _interesting experiments should be f o B e .B © g $5 BE oom o E er = Ith E d B eee 5 © larger use in ; š however, the milk does not coagulate meny, it might be advisable e cautious plias ion of dry heat in the most convenient errei locally available. Mere su Ere atay during the iny season, does not appear to edid good rubber. d is large i essary, in order to prevent reise oid mass as soon best Para rubber is prepared by dipping a wooden paddle in the r and kokkaa it in the thick, hot smoke from burning wood and palm nuts, When the first layer i is dry the paddle is dipped 105 again and the process repeated until a thick solid mass of caout- chouc is obtaine slit is made down one side, the rubber is peeled off the Sod and hung up to dry. I have, &c., (Signed) D. MORRIS. J. A; Godley, Esq. 4 XB. India Office, Whitehall, S.W. [Enelosure.] REPORT from INDIA RUBBER, GUTTA PERCHA AND TELEGRAPH WORKS COMPANY, LIMITED Silvertown, iru 30, 1889, four samples of Hevea rubber received fro ew have been Eight samples sent herewith, four each, “ washed” and “e ured. ^» No. l. Has the appearance of that imported some 12 months since, and known as Rio rubber; is soft, and would decompose if ae sed to tke oceans heat after washing, losing 12 per cent. n that process; its commercial value 1s. 11d. to 2s. No. 2. Slightly firmer; in other respects the same as No. 1. No. 3. Percen tage; s loss somewhat less, and therefore of a trifling increased v; No. 4. Found to E i and firmer, not so likely to decom- ose when drying; worth 2s. 3d. Owing i the scrappy nature the loss is greater bon it otherwise would In Southern India the of the vean of Para rubber rees have so far not bee n In 1888 Mr. Lawson was iod by the Government 4 supply a short resumé of the success which had (oot ape vus eaktivation 4 in the Madras Pisaidetioy: He replied as follow “There are throe young trees of Hevea brasiliensis in the Barliyar Gardens. They are about 20 feet in height, and have stems of about 18 inches diameter at the base . . They grow vigorously, and they have flowered for the first time tite’ spring, have been unable to extract rubber from them in any quantity.” At Nilambur the rubber trees (Ceara and Hevea) hern planted amongst teak trees. In the Administration Report for 1884—85 it was stated * the growth of the rubbers on the lolo sabumi good, though Mr. Hadfield doubted whether they would yield much revenue as there was little milk in the seven years' old trees.” Again: “One pound of rubber was obtained from 80 of the largest trees in 1886-87, but no tapping was done subsequently." No distinction appears to have been made in these reports between the Hevea and Ceara rubbers. It is possible that the failure noted applies more particularly to the latter trees. ` 106 The latest information available on the subject is irr in the Report of the Nilambur Teak Plantations, 1895 (Appendix C., . 69). The following remarks (quoted from ira S Citar. No. 8 of 1897, issued by the Reporter on Economic Products to the Government of India) appear under Exotic Plantations— Rub ki "t oed king.—The rubber is quite out of place in the middle of a teak plantation, even should it prove itself of any commercial value e soil occupied is some of the most valuable in the citations Fesin are now being conducted in tapping the rubber, and, as far ey have eoe show little prospect of any material revenue ee realised. iggest trees are now y 20 old, and each covers the pes es is two six years (even this is very doubtful), and the result expressed in current coin would compare very unfavourably with the value of two teak trees of the same age. “ Probably the most paying thing to do would be to fell this area in 1895, clean and to plant it up with teak. In order, how- ever, that the success or failure of the rubber growing may be proved, it is proposed to clean and fell at the end of the first rotation in 1900, when very few clean saplings x gaai size will be available, and plant up the whole area with tea 1901. This compartment will then work into the iege circle. ” In Teak Plantation, the Taapsee of Fore in India Mr. B. Ribbentrop (Indian Forester, 1898, p. 168) discusses the suggestions for cutting out the rubber trees as follo * It would appear that the experiments puce se with the introduction of rubber-yielding tr have en un- successful, but I feel nevertheless disinclined to agree in the proposal that the experiments of making the Nilambur Basin an To me it seems that the Nilambur Basin is eminently adapted for the growth of riego rie d plants, and the facility of export demand for babes: and its price, are deed protic at would strongly advise that experiments zr be continued till the most suitable rubber-yielding tree m whic ll grow in DM not required for the toaa of the teak plantatio: PARA RUBBER IN THE STRAITS SETTLEMENTS. Plants of Para rubber were forwarded direct from Kew to Singapore in 1876. In 1877 Mr. Murton reported : “ Our climate is evidently suited for the growth of Hevea, judging by the progress the plants sent last year have made." Some of these aere were afterwards introduced to P erak, where, in 1879, Mr. (now Sir Hugh) Low reported : * The Heveas are 12 to 14 feet high. They take to the country immensely." 107 e Mr. Ridley, Stroo of the Gardens and Forest Départinélt was, however, good e ough to forward photographs, in May last, of a rubber pla ‘tation in the Botanic Gardens, showing a grove of trees of different ages and sizes. One of these had been tapped at nine years old, and had yielded two pounds of rubber An interesting account of the original trees ned at Kuala oe by Sir Hugh Low was lately given by Mr. R. Derry in Perak Museum Notes, Vol. IL, pp. 101-102. They are yielding sends freely (25,000 last year), 'and are considered at present of re valde 1 as seed bearersthan as rubber producers. The follow- a letter has been received from Mr. Derry :— CURATOR, GOVERNMENT GARDENS and etg icc TAIPING, PERAK, to ROYAL GARDENS, KEW Government Plantations Office, Taiping. October 6, 1897. DEAR SIR, I AM now able to reply to your letter, dated December 14, n with reference to Para rubber trees planted by Sir Hugh Low a Kuala e SANDING Pe s quite a mistake to suppose that -> Ar no rubber. I Án collected over 1 cwt., and find the n quite freely. rom a few trees I have collected 5 Ibs. sash sid vul stopped for fear of talong too much. sent me) that the trees had br been dd by Dyaks un- who are familiar with such rubbers as Alstonia a m Willughbeia, &c., no doubt extendi that as the trees did not run at once when ta pped t there was not any rubber—hence the mistake. I am now sending samples home for valuation. Iam, &c., (Signed) R. DERRY. The Director, Royal Gardens, Kew. The following further particulars, communicated by Mr. Derry, ". taken from the Perak Government Gazette for April 8, 98 :— PARA RUBBER (Hevea brasiliensis). Many trees hav» been tapped, and a report on the work sub- mitted. The rubber obtained is not yet sufficiently smoked for . sending home, but samples have been valued in Mincing Lane at 2s, 8d. and 3s. per pound, and considered equal to Brazilian- produced rubber, and also worth ls. per pound more than that usually sent home from the Straits 108 There has been a large demand for seeds, and about 35,000 have been supplied. How far this industry is deserving attention may be inferred from the following moderate estimate :— (Planted 14 feet x 14 feet = 225 trees to the acre.) : i i.e., | Gross value estimated Age. Yield per tree. pa treo x 223. ju "at 2s. per lb. Years. Ounces, Pounds. A 2:4. $ 6 10 1401 14 10 0 7 18 250 35-0 0 8 26 365 86. 15. 0 9 34 478 47 13 0 10 42 5903 i9 The importance of close planting is not generally D Planted at 14 feet x 14 feet, against 25 feet x 25 feet, would . possibly result i x a difference of one year in six in feo ‘of close planting. I am of opinion that, planted 14 feet x 14 feet, trees could be inset i in the fifth year, if not cst ng rubber isa remarkably adaptable tree, growing in swamp , high ith and, or dry ground without, so far as I have tested, any 57 unde in nis yield rubber. The following extracts are taken frem Notes on Rubber Growing in Perak by Mr. L. Wray, Curator and State Geologist, Perak, dated 4th December, 1897 :— In 1887 some seed was obtained from the Kuala Kangsar trees and planted in the Museum grounds, Taiping. The soil is very grown well and have ares in the ten Jee which have elapsed The tree has also ks planted at Rae DE where it grows well. It is in the garden of the District Magistrate, and close to the river. The land is occasionally flooded ed by the river, and in the ordinary way at high tide the river is only a foot or two below the level of the surface of the ground. The river is quite salt enough for the Nipa palm to grow well on its banks. t has been planted at Sitiawan, also on low land near the sea: ; at Tapah, Batu Gajah in Kinta, and other places in the State, and in all it has grown w ell. It may sede be stated that it will thrive in any locality, om the bakaw swamps to the foot-hills, and on any soil, from rich alluvial to Aeg mine-heaps. So far I have not noticed that it has any enemies which n ii serious injury. When large areas come to be planted up t may arise trouble with some pest, but at Aan there does ook appear to be any indication of such a contingen Hitherto the trees have been planted o and, as une be 109 There is little to guide one on the subject, but from 15 to 20 feet apart would appear to be about the correct spacing. At 20 feet it might be necessary to plant something in between them to at 15 feet. In Lar at Kampong DON they are being planted ai 10 feet b 10 ‘feet, that i = - per ac It is very close but it is the intention, I am informed by Mr. ‘Waddell Boyd, the manager, to thin them out lator on pu 20 feet by 20 feet or 108 per acre, tapping the intermediate trees—that is, those which are ultimately to be thinned out—as early as possible and as severely as they will stand, while the others are allowed to grow to a large size before tapping. With a view to giving some data respecting the growth of the trees, I have measured thirteen of those in the Museum grounds. These trees, it is to be remembered, are ten years old, and are planted on mined land of the poorest quality. For these 13 trees ground is 4 feet 2 inches. This s a mean annual growth in height of 7 feet 3 inches, in A rE of 5 inches, and in diameter of 1:6 inch. The trees are very prolific seed bearers. Those in the Museum grounds have this year yielded nearly 14,000 seeds—or, to speak r hav trees are planted by the side of a large ditch, and all the seeds which fall into it are at once carried away, as they are very light and float on the water. The seeds have beeu distributed, 3,000 going to the Jebong Estate, and 11,000 to the Sam Sing Estate At 15 feet by 15 feet "pei seeds would be enough to plant 724 acres of land. Whefe the land is ready it is certainly an advantage to plant the ee t Stake, but where this cannot be done not much loss would follow planting in nurseries and then transplanting. The thing to avoid in this method is the production of double stems near the ground, caused by the original shoot dying out or being broken off. It has recently been proved by Messrs. Curtis, Derry and others that these trees will yield at least one pound per tree per year of clean rubber. Taking the value of the rubber at 2s. per pound only, we get i is acre of land planted at 20 feet by 20 feet, an annual crop worth £10 16s., and if wed at 15 bossa 2 = Aie worth £19 6s. "This sho uld begin, as far as is about the sixth or seventh year, and dy the 12th veut api dem increased a double the amounts giv A sample of rubber obtained ran a tree cultivated in the Botanic Barden, Penang, and recently forwarded to Kew by Mr. C. Curtis, has been submitted to Messrs. Hecht, Pavia & Kahn, 21, Mincing Lane, E.C., who report upon it as follow di oe md (31/8/98) 3s. 3d. per lb. ; beautiful ae very well c It may get mentioned that Fine Para rubber is now selling at about 4s. 4d. per pound. It would be interesting to learn why this " beautiful rubber” from Penang should be valued at more than a shilling per pound less than Amazonian rubber. One explanation is that Hevea rubber cured in any other way than by 110 the smoke of palm nuts is intrinsically not so good as Fine Para. This is evidently not the whole story. It is possible there is a certain amount of prejudice existing against Hevea rubber in any other form veh that in which it has always been received in € country. In any case it is desirable to institute a comparativ chemieal investigation of the value of Brazilian rubber as pane that obtained from cultivated trees. So far it would appear that no Hevea rubber obtained from cultivated trees has reached the highest prices atdained by Amazon rubber. ZANZIBAR. n the “Shamba,” the Journal of Agriculture for Zanzibar (october, 1897, p. 2), issued by Mr. R. N. Lyne, F.L.S., the irector of griculture, the following inter —— note appears sene a fine tree of Hevea brasiliensis growing at Mbweni. This, originally received from Kew, was planted in the Botanical Garden established by Sir John 'Kirk when he was Consul- General.at Zanzibar (see Kew Bulletin, 1896, pp. 80-86) :— “The cultivation of rubber is beginning to occupy ine here now. At Mbweni, there is a Para rubber tree 50 feet i height and over 6 feet in girth. It is a beautiful tree, clean iid straight in the trunk, with not a branch : prone p its tapering symmetry till the crown is reached. It is now flowering. We believe that this tree has not beeu tappe ii but a casual stab in passing induced a flow of milk which suggested a good reserve. alluvial. At Mbweni, the Para rubber tree is found on a porous sandy ridge within 100 yards or so of the sea cliff. And yet it has grown on this apparently uncongenial locality with His greatest vigour. In the ric cher and damper soils it ought t thrive as in its native country.” MOZAMBIQUE. In the report on the trade of Portuguese East Africa for the year 1889 (F. O. Annual Series, 1890, No. 742), forwarded by Sir H. H. Johnston, Mr. Vice-Consul Ross at Quilimane records the existence of trees = Hevea brasiliensis as follows (p. 10) :—‘‘In a private en the bank of the Chinde River I was shown half-a- dozen ad healthy Para rubber trees a year - and some 15 feet high. 'They had fruited well, and the own r had sown in the neighbourhood most of the seed they had born WEST AFRICA. Gambia.—In the report on the Botanie Station at the Gambia for 1897, the Curator reported (Kew Bulletin, 1898, p. 41) : *a few plants of this are at the Station, es bud do not pod to be growing well, owing to the ap dry se Sierra Leone. e Firs p d eport on the Botan Station at ioci. Mr. Willey, the late Curator, states : * cono plants of the Para rubber, the premier rubber of the world, are growing here, but wid are too — yet to express ^ en as to their ultimate success. They will be reported on la: 111 Gold Coast.—In the report on the Botanic Station at Aburi for 1894 the vie States, * rubber plants, especially Para rubber, are making good progress. Some of the trees only 18 months' growth are 10 ‘feat high and have stems 3 inches in diameter,” Lagos.—In Mr. Millen’s Report on the Botanic Station for the quarter ending 30th September, 1895, mention is made of Hevea spruceana but none of A. brasiliensis. The former is described as having done “fairly well.” In the Report for the year 1897 eeds of Hevea brasiliensis are acknowledged as having been aired from Kew Para rubber trees have been introduced to French and German possessions in West Africa. They are Fees, as having done well in some localities in the Cameroons, and opted du to the T'ropenpflanzer rubber has already bia obtained from them WEST INDIES. Jamaica.—Seedling trees of Para rubber thave existed at the Castleton Gardens, Jamaica, since 1882. In the Bulletin of the Botanieal Department, 1894, p. 104, Mr. abies the Director of Publie Gardens and Plantations, states =>‘ There are young trees at both the asilih and Hope Gardens, but they have not yet yielded any rubber. The bark is about 4 inch thick, and the lactiferous vessels lie in the inner half of the bark. From examination made in the Gardens, it would appear that this tree end succeed only in Jamaica grown as a forest tree wet. is q than the rainfall, an E that the tree might be grown in the swamps along the South Co oast Dominica.—In the eons = the Botanic Station at Dominica for 1896 it is Senge * We have now all the best kinds of rubber trees, viz., Hevea, Castilloa, Tics; Manihot, and Kic RG. 4 4 The plants of Howe and Kickzia are still small." St. Vincent.—According to the Report on es Botanic Station a St. Vincent for the quarter ending 30th of June, 1891, six plain this experiment. The Central America noe tree (Castilloa elastica) is said to be doing very well in St. Vincent, Grenada.—The Para rubber tree is recorded as under cultivation at the Botanic Station, Grenada, in a list published in September, 1893. In 1895 it was in flower and fruit, Trin er —In the Annual Report for the year 1897 on the Royal Botanie Gardens at Trinidad, Mr. Hart, the Superintendent, states 4 the Heveas or the Brazilian and Demerara rubbers are siz o bleed so freely as C they grow so Miren d but they have the advantage of able to rm in places where Castilloa could not thrive. Trees of are present in de Garden and annually give us seed in Limited. anii. ds 112 The following interesting particulars have lately been serre respecting rubber obtained from these trees during this SUPERINTENDENT, BOTANICAL DEPARTMENT, ovdi to ROYAL GARDENS, KEW. Botanical Department, Trinidad. J 2, 1898. I FORWARD you a ball of Hevea rubber collected from our in the following manner:—The rough bark was first s portes d" so as to obtain a clean surface without injuring SIR, in the morning. e quantity appears to be greater after rainfall. It came without fresh cutting. Yours faithfully, (Signed) J. H. HART. The Director, Royal Gardens, Kew. MESSRS. HECHT, LEVIS and KAHN, to ROYAL GARDENS, KEW. 21, png. e London, E.C. July 12, 1898. DEAR SIR, reply to your favour of the 8th instant, which only reached us this morning, we have examined the ball of Hevea rubber from Trinidad which you E. us and find the qubhity excellent in every respect, clean, strong and dry. This rubber would be readily saleable in this market and would at the present moment command a very high pee probably about 3s. to 3s. 2d. per lb., perhaps even a little mor Yours faithfully, (Signed) HECHT, LEVIS and KAHN. BRITISH GUIANA. Hevea brasiliensis does not appear to have taken well in this colony. According to Mr. Hemsley there are sp least two species of Hevea posable of British Gui Tms- Hevea pauciflora, Muell. Arg. (H. S na, Oliver, pro p in Kew E Report, 1890, P. , has bod collected di Jenman oed 125 and 2450), an d by i im Thurn (No. dy tnter e Mazaruni River. The other Guiana plant has recen aint as a new species and is Hevea confusa, Hemsley (Hooker's Icones Plantarum, vol. vi, pt. iii, t. 2574, figs. be This was co jHeoted by the Schomburg ks and ay e Seat River, by Jenman on ue ede. (No. 621) and Essequebo ies (No. 1332), and is now der Saher at the Trinidad Botanic Gardens (Hart, No, 3554). _ A Report on “some of the Rubber-producing Plants of desc Guiana, zi the Government Botanist,” was published at the 113 y: is ign Gazette" office, in Georgetown, in 1883. Laterinformation ihe same subject is included in a Report on “the Balata einn of British Guiana," published in 1885. The following brief account of the rubber-yielding plants of British Guiana appeared in the Appendix to the Report of the West India Royal Commission, 1897 (Kew Bulletin, Additional Series, I., pp. 34-35) :— The most promising rubber tree is the * Hatie.” This is found in the upper basin of the Essequebo and Mazaruno rivers, and Pomeroon river. r. Jenm . several pounds of rubber might be produced. The milk of a tree or trees kno c g or specimen of rubber obtained by Mr. Jenman from a large twining plant known locally as * Macwarrieballi," and determined to be Forsteronia gracilis, was received at Kew in 1888. It was shown that if the plant from which this rubber was prepared existed in any qune P EN interior of the Colony, the collection of the rubbe very promising commercial undertaking (Kew Bulletin, ss.. m 69—71 [p. 40 It is very desirable cs all dann rubber trees should be carefully and Sauver investigated in order to find out their true value. It is probable that it may be found profitable to establish na frr pleins i in districts where the best rubber trees m already found. Jan be done with little ped. and it offers the bost iu mediately extending the are plentiful it would only be necessary to clear away some of the other vegetation and allow the rubber trees more light and air, as well as thinning them out when too crowded. ere the conditions are favourable and the plants only sparsely found, m seedlings might be transplanted or fresh seeds * dibbled in intervals to fill the vacant places. The cost of this plan not be considerable, as the trees would require little attention after they were well started. XXIV.—PARA RUBBER IN THE STRAITS SETTLEMENTS. [K.B., 1899, pp. 21, 22.] Penang.—A brief reference to the experimen icd ageres E this rubber was sved in the Kew Bulletin for hes p. 273 since been received fro r U. AL the Assistant Superintendent of Forests, both of which were taken from a tree growing in the Botanic ing to three pounds. One sample deg n coagulated with, and the other without, alum, but both were dried by fire heat. Accom- panying the samples was a bag of chips or shavings of the "aloe of the rubber tree, containing a quantity of it was thought that ji might prove a marketable article for eg 25781 H 114 Price of the rubber. All the samples were submitted t Mess cht, Levis, and Kahn the well-known rubber leder almost valueless, containing as they do onl Aman; iraces of rubber. We estimate the value “of these shavings fro per pound. The other two samples are of excellent PAD and would meet with a ready sale at probably about 3s. 6d. per pound, if the bulk of the rubber is equal in dryness to the two small cakes you have sent us. The treatment of No. 1 with alum does not in any way interfere with the quality." Perak.—The experimental cultivation of Para Rubber in the Straits d has been discussed in the Kew Bulletin, 1898, pp. 271-2 p. 106]. The ceni report gives a higher valuation for the produce of the trees grown in Perak than that already quoted. THE pe hada ty GOVERNMENT PLANTATIONS, PERAK, to E SECRETARY TO GOVERNMENT, PERAK Government con Offi SIR, Tai E Otobe 3, 1898. I HAVE the honour to forward ongles a copy of the corre- spondence in connection with a parcel of Para Rubber (208 pounds sheet, se 8 pounds scrap), prepared at Kuala Kangsar, and sent home for sale. a ea dug is interesting, as it shows market value of ara Rubber veda in Malaya. The parcel realised $293:90, exclusive of charg The Rubber was iun at about 3s. 5d. per pound, but sold for 3s. 1d. owing to the cost of analysis. e analysis showed a loss of 264 per cent. in washing, but the manufacturers think that if sent home in bulk, the loss would be 30 per cent., as a large quantity could not be sent home so dry. I have, &c., (Signed) R. DERRY, Superintendent of Government Plantations. XXV.—EXPORT OF PARA RUBBER SEEDS. [K.B., 1906, pp. 196-197.] The Polling valuable note by Mr. H, N. Ridley, of Singapore is reprinted from the Agri io al Bulletin, Straits and Federated Malay States, Vol. V., (1906) :— * As is well known, the seed of = Para rubber tree deteriorates ery rapidly after it is ripe, and soon loses its germinating power. Tt ia is not always easy to send seed long distances without a very percentage of losses ; at the same time the demand for seed in. distant parts of the world is very considerable, and a good 115 many experiments have been tried in the Botanie Gardens in od 25th Oetober, and Mr. Faweett writes: * The 7,500 seeds sent in da ee With Néfar on to this consignment Mr. Titi remarks in the Bulletin of. e dri — d Agriculture, Jamaica, Vol. IV., o. 7 (1906) : r 87 per cent. of the seeds sown germinated, but some of the pecie were Eyed inttr — and died, so hes bna 5,071 plants survived, or about 68 per cent. of the seeds Wardian case arrived ‘with Mer seede, but only 18 plania vie raised out of the whole number,” | * One hundred were sent in a nip manner to Calabar on the w portion left above the soil. Ninety out of the hundred seeds have erien metes (Névem ber 7th), and appear healthy you plan dea te the Royal Gardens, Kew, 135 seeds were sent on J July 6th, packed in charcoal in a biscuit tin. They arrived in a mon nth, and 123 Mod. On February 12th, 1:03, 20 seeds er sent to Mr. J. C. Harvey, Vera Cruz, Mexico, who writes, May 15th, 1903, that *out of the 20 seeds of Hevea brinite I have 14 young plants. They came up in a few days, and possibly a few more all sent in biscuit tins. Those sent to Jamaica were packed in. slightly damped incinerator earth, but it was necessary to replace the upper part of the packing with: sawdust to reduce the weight, as incinerator earth is very heavy, and the box, a two-pound tin: rni contained 150 seeds, would have been over parcel post. ight. * The other tins were filled with damp charcoal finely powdered. ! In packing a certain amount of care is required in damping tho. charcoal so as ig? get it equally moistened all through, and not. either over wet or over dry. is is "M t done by damping the- chareoal thoroughly, and then dr rying it in the sun, constantly stirring and turning it over till it is uniformly slightly dam he incinerator earth, which had been e he elements, was damped when received, and only wanted partial drying to fit it for packing. Its weight is a ap its use, but both i the powdered charcoal have the great advantage of preventing any attacks of mould or bacteria likely to cause decomposition. Other experiments with powdered coir fibre and coir dust. sawdust, and | variously prepared soils have been tried, but the results do not seem cessfu On in putting the seeds in water for a month, and though that might. be effective for a nap or 80, they had all ique ee the end. of the month.” 25781 H2 116 XXVL—PARA RUBBER, (Hevea brasiliensis, Muell, Arg.) THE RISE AND FALL IN PRICES OF THE FOREST PRODUCT FOR THE PAST 30 YEARS AND OF THE CULTIVATED FORM FOR THE PAST 4 YEARS. [K.B., 1906, pp. 241-242.] In the Kew Bulletin for 1898 a chart was published shewing the verage prices of fine Para rubber (Hevea brasiliensis), for the no period has the price remained fixe roughout any persica iar year, the nearest approach to this occurring in 1897 with ge of 3d. only ; the greatest Sentit from it in 1879 with a The E ret, maximum, minimum, and average, in all instances, are given minus fractions of a penny. Some explanation is necessary in connection mih the lines for cultivated or plantation Para ru " appears to hav? come exclusively from Ceylon see j^ Straits Settlements. The history of the industry in respect of these mple d Bulletin, 1898, p. 255) ms i Settlements (Kew ‘Bullets, 189 14 y. 107]; and 1899 p. 22 [p. 114]). On this subject it may ae be of interest to quote the following letter from the Straits’ Agricultural eee (VOL ih, 1903, p. D Mog: together with the accom ing C will give a fair to their relative positions and to the trade in general at de dius (1903). «36 Fenchurch Street, * London, E.C., “Tth April, 1903. “Harold Tunnicliffe, Esq., * Atherto rton Estate, Port Dickson, « Settlements. e o n ood quality, tho' perhaps a trifle ‘tacky’ which, however, 99093 6c S *q 90/01 84188134 9296 PRICES or FINE PARA RUBBER nuniwG EACH YEAR rron (87772/908 INCLUSIVE (LONDON. IIVE DOOD} 1074 UCL AND of CULTIVATED PARA(: ) /90* 70/905 hi rent. me ERA. PA da PRICE F POUND ysr7pszwyezo oso usar /882|/863/864/855/886)/887 /885)/859)/8S0189/ 892 1893 18941895 896/697) /898/599) 9001907 red sod rood o0 7OF 6:6 - Ls. -— / ‘ 6-0 £N j- j / $.. ° re i he a) 5 ‘6 E 7 g, 7 ES iif 4 35 Fi 5:0 "7y— » P h C , Fco dis! bd P r L. ‘ ^v ACA d es 4-6 |- S , - DC 2-0 = ; LA ii s J J [X e 7 r 9 Z ` e K " * 9. sh. - 3 d : ied P AN \ y be Atl xt he Ne. / Z : Ls i ` / Fe 1 M a gn "i Wi L4 le t "n2 D ` 1 i A, L Pd x 3 r ` q Toy KE cA Ue r r A ok im ee et = = P + i v E TN |^ d = E 2. t Ed ` k A Pul "v "K . r æ MP Er H J 1 T "t a. I \ r o.nl mW i "P d d VA 8 €. | P d ww 16 ( Average ——— í Average —— — Fine Para Cultivated Para 4 P | Maximum and Minimum - - - - - } Maximum and Minimum ......... ET SRA NEE Buesh een fina je Rene PI QR ri e.t udi UN dh Us 117 may not be the case in bulk. In to-day's market, which is a good one, we should think a parcel of this rubber would fetch from 4s. 3d. to 4s. 5d. per lb., and our idea of the immediate future of the article, anyhow until next autumn, being a favourable one, we don't think that a shipment on the basis of our valuation will lead to disappointment. > * ae + * » * (Signed) Hecht, Levis and Kahn." As shewing the improvement on the beginning referred to in the above letter it is stated that *the most remarkable development in e i ü 05 was the planti of rubber exported in 1 was Rs. 557,945 as compared with Rs. 221,000 in 1904.” (Colonial Report, No. 494, Ceylon, 1906, p. 23.) It remains to be seen how soon, and to what extent, the West Indies, West Africa, and other Colonies that have taken up the cultivation of this product, will meet the requirements of the market. f XXVII.—CEARA RUBBER. (Manihot Glaziovii, Muell. Arg.) [ K.B., 1898, pp. 1-15.] The plant yielding what is known in commerce as Ceara rubber or Manicoba, and shipped from the Brazilian ports of Ceara, Bahia and Pernambuco, was identified at Kew eleven [twenty-one] years ago. The following note on the subject appeared in the Kew Report, 1811, p. 16 :— “J mentioned in my last Report that a plant in cultivation in the Botanie Gardens of Regent's Park, London, of Buitenzorg Mani Glaziovii is a Euphorbiaceous plant which was described by J. Mueller in Martius’ Flora Brasiliensis (xi., pt. ii., 3 Dr. Glaziou (after whom the species is name to ew ' imens from Rio, where he had it under cultivation. A full description, with a plate, from a plant growing in the Ceylon nic ens, was contributed by the late Dr. Trimen to the Journal of Botany (1880, pp. 321-325, t. 219). This plate was reproduced in the Kew Report (1880, p. 17). Manihot Glaziovii is a moderate-sized tree, 30 to 50 feet high, with an erect stem, 8 to 20 inches in diameter, branching di- or 118 dese erra the branches ascending and frequently branched in a similar manner, forming a dense rounde b Darploigioy; the thin silvery outer layers readily peeling off transversely in narrow strips. The leaves are palmate, deeply cut into three, five or seven oblong-ovate lobes, smooth on both a pendulous capsule, about an inch in diameter, nearly globular, dry and hard, when ripe, containing three smooth : and polished yish yellow or brownish, variously mottled and splashed with pupplish black. The testa (or coat of the seed) is very hard and thick; the cotyledons are very thin, foliaceous, slightly cordate at the base; the endosperm oily but solid. doa — mes Manihot Glaz ziovii somewhat resembles the n fu grown, has a stem resembling a birch, * ‘and the outer tak comes off in the same way in thin silvery posting In 1876 Mr. Cross, who had bee Ies on behalf of the Government of India to collect ota and plants of india-rubber trees in South America, visited the Ceara region on the north east of Brazil, midway between the towns of Para ren Bahia. This is outside the A aes forest region of the Amazon valley, and is own as the Seríao or wilderness, extending | in A arent Eelt from the Paranahyba river tothe São Franci -Mr. Cross, in his Report to the ind Offiee in 1877 (p. 14) describes the flat country from Ceara, running back to the mountains, on which sd tree abounds, as manifestly Mm *a very dry arid climate for a considerable part of the year This is evident from the fact that the mandiocca and pha crops require to be irrigated. The rainy season is said to begin in November and end in May or June. Torrents of hd are then reported to fall for several days in succession, after which the weather moderates for a brief space. According to some state- casional years in h in general. The daily temperature on board the ship ranged from 82° to 85° F., but inland it is often probably 90°. The localities traversed "by me nowhere seemed to be elevated more than 200 feet above the sea." At Pacatuba, about 40 miles from Ceara, the actual place where the specimens were obtained, “ the Cue forest was tolerably high, but the sparse, small, foliage did ot afford much shade from the fierce rays of the sun. The soil ferns, mosses eng Me plants." In another place, somewhat further from yi od traveller, shortly after entering the png forest, une a large tract of land a by immense masses of grey irihite: some of which might be fifty 119 tons or more in weight. Menndsd masses of the same rock also cropped out in many plac WA ilta ene adus trees were growing in ix oni between these granite ; The situation was very dry, but no doubt some paesi ngs had sprung up, which, owing to NUM thiekets of shrubs, were not perceived." Cross obtained at Maracanahu, 30 miles inland from the of Ceara, lat. 4? S., 60 plants and 700 se eds. (Report, pp. 12-14) Of these, 42 plants and the seeds were safely deposited at Kew on the 23rd Nov vember, 1876. The following note appeared in the Kew Report (1877, p. 16) :— ^ As stated in my last year's Report, we obtained from the seeds and vae of the Ceara rubber brought to this country by The further steps EIE a distribute plants of the fe rubber are given in the Kew Report for 1878 (p. 15) as follo * At the end of August of last year consignments sies lends of the Ceara rubber, consisting, in each instance, of two wardian cases containing 80 plants, and one dry box containing 40 plants i Be m ras, and Dr. King, of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Calcutta. Of those sent to Madras all were alive on arrival in the wardian cases, while of the contents of the dry box about half were saved. Those originally sent to Dr. King (see Kew Report for 1877, p. 16) arrived in rather bad condition. Few were saved, and the of these did not impress Dr. King favourably. ‘They all ‘bok more or less weak and wae as if the climate were too damp for them.’ This was, perhaps, a premature judgment from want of familiarity with the habit of the plant. Dr. King now writes :— ‘Ceara rubber is going to be a success here * At Ceylon, in April, one of the plants first sent out had already made an attempt to flower, and by the end o e year Dr. Thwaites was distributing copious supplies of seed to Calcutta, Burmah, Madras, and Singapore (where, however, it seems unable to stand the wet se ason).” * [ regard, therefore, the work of Kew completed as regards the Ceara rubber: Living plants of it have been distributed during the past year to Dominica, Fiji, Jamaica, Java, Sydney, Trinidad, Queensland and Zanzibar.’ Of Ceara rubber there are imported into this muny about 200 nd to nu 'There are three es fo in commerce, arying according to the mode of tapping the trees and the care taken in the preparation hen pure it is regard almost next to Para in value is a *dry" rubber, very elastic and m rer amounting sometimes to 25 per cent. It would appear that the Ceara rubber industry is not extending in South Ameriea, for “every year 120 there is an extensive migration of Ceara people to Para bound for the forests of the Amazon.” (Kew Bulletin, 1892, p. 69.) In ease 96 [now case 106], Museum No. 1, samples are exhibited from Brazil, and I a plants grown in India, Ceylon, Natal, and Zanzibar. I y be mentioned that the rubber produce under cultivation in ee as been singalnny pure and free from impuritie n 1883, eS ag to Dr. Trimen, * E much as System of collecting the rubber.—According to Cross d p. 14) *this is an operation of a very simple description. On mmencing work, the collector takes with him a stout knife and a handful of twigs to serve as a broom. Arriving at a tree, > any loose stones or dust are swept from the ground around the base, and some large leaves are laid down to receive the droppings of milk which trickle down. Some do not go to the trouble of purities. The outer Bap pce of the ye of the trunk is pared or d runs down in ma ny ortuous Sec some of it ultimately falling on the DS und. After several ee the juice becomes dry not gredi alisado to. N early: every tree has licen rr throu over by the wind or wither a away. Collecting is carried on during the dry season only, when rain seldom falls.’ Germination of Seed.—The following is taken from Notes on some T'rees yielding India-rubber & 4), by the = Dr. Frinn (Ceylon, Sessional Paper, vii., 1830) :—“The seed coat is of rem arkable thickness and very sab = the ni eaka : manm of large tubers on the spreading roots. The trees at rhon a, from whieh seed has been distributed to Burma, birch-like bark readily —€— off; being about half the size of those which -— — describes, and which may be assumed to 121 Propagation and Planting. —Mr. Cross (p: ed suggests *the for- mation of plantations by cuttings, which will take root as easily as a willow. These should be taken from the abeo ts of strong shoots and may be one foot in lengih. In planting, each cuttin ng may be put down in the soil to a depth of six inches. If scarce, the entire s be cut into pieces, each possessing a bud, all of which will grow if covered with half-an-inch or so of soil. On lo ndy soils or exhausted coffee land, plantations sa ils may be formed at little expense. Hard dry grav elly wastes, if found to support any kind of bush, € cues suitable sites. Holes might be made in strong land wit th a n jumper and a stout cutting put into each and filled with pebhien: On bare or thinly covered portions of rock the cuttings might be laid down flat, and a little heap of stones or any kind of débris, about the size of a molehill, piled over each, care being taken that the extreme point of each cutting with a bud is left uncovered. I do not advocate tatio sprinkling from a monsoon shower, the tree ‘is likely to prosper.” Dr. Trimen adds (l. c. p. 4) :— * Experience of the plant in the botanie garden here has proved the general accuracy of the above remarks. There can be no doubt of the hardiness of = ca its readiness of culture, and adaptability to circumstance It grows equally readily from seed barren dist stricts of our eastern and northern provinces, or in higher districts, but it would not be wise to risk it in localities where the temperature is saul to fall below 60° F.” the following notes the results are given of the attempts to establish the Ceara rubber tree in our various colonies and possessions. CEYLON. The cultivation of the Ceara rubber tree was carried on with considerable energy in Ceylon for many years. Numerous experiments were made to find out the best means for tapping the trees and producing the rubber in commercial quantities. In the Kew Report for 1880 (pp. alae the p NE informa- tion is given on the authority of Dr. Tri * Of the three species of South Hane trees here in geris nm (the suecessful introduction of which was due to Kew e Kew Reports, 1816, pp. 8,9; 1877, pp. lush e Manihot “brazii is still the only one which has n of t _— been supplied during the year to fy Re ce ce n In (Calcutta, Saharunpore, cnini nd) and distributed ia "widely as possible among the planters in the colony, 24,550 seeds having been thus disposed of, as well as Eon rooted cuttings. We have also sent small quantities to the Botanic Gardens of Singapore, 122 Mauritius, Jamaica, British Guiana and Kew, the Acclimatization Seciety of ee and Mr, Low, Her Britannic Majesty’s Resident in Perak.” Dr. en adds :— bone plant is cad flourishing in Ceylon i in suitable places and E very hardy ; in the new estates in the Trincomalee di istrict it is di cde to ‘Be thriving, but to have shown itself intolerant of w Dr. Trimen wrote in his ae for 1883 (p. 13) :—‘ A planted area of 977 acres.is credited to this cultivation, but rubber has not yet appeared exports. Since it has been ascertained that the quality is excellent, ae Wie have been endea v raa iscover a means by which the milk can be obtained at a cost sufficiently low to give a Jae g Sia without, as yet, per ri results. he removal of the outer separable bark has been objected to on the ground that the bark formed in its stead is of a different character, very hard and inseparable from the green layer a second time. Instruments have therefore been devised for bleeding without such removal. A es fe with two parallel blades, which took out a strip of bark, has been modified into further injury. 'The milking (one can scarcely call it tapping) has also been practised on trees of various ages and at different intervals and seasons. While it is found that the yield of individual trees ppo xtremel f the experimenters is price of rubber. - Mr. Wall, however, who states that oiod o young trees have been bled daily genes the *pricker' for some weeks, and that thus a cooly can koc about half a pound of dry rubber per diem, thinks that, if trees will bear this treatment for 240 days i in the year, the cultivation would be remunerative. It hands in Ceylon, at present growing nothing but Lantana and other weeds, is suitable ne this hardy plant, Be costs nothing to cultivate, affords a substance of a value which is continually increasing, and awaits only the discovery of a process by which the latter can be bung: mra and E extracted. d growth at a standstill, Ms a satisfactory res can be 123 obtained in the way of harvesting. The plan of obtaining the rubber that my experiments led up to w. was, as soon as the leaves begin to e Hk remove the outer bark in vertical ‘steps of not exudes and drips on the surface as fast as discharged. In this process the strip of exposed bark is destroyed, but a vigorous tree will close in the bared part in the course of the year, if the width i a re than two inches, a per acre will, after the second year, require ly any expense in cultivation. As for harvesting, I collected 30 ibs. last January and E ebruary by one boy at 15 cents. a ded or say 23 cents. per lb., the local value being about 80 cents. Supposing each tree gave an average yield of i lb. per annum, and allowing 30 cents. for cultivation and collecting, 50 cents. would remain as profit, or R50 per acre. It is well to have the Apes in the island, but it is not likely to be largely planted so long as there are other produets that pay better, or that are better indio, but a time may come when it will kep a strait.” In his Report for 1890, Dr. Trimem states :—“ Interest in Ceara rubber has of late years very much died away, the yield of rubber having been found too small to satisfy the planter’s expectations. Thus I have made no report on it since 1884. There are, howe ha S have realised very good Sa. Of course the quantities have st been large. One shipment of 4 cwt. fetched 1s. 834. to ls. 934. per lb. net, showing a profit here of about 37 cents. (of a rupee) perlb. A planter estimates the cost of collection at about 36 cents. per lb., and reckons that trees of eight years old afford at least 3 ozs., whilst some ten years old gave half a pound. The collection is done in a somewhat primitive way during the dr After the outer flaky layers of bark h are picked off, the gene pim being quite like ‘Ceara scrap’ of seamen ‘put in in small te “The present opinion of aig rs seems to be that this kind of rubber pais to harvest, but not o cultivate, and they are prepare to destroy their trees to get the ty e on such a system ro y tree, so grown as to provide a crop annually ready for tapping.” A review of the ponen in 1893 is given by the /ndia-Rubber, Gutta Percha and Electrical Trades Journal of June 8 of that year :—* A few years ed fpi t hopes were entertained in Ceylon as to rubber culture. We regret that the spirited efforts made by many planters have not hitherto been so remunerative as was expected. A fresh instance is just to hand, e T Agriculturist for May, 1893, regrets to learn from Mr. Vollar that his rubber cultivation in Dumbara is not likely to be permanent. The Cearas were originally — for shade trees for the cacao, 124 but they have m proved very suitable for this purpose, and will probably have to be cut down. Meantime, oe 5,000 Ibs. of rubber will be collected on Pallakelle this season ; a cooly, by beginning the tapping early in the morning, usually gets 3 Ibs. of rubber in the liquid or soft state, which hardens and dries down ‘to perhaps to half that weight. There is no fortune to be made out of this (says our contemporary), considering how long the rubber trees have to grow before yielding an appreciable quantity e a ic of mil t is the time of waiting, during 80 much capital lies idle, that is the great difficulty in the t way to overcome all hindrances.” Dr. Trimen, in his Report for 1893 (p. 13), remarks :—“ Ceara rubber has not taken any hold on planters here as a permanent cultivation : ; yet it might, I think, be worked at a profit by a system of annual planting, and the sacrifice of successive crops of trees when they reach ten or twelve years. About 1} lbs. of dry rubber is at that age obtained from each tree." The subject is not further touched upon in the Reports of the Ceylon Botanic ne Ge The whole interest in regard to rubber in that island has now been transferred to the cultivation ‘of the Para Rubber tree (evoa brasiliensis). MADRAS. The Director stated in the Kew Report for 1880 (p. 17) :—“ n the jeg I am informed, Ceara rubber is doing well 2,400 feet The following i is the most recent information (Annual Report of the Forest Department, Madras Presidency, 1895-96, pp. 29-30) :— “In Ganjám an area of 3 acres in Napier’s Park is Chatrapur was planted with india-rubber seedlings and they are doing well, their height ranging from 4 to 9 feet. The sowing of r ubber seed in Gódávari was unsuccessful. “In South Arcot there were at the close of the ien 410 trees, including the self-sown € (295) during the yea “In North Malabar, the sample rubber sent to ak last year was reported on by the Director, Royal Garden, as follows :— *First sample.—Well cured, but cuts very wet; value ls. 6d. to ls. 8d. per lb. [This sample is in Case 96 (now Case 106), Museum No. 1 at Kew.] * Second sample —Well cured, dry, rather barky ; value ls. 9d. to 2s. per Ib. * It is proposed to tap the trees after the rains in order to obtain statistics as to the average yield in rubber. The trees grow luxuriantly and reproduce themselves very freely. “In South Malabar, the Ceara rubber trees are flourishing. It not bleed freely and no rubber was therefore collected. They will again be tapped in 1896-97." 125 MYSORE. The results of experiments with Ceara rubber plants in Mysore are summed up by Mr. J. Cameron, F.L.S, in his Report on the Lal Bagh Bardens dated April 12, 1886 :— r experience has justified my opinion that the Ceara rubber ies is adapted to the climate. Its cultivation progresses 80 favourably that every encouragement is offered to plant on an tree requires no pampered treatment, although, like most planta, it E a little kindness to starvation and utter neglect. It A iis ry season. This is what [ have ten with a hundred seedlings six months old, on poor gravelly soil, and I am certain that nearly ^ : The vine of the c conu year contains further information as under :— se ball of Ceara rubber, weighing 6 ozs., has been col- lected from one or two trees in the garden (chiefly Rm tree which was growing by a channel and had not lost its leaves, as the trees invariably do in dry ground during the months of e have collected 17 lbs. of Ceara seeds for pro- BURMA. Colonel E. S. Berkeley, Rangoon, reported in 1884 that * The plants of Manihot Glaziovii received from Dr. King in 1879 are growing into robust trees. The climate of Burma seems to suit this plant; it seeds freely." STRAITS SETTLEMENTS. Ceara rubber were introduced into the Malay Archipelago in 1879, but owing initis to the Vases d damp climate they anywhere. Mr. H. N. R nerative cultivation in Singapore, and a similar 126 expressed in regard to the prospects in the Native States. It is ssible, as in Ceylon, that the best rubber plant for regular cultivation in Malaya is the Para rubber tree et Hevea brasiliensis). MAURITIUS. The — bee qs partieulars respecting the pe of Ceara rubber trees in Mauritius in 1883 were communicated by the late Mr. Scot | the Gardens, Pamplemousses, than in any other locality. An experiment was made n. the roes of three years’ growth shed their pt n transplan These were lifted carefully, but with t balls of nuns Saaki to the roots, and planted in another ind of the plantation; these transplants all held, and although they have not made such a strong growth as the other trees, it proves that this tree can be transplanted with impunity." Further, Mr. Scott states :— * During the season when the Ceara rubber trees were at rest, — were cut back to about three feet from the ground, and the : me of which were 8 feet long, cut into lengths of 6 inches and tied up in grass-enveloped balls of earth, and e i E S © m z B up h, w m ey were o pianted pee pra it is intended iles should grow permane -— By this method 5,800 cuttings were propagated ; these were then ‘Aivided amongst the plantations in the lower parts of fe island.” SEYCHELLES. Mr. E. H. Edwards wrote on the Ist July, 1885 :— * Ceara rubber I pronounce a great success, both cuttings and criterion, in the not distant future Mahé should be a rubber- producing country.” ZANZIBAR. The following extract is taken from a Report on the cultivation of Ceara rubber trees in Zanzibar by Sir John Kirk, dated no a 19th, Hes (F. O. Reports. Commercial, No. 11, 1885, pp. 38 “Five years ago I received from the Director of the Royal Gardens, Kew, in exchange for plants of our African india-rubbers of = genus Landolphia, other sorts ot SE SET plants, among which was the Ceara rubber, Manihot Gla m Dra I find grows here with the wit amus and propagates itself freely in the worst soil. It is only now, however, T have ape able to obtain a sample of the india-rubber likely to be ced, and on which the value of the- new introduction entirely potion I find that trees only begin to yield when five years old, and no doubt these are even then too small to be remunerative. 137 “ I have collected a sample of the produce, which I forward by this mail, and which I would ask your Lordship to be good + The sample sent includes two qualities—that picked báo the trunk of the tree, which, of course, is Pa. heat and that fallen on- the ground, and so become mixed with s The Report on the samples of Ceara obiit from Zanzibar by the India Rubber and Gutta Percha and Telegraph Works Company, Limited, dated the 7th Fete 1884, was as WS :— appearance and general päypical properties of Eun rubber would c to the opinion of its being derived from the same source as the ordinary Ceara rubber; but the Statt in Sir John Kirk's letter above referred to ‘that trees only begin to yield when five years old : and no doubt these are even then too small to be remunerative,’ is conflicting. “The quantity of ash obt Reel Hom the sample collected from the trunk of the tree amounts *64 per cent., which, together with its composition, are Strait corroborative of its being obtained from the Ceara plant. “Of the two samples i this rubber which have been received, the one Mele e pa b the ground, and had become mixed with sand, so deter and decayed as to Fogai no further soal iy eri iun. à Seneca 8 point of vi “The sample collected from the trunk of the tree ined uch a promising appearance that its unfavourable behaviour enter the vulcanizing process was somewhat disappointing; the quantity available for experiment was too small to determine the cause of its becoming s tied and porous. “Its loss on drying and washing was 23°46 per cent.; this shows that ud. rubber contains a large amount of soluble matier. Veara rubber under cultivation in Ceylon gave only a loss of about 7 per cent. under similar circumstances, but obtained from plants about two years old. “It is by no means improbable that the collection of samples from younger plants may lead to more favourable results * The india-rubber collected from the trunk of the title would be at the present time commercially worth about ls. 9d. to Qs. per lb. The sample collected from the ground we can put no 0. Sir John ees Segre (Dec. 16th, 1885) as follows in regard to the above Repo * As to the cdm rubber reported on, which proves so unsatis- factory when worked, it is certainly the product of trees I first received from you P Man p Glaziovii. I am quite satisfied the tree is here of no a private planter. Some trees yield a watery juice with -— no rubber, and at best the amount is 128 small. I have, however, had the seed widely scattered on the mainland over 300 miles of coast, and as it seems to grow so well and propagates so freely, it may be a resource to the natives, and repay them the trouble. Perhaps inland, in less moist climates, the produce may be better, but [ have condemned the tree as useless to a European planter, and a troublesome weed where once miron into a plantation.” NATAL. The Kew Report for 1880 (p. 18) records :— “ Mr. Keit, the Curator of the Botanic Scie] ropar that the ne 1878 sua grown luxuriantly, and had "ome "i ut had not had t at the date of his last report (December 31, 1880) to reg ihon seeds.” The climate and soil in 1884 were found well suited to the growth of the plants, little progress has, however, been made in extending the cultivation. Mr. Wood, the Curator of the Botanic Garden, Durban, reported, 1885 :— x The plant, which yields ‘Ceara scrap,’ is considered to be one of the most valuable of the rubber-yielding plants, and was introduced into these gardens from Kew, in 1878, but all epi to propagate it were unsuccessful. In consequence, however, of further information received by me from abroad, another trial was made, and about 25 plants were atkaro a planted out in the garden, and thus a small beginning has been made, to tes t whether or not the cultivation of this plant may is acuit carried out in the Colony. The present appearance and condition of our plants shows unmistakably that the climate and soil of our garden is well suited to its growth. More plants will be ready for next spring, as we shall go on propagating them as quickly as possible for lanx aee WEST AFRICA. As might be expected the humid climate in the lowlands in West Afriea has not been favourable to the production of Ceara rubber. An exception must, however, be made in the case of the ia, which possesses i i n the w mate with a light sandy soil. The Administrator in 1888 (Kew Bulletin, 1889, p- 144) stated that plants send out from Kew thrive ** vigorously in the soil of the Gambia, and their introduction here cannot fail to be of immense advantage to the settlement. I have transplanted several young trees in the spaces now made available for experiments of this nature, and have no doubt that they will be successfully established." JAMAICA. The Kew Report for 880 (p. 17) gave the followi iculars, supplied by Mr. Morri re * This plant is LUE very hardy, and adapts itself readily to the exigencies of culture. Plants at Castleton (600 feet) e at the Parade Garden, Kingston (50 feet), are doing well. At 129 ihe former gardens, young trees when about 9 to 12 feet high were beginning to flower, but the hurricane deprived us of the hope of procuring seed this year. Judging by riy from South America it is possible that tracts of dry, stony, almost hopet lands, in the M may be turned to good account by eans of ud cultivation Ew Report of the Botanical Department for 1884, states :— * Of the Ceara rubber there are seven large trees at the Castleton Gardens; the largest is about 25 feet in height, with a circum- ne of 28 inches about one foot from the ground. It appears o be more at home than any of the other species of rubber- Yieldihg plants at Castleton * Being anxious to EA a small specimen of Ceara rubber the trees at Castleton were tapped early in September. Although the . trees are strong and healthy the flow of milk was uri very small. When the trees were tapped they were bearing a heavy crop of both flowers and fruit. It is intended to try oi again later.” The Report for 1886 states further :—“ The trees of Cea rubber in the several gardens continue to grow well, but no hae has yet been prepared from them DOMINICA. The early account of Ceara rubber trees in this island was pious dase me: to Kew by Dr. H. A. Alford Nicholls, in 1884, as follows : “ This is now established in aie island, and the tree has taken very kindly to the soil. From small experiments I have made, the juice appears to be eeel and very rich in rubber in the dry months. The seeds have been borne abundantly, and I have distributed them to planters here and in Grenada.” LATER INFORMATION. The most recent account of Ceara rubber in South America has been obtained as the result of a visit made to the north-east coast of Brazil by Mr. Esme Howard and Mr. R. H. Biffen, Demonstrator in Botany at the University of Cambridge. The following letter, addressed to the Governor of Jamaica by Mr. Howard, was published in the Jamaica Bulletin (Vol. IV., p. 242) :— “ I have been travelling in Mexico and Brazil for some months to examine the habits of the different rubber-producing agen! of y LI * most 25781 I 120 grow well on hill sides i m a rocky and rather poor soil. We found it growing in Ceara up to a height of 3,600 feet above the sea. It is a rapid EON and dn be tapped in "five years aed rer provided it has wn we believe a rai inches or Goins is c Suitable for it, but it will do Mh much less, say 65 or 70 in he occurrence of the mes atan elevation of 3,600 feet, and ihe wide range of conditions under which it appears to thrive are facts that have not hitherto been fully recognised. It is quite possible that we may yet see successful plantations of Ceara rubber trees established in districts that have been regarded as unsuitable, and under heel toe that may afford a sufficient yield of rubber to render the enterprise remunerative. Mr. Biffen has been good enough to ees the following E pannas as the result of Psor observations on trees in the : “The leaves fall in August and Beitr" Seeds produced very abundantly ; ripe in Se eptember; they keep their power o germination well. The tree is apparently yoy liable to a HN for rotten branches are voro mem fallin * Growth is very rapid: in Baturité we saw one-year old plants 10 tc 12 feet high ; in five [a Six years it is bn A to tap; then it is some 25 feet high and 8 to 9 inches in diamete 3 Propagated either from cuttings or from seeds. So far nurseries have failed in Ceara. Shade for established ovs is unnec Large plantations are now being made in the district. “ The tree has a singularly wide nose of inerti ; it grows in the desert plains where rainfall is said to be under 50 inches, and the se peces: = scorched up fo or the seed part of the year; also, in the mountains (plantation at 3,500 feet at Monte Alegre) wed rainfall, I should say roughly, is over 100 ae In the mountains the temperature falls even below 60? F. ni = * The tree is never found in marshy soil ; ui rige it thrives best in somewhat scanty soil among granite ‘boulder “ The | is exported in three forms :—(a.) In n pale sella brown threads, } inch in diameter and several inches in length, bark m palm, in a similar manner to Para rubber. So prepared it contains a large quantity of water, taen partially sweats out on exposure to the heat of the sun. exudation on evaporation leaves a brown resinous substance. This last method is becoming very general. * To collect the latex inel tin eups are used; each tree is tapped 80 days, divided, by an interval of about three months, into Ad periods of e each. Under this system the tree is said to liv for 15 to 20 y 1M " bur tapping is always done in the dry geason—from July to ecem * The average yield per tree is vet. ay r kilos. m to 3 Ibs.) per year; coagulation may be effec urning, or by the addition of an excess of water, or a 2er In the former case the rubber particles which are unprotected by any film (as the fat particles of milk are) simply adhere to form a mass. - “Tn the case of the addition of excess of water, salt, or smoking, eoagulation is brought about by means of the globulin present (Green, Proc. Roy. Soc., 1886, p. 39). This coagulates at 74-76° C., or on dilution, ete. and tangles up the rubber particles in its meshes, much as white of egg gathers up particles in suspension when used for clearing jellies." SUMMARY. The result of experience so far gained in the experimental : cultivation of the Ceara rubber plant may be summarised as ll The plant is ded propagated both from seeds and cuttings. Seeds are abundantly produced in almost every part of the world where the plant M been introduced. They may be gathered from plants when only three to five years old. "There is therefore the great advantage that a large area could be planted within a comparatively short period. Sowing the seeds in the position — they are to grow permanently is universally adopted in Brazi It is possible, if adopted aleewhere, this plan would sete reduce the cost of establishing plantations. 2. The Ceara rubber plant is very hardy, a fast grower, free from insect and fungoid attacks, requires Tittle or no attention w unsuited to almost any other crop. It is evident, however, that the yield of a few trees cannot be remunerative and only large areas can hope to make the industry a paying one. . It produces a good class of rubber, vds only when well prepared to the best Para rubber. For this there is a steady and continuous demand. The yield per tree is — small, but an with skilful treatment the permanent trees re e X" wice yearly and last in a productive state for 15 to 20 y 4. In spite therefore of the apparent want b success which so far has attended experiments with Ceara rubber plants in Qeon and other countries, the increasing importance of rubber as an article in large demand in all civilized countries at good prices, suggests a reconsideration of the merits of this interesting lant. In many of our colonies possessing a dry climate and a poor stony soil, it is possible that large areas could be profitably occupied with Ceara rubber trees so grown as to provide annual -erops for tapping. 25781 12 132 XXVIII.—COLOMBIAN INDIA-RUBBER. (Sapium biglandulosum, Muell. Arg.) [ K.B., 1890, pp. 149-158.] The United States of Colombia have long been recognised as a subsidiary source of india-rubber. Colombian rubber has been generally kn in commerce from the place of export as *Oarthagena." It has been supposed ya `= the produce of a species of attain and this may to e extent have been actually the ca The - arger proportion of "the export fad its way to the United State In the following Siia e Mr. Robert — formerly in eharge of the Cinchona plantations, Jamaica, and now settled at Bogota, gives an interesting account of a tree which yisida the . india-rubber, known in commerce as “ Colombia Virgen." This as the peculiarity, unlike all other known sources of this VOD nim of growing at high elevations, and therefore in a comparatively cool climate, From the indications —— by Mr. Robert B. White, a subsequently by Mr. Thomson, there can be little doubt that the tree is one of the atta mergi of Sapium biglandulosum, a member of the family Euphorbiaceae, to which the trees yielding the Para and Ceara rubbers also belong. This wide ly spread and a Colombia, Venezuela, Guiana and Brazil. The bcnc) which it presents in habit are probably as extreme as are to be met with in the vegetable kingdom. And it is probable that its rubber- producing qualities may be equally variable. In the West Indies it exists in forms which are probably conspecific. But though abounding in a milky juice it has never been regarded in that maim as a source of caoutchouc, at any rate in appreciable qualiti In British pagas ‘the species occurs in two forms, which have been carefully studied by Mr. G. S. Jenma h A will then have risen to the surface, and the water and impurities which have sunk can be drawn away through a small hole near the bottom of the tin, which has been stopped by a plug of wood. ld þe inserte poured into the prepared tin with ‘the natios “cloth bag inside. The milk, having been Eod into the bag until the tin is half full, should be left with the mouth of the "bag well tied, and a square pi l tig d i the top of it for rs. A piece of wood ly bag of sand weighing about 10 pounds may then be put on top of the piece of wood for another 12 hours. Quantities of discoloured water will be seen to flow from the perforations in the sides and bottom of the tin during this process, and on touching the top of the bag it will be found to offer some resistance to pressure. A stout tree branch about 20 feet long should now be cut and trimmed, or if palm-leaf *bamboos" are obtainable, six or eight f th. S large enough to fit loosely into the am so as to rest on the square r i block should be thrust under the giis at the distance of perhaps a yard rom the end which passes under the tree root. A large bag should now be filled with sand, and hung on to the pole. It is evident that the farther this bag i is moved up the pole, the greater e pressure on the block of wood which acts as the fulerum 3 the lever, and consequently upon the bag of rubber milk upon which it rests. Great pressure can be brought to bear h p tions be taken, the tins will be apt to bulge, and euie finis bigis when full pressure is applied. The bag of sand should he ia about 100 pounds, and should be een as near the tin as possible for 12 hours. It should then be moved along the pole gradually until it reaches the end farthest from the tin, where it should be left for two or three da e€ On removing the weights and taking the bag out of the tin, which can be done by pressing the sides and lifting infer the mouth of the bag may be untied and the rubber removed, by turning the bag inside out. It will not be found to adhere to the sc nim d will gain in elasticity as it 145 The samples when prepared should not be unnecessarily exposed to the sun, but will not be injured in any way exposure to rain. They will if anything, be improved by immersion in water. The above method was employed when preparing the sample which I forward as Exhibit 1. At this season of the year it is diffieult to obtain large enough eren of milk for extensive experiments, and the specimens e to show are in consequence too small for MM etes It is, however, my intention to continue the experiments on which these notes are based when the rains begin and the trees yield more sap. A further report will then be submitted should any new features present themselves. Exhibits Nos. 2 and 3 are of unwashed milk coagulated by pressure, but as an insufficient weight was applied, they show a cellular structure, and are also not free from impurities. Exhibits Nos. 4 and 5 are of shade-evaporated, unwashed milk, and are of fair quality. This method, however, cannot well be applied during the rainy season without ‘the application of artificial heat, which I have proved to give MER Rr: results Exhibits Nos. 2, 3, 4, and 5 are the results of ecrit experiments which. were carried on with a view to p the possibility of adopting, for the paom H of West African rubbers, the process dsa in notes already dinis) 1 to the Government of this Colony (see Government Gazette, Colony of Lagos, February, 1888). Exhibit No. 1 shows that the method indicated has i certain extent successful, even under extremely adverse stances. It will, however, be for experts in England to ep i the good and bad qualities of the samples, and to declare the price that it VP to command in the English market. These notes have been aii limited to the consideration of certain eon to apply the method above described t up e preparati ion of india-rubber ies the juice of the “ Abba” ere is now on hand a series of experiments on the “Ibo” vite juice, which may be further reported on when complete, but at present no results have been arrived at of sufficient definiteness to warrant a detailed report It is important to remember that the results here noted have been obtained from one series of experiments only, and are not to .be considered as in any way final. They serve to prove the possibility of applying a simple and inexpensive system of preparation to ican rubbers which has already produced good results elsewhere. It will s be asincere p to me them to the preparation of india-rubber for the Euro opean market, and any question addressed to me in writing will also meet with attention, and will be answered as fully as my slight knowledge of the matter may permi ALVAN MILLSON. a K 146 As it was the desire of the Government of Lagos to obtain an es 7 Mr. Millson, the good offices Sd ought of Mr. S. W. Silver, F.L.S., who already has most obliginaly assisted -— establishment in the investigation of specimens of rubbers obtained from various sources. Mr. Silver was kind oa to fo AU the samples of * Abba " rubber to the wy o aA Gnd percha, and Telegraph Works Company, Limited, at Silvert The report received on the isst is as follows :— REPORT on FIVE SAMPLES of INDIA-RUBBER received from S. W. SILVER, Esq., 6th July, 1888. The samples are numbered in accordance with the report of Mr. Alvan Millso No. 1 in pe was dark in colour, almost black, with a bluish fringe, tint gradually vanishing towards centre, which is nearly white. It was strongly alkaline in Lucie evidently due to a little. original moisture, other portions neutral. No. 2, light (white) colour in vemm shania cl about i inch in depth, reddish fringe, very faintly ac No. 3, pink colour, blackened oim 4 inch in depth, contains much wood ; slightly acid, especially in neighbourhood of woody particles. Nos. 4 and 5. No. 5 is softer than No. 4, and lighter in colour ; both samples have a pink tint and are distinctly a alkaline. Samples marked No. 1, No. 3, No. 4 were treated in detail; the yaio of the others be eing too small. Washing and drying, No.11 E x pn cent. moisture, No. 3 lost 5 per eei. and No, lost 7 por e The Pc of the drying room was that used for the usual etum s rubber. If the samples had been hung u = adop usually ted, ie want of strength and become would ha caused iré PUN ther means of drying would have to HS devised. en dry, No. 1 was very clammy, No. 3 was firmer than No. 1, but sin pira 80 good as No. 4. No. 4 might be more easily handled in dryi They were all very short, with very little elasticity ; “ees might have been expected from appearance of the original samples. They were kept in the drying room no longer than weak be required if working on a practical scale. Mixed with a suitable proportion of sulphur and vulcanised, they cured soft and short, but were not blistered. With pigments it may be made firmer and slightly tougher. It can evidently not be used by itself in any form. All the samples were troublesome to work in the mixing machines. It would not be right to assume that this behaviour is in ens ay a a barrier to its usefulness. been introduced in DRM cd certain African and Asiatic varieties of rubber, manufacturers must feel She the praiseworthy efforts of Mr. sein Seine to mca sources of supply are in the h 147 am not aware of any native india-rubber with an acid re- action ; even the juice of the Para rubber tree, Hevea brasiliensis, is distinetly alkaline when drawn, and exhales a strong smell of i he be m this rce is strong i given off, which probably, by neutralizing the ammonia, brings about the coagulation of the caoutchouc, the excess of acid the roasting of the nuts may help to explain the acid product could be improved by precipitation with ordinary crude acetic acid, which at the same time would arrest those changes which are liable to go on afterwards to the detriment probably of the rubber, is worth finding out. I thought it would be important to ascertain whether the soft clammy condition of the samples was : due to oxidation, or to the presence of resinous matter. A white pulverulent resin was obtained from sample No. 4, amounting to 24:48 per cent. of its weight. The caoutchouc, by destructive cures quite solid, but soft and short; this may be due to the resinous matter. The oxidation of the rubber itself will not account for it. The rubber may be hardened by pigments, but its strength is still very low, It can be mixed with other low-class rubbers with a corresponding improvement in toughness and strength. present case. I was informed by a friend who spent some time in Africa, that a very large quantity of crude acetic acid was shipped to different parts on the Kast Coast some years ago and was evidently used in . preparing india-rubber. - 3 | a 25781 E2 148 In smoking india-rubber, any plant may be used which yields acetic acid, but any plant yielding turpentine or similar products should be avoided. The preservative action of the crude acid is enhanced y creosote and tarry matter present. Para rubber is flavoured with these. While forming a favourable opinion of this gum, we cannot fix a value upon it, as everything will depend upon how far the experimental working can be verified in ing 0 ar, quantity. Asa supply of this is at present available, we would suggest that a larger quantity be sent over, say 100 pounds, so that we could test it in a practical manner, i INDIA RUBBER, GUTTA PERCHA, AND TELEGRAPH : ORKS Co. (LIMITED), Silvertown. The results of the inquiry and the suggestions offered by this establishment are contained in the following letter addressed to the Colonial Office for communication to the Government of Lagos : ROYAL GARDENS, KEW, to COLONIAL OFFICE. Royal Gardens, Kew, September 11, 1888. mens from the Government of Lagos, relative to some experiments ich had been made by Mr. A. Millson on the preparation of rubber from the Abba tree. From the botanieal specimens forwarded by Mr. Millson, Professor Oliver has arrived at the conclusion that this particular “Abba” tree is probably Ficus Vogelii, Miq., a West African Bassa i sent in all eases of this kind, which should contain young terminal shoots, as well as portions of the branches, leaves, flowers, and - fruits. e various samples of rubber as received were forward. : through S. W. Silver, Esq., F.L.S., to the India Rubber, Gutta Percha and Telegraph Company (Limited), at Silvertown. The samples ve received a very careful and exhaustive examination at their hands, and we have received from Mr. Silver a full report, a copy ' of which is herewith enclosed. It is necessary in the first place to point out that rubber from the Abba tree similar to that under notice has already been in- vestigated at this establishment, In the Kew Report for the year 149 1878, p. 39, a notice appears of Liberian rubber, which w identified with Ficus roams) Vogelii. Thisr ubber, a maple of which is in the Kew Museums den Mr. Thomas Christy) is made up into balls about oa size of a large orange. It was valued (in 1878) at 1s. 6d. per pound, but it is added that “if sent home cleaner it maeh command a higher price. It will be noticed that in the report furnished by the India Rubber, Gutta Percha and Telegraph Works Company it is stated that the specimens received from Mr. Millson show an alkaline reaction, and that on this and other grounds, such as the presence of resin and its soft d eondition, *it can evidently not be used by itself in any for Mr. Millson's experiments are evidently based 2n Ls knowledge. and experience of Central American rubber the produce o Castilloa elastica. It is possible, however, Qt z" treatment suitable to the juice of this plant cannot be applied to another pl ant the juice of which, although containing caoutchouc, has very arked chemical differences. The result of the TL so carefully conducted by the India- rubber Company wo appear to show that the juice of Ficus Vogelii does not cda itself satisfactorily to such treatment. It is said that the rubber hitherto prepared from this tree has been treated with acetic acid, and, if this is the case, possibly in this direction may be found a solution of the problems involved. It is desirable in any future experiments carried on with india- rubber on the West Coast that larger samples be forwarded to this country for the purpose of testing the quality. In the report it is stated that about 100 miri is necessary to test rubber in a thoroughly practical manner In order to afford every information to the Government of now in large demand in this country. If the experiments are continued, as it i hoped they will be, and if the valuable suggestions contained in the report are care- fully carried out, it is pretty clear that Mr. Millson will be able to discover a practical and efficient method of preparing the juice of the Abba tree so » to produce commercial rubber. There are few subjects at the present time of greater importance than a careful investigation of caoutchouc plants, and the NNUS i distribution of Abba trees in West Africa indicates a wide a useful field of inquiry. , &c. (Signed) D. MORRIS. Sir R. G. W. Herbert, K.C.B., Colonial Office. * Para rubber is yielded by Hevea brasiliensis and Accra rubber by Landolphia 150 Mr. ALVAN MILLSON to ROYAL GARDENS, KEW. Badagry, West Africa, August 16, 1888. Your letter of the 4th ultimo reached me yesterday. I regrev m quality to those which have since been made. I was sorry also not to have had an opportunity of correcting the notes for the press, as I noticed several misprints in them. You were correct in your belief that the name “Abba” is applied to all arboreous fig-trees in this neighbourhood. Of these there is a remarkable variety. I will at a later date send specimens prepared as you so kindly direct me. An enterpising firm of Lagos merchants, who have lately established a branch house in Badagry, have made a fair beginning in the rubber business. So far as I can at present see West African rubber will never be reliable so long as the natives have the preparation in their own hands. e milk bears transport well, keeps well, and can easily be tested, by letting a sample (mixed with water) stand for twelve hours in a glass vessel. Unless merchants employ reliable men to buy and coagulate the milk, I fear that the trade will be of a very ephemeral nature. Yet on the other hand it seems clear, from the large numbers of rubber-giving fig-trees, that a properly conducted trade would be a considerable source of future prosperity to the whole coast. The present palm oil and kernel trade may be sai to depend upon the continuance of slavery, and is indeed in many ways an injury to the people. The Governor of the Colony, with his usual insight, is encouraging cocoa-nut planting and other similar industries, which will do much to improve the general prosperity. He has already proved that the india-rubber industry is by no means the least important of these branches of commerce. ALVAN MILLSON. XXX.—LAGOS RUBBER. (Ficus Vogelii, Miq.) [K.B., 1890, pp. 89-93.] : large of resin present in this particular rubber has hitherto prevented its extended use in this country. It is evident, however, that some advance has already been made to overcome this drawback, 151 possible to obtain a product comparatively free from resin. In the investigation of the recent specimens of rubber received from Lagos this establishment is greatly indebted to Mr. S. W. Silver, .S., for an interesting report obtained from the India Rubber, Gutta Percha, and Telegraph Works Company (Limited), ilvertown COLONIAL OFFICE to ROYAL GARDENS, KEW. SIR, Downing Street, January 22, 1890. fo ission and I am to state that .Lord Knutsford T E obl iged if gon could obtain a report as to the market value of this beni men am, &c. isas R. H. MEADE. The Director of Kew Gardens. DISTRICT COMMISSIONER, BADAGRY, to COLONIAL SECRETARY. SIR, Badagry, eatin 20, 1889. I HAVE the honour to inform you that owing the topping ye the sap of the trees drying up, I have. se been "Able ib obtain 40 Ibs. of rubber instead of the 100 lbs. proposed in his Excellency's Minute, The cost has been 17. 19s. 8d., or a — less than Ls. aee Ib. It is écaily packed for shipment to England, and as no more be obtained until the sap forms again in April, I would npn its being forwarded at once, so that on my arrival in England I can be instructed to give the mode of working fully, should it prove successful. I could also attend at Silvertown and witness the working of the rubber, fir be shown the best way of separating the natural acid fro This amount, although small is y think, more than was supplied by Mr. Millson from one I have, &c. (Signed) W. HIGGINSON, The Hon Acting District Commissioner. The Colonial Secretary, Lagos. DISTRICT MEME rea gripe to the COLONIAL S TARY, LAGO ura ae December 10, 1889. n Lagos in October last, I had the honour to submit to his bee some specimens of rubber made by me on the Gold Coast plan, and he was pleased to direct me to obtain 100 lbs. at a cost not exceeding 5/. for export to England, for examination as to quality, etc., but up to the present I have only obtained 40 Iba. at a cost of a fraction under Ls. the Ib. 152 Í cannot of course say whether the little I have will turn out satisfactory or not, but I have taken the very greatest pains in its preparation, and I am sure it will be found quite free from dirt of all kinds, and I hope of acids. Perhaps a few remarks as to the mode pan ig by me may be found useful, as it may E be well kno in Lagos, although common on the Gold Coas When the milk is first em to me in gin eren I at once strain it into perfectly clean bottles thro ugh a ece of muslin fixed in a frame. The bottles are then allowed fa stand for 24 ut on the fire to boil. If much water is seen with the milk, none is added ; but if only a eae about a pint of water is added to every six bottles, As the er and milk begin to boil, lime The muslin strainer is very en Vade. as it pes only be turned over and water poured through it from a hei eight At present, owing to the rains ceasing and the sap of the trees drying up, little or no milk can be obta tained, although I have increased my price to 4d. a bottle : what little I did get was not good, and I found it useless If one could only induce is natives to collect the milk, a large irade might be done; but they are intolerably lazy, and do not care to attempt a new trade e. At the least a man should be able to get eight or 12 bottles a day, for which he w cg receive 2s. or 3s., ut the arg quantity brought me was four or six bottles, and confessed that these young men and boys re quite beyond their control or that of their fathers. This is giokaha a bad state of things for the district, and one which I have endeavoured to check as far as it lies in my power : but I fear, unless the Chiefs exercise their authority, and do their best to assist the District ommissioner, it will be hard work. RoYAL GARDENS, KEW, to the COLONIAL OFFICE. Royal Gardens, Kew, April 21, 1890. SIR, l AM desired by Mr. Thiselton-Dyer to acknowledge the receipt o your letter of the 22nd Januar y last, forwarding a copy of a despatch from the Officer Aaatataterigg ih he Government of os, on the subject of forty pounds of rubber pared from trees by = Py a “Abba” te Higginson, and shipped to this country for 153 ply, I am to state that this sample of rubber was prepared at the request of Sir Alfred Moloney, in continuation of i d inelude several spe us. From specimens borne to this country by Mr. Millson i is pretty clearly shown that one at least of them is Ficus | Mi It is desirable for a fuller he methods adopted to overcome these difficulties, it will be noticed, have resulted in an artiele superior in many respects to former samples. 4. As on the former occasion the Abba rubber Apure pem . Lagos iiec Pii rded through Mr. S. W. Silver, F.L.S., the Dea Rubber, Gutta Percha, and Telegraph Works Co. (inated) Silvertown, and a copy of ther dips received from this Company by *the simple method of cutting off a branch and pushing it "into the ground, and on account of the facility and rapidity * with which it grows, the natives use it largely for fence posts.” Further, Mr. Millson states *from the trees already in full growth * in the bush and towns, a considerable export trade could be “readily established, and systematic s ne An Dig “ would develop this trade to almost an T 2 conclusions to be drawn from the information contained in the last two paragraphs are obvious. Sir Alfred Moloney has evidently the opportunity of adding another important industry to West Africa. Mr. Higginson, while on leave in this country, has bbc eor to the chemical composition of rubber, and through the kindness of Mr. Silver, has obtained facilities fos watching the treatment of the cvs prepared by him, at the Silvertown Works. On his return to Lagos, Mr. Higginson will be ina ponia to continue with a fuller and wider knowledge of the subject, the ————Ü into the preparations of Abba 154 rubber, and no doubt Sir Alfred Moloney will place him in a position to utilize this knowledge to the best advantage in the interest of the Colony. 7. Samples of "à Abba rubber, manufactured at the ee Speen to illustrate the remarks contained in the are — direct by parcel post to the address of ` the ( = Ma Lago I have, &c. (Signed) D. MORRIS. The Hon. R. H. Meade, C.B., Colonial Office, S.W. Mr. S. W. SILVER, F.L.S., to ROYAL GARDENS, KEW. 2, York Gate, Regent's Park, N.W. March 21, 1890. DEAR Mn. uere Som cg delay has taken place in forwarding the a ade dated Silvertown, 20th inst., upon the last little consign- Li LJ L] I am, &c. (Signed) S. W. SILVER. D. Morris, Esq., F.L.S., Royal Gardens, Kew. REPORT ON LAGOS RUBBER. India Rubber, Gutta Percha, elegraph Works Co., Lim Silvertown, March 20. 1890. rm in which this rubber iad one consisted rag in transit, such as are found in many kinds of African rubber. The absence of impurities deserves mention in comparison with rubber that may be classed with this. Every care on the part of the peni should be taken in order that the ** Lagos rubber" may become known for its superior quality. The favourable opinion n the samples sent to Kew by Mr. Alvan Millson are Tally escis by this MEM UEM. In the report upon these samples it was stated t t (Kew Bulletin, Noveber- ] 1888, pp. 251-8-9 i 146], k Mixed with a "suitable proportion of sulphur vulcanized, they cured soft * and short, but were not Monel. 155 “Tt can evidently not be used by itself in any form. All the * samples were troublesome to work in the mixing machines. Special attention has been paid to these points on this occasion, and whilst we are not able to modify what is expressed in the first paragraph, we find that this consignment is free from the objection referred to in the second para The drying after washing is troublesome. The behaviour in the mixing machines is satisfactory, and admits of its being used alone for many purposes. This consignment lost 10 per cent. in bip and T "^ 13 per cent. on treatment with alcohol, so as to take out resins, Evidently the latter treatment, whilst adding considerably to the expense, is unnecessary, as no very mar ked improvement takes l XXXI.—INDIA-RUBBER IN UPPER BURMA. [K.B., 1888, pp. 217-220.] The following “ Particulars regarding the India-rubber Trade in the Mogaung District of the Upper Burma Forest Ci e extracted à : ission Mr. Warry, sae author of the paper, is a add of the Chinese Consular Service who has been sent to Burma for work among the Chinese Perrdisaon From W. Warry, Esq., Political Officer, Bhamo, to the Chief Secretary to the Chief Commissioner, Burma, Bhamo, 9th April 1888 :— I have the honour to sich ot for the information of the Chief Ccithini nascinese 80 ed a ars regarding the India-rubber trade in the Mogaung dis India-rubber seems to have been first exported from Upper Burma to Rangoon about the year 1870. Up to 1873 the trade was free to all who chose to engage in it: since 1873 the forests have been worked under the monopoly system. da z first nine years five Chinese firms styled pp fuent Cheng m nen ang and Paohsing respectively, were Me di concess- ionaire e two first named were Fokienese merchants who who suporintended t the actual operations. The price received by the B ment was Rs. 60,000 for the first triennial — S135). Rs ^10, 000 for the second (1876-78), and Ra. 90, for the third (18 79-81). In 1882 there was a split between "the Ripa ce of the syndicate, the result of which was that the monopoly for that one year sold for Rs. 70,000. During the next year business in India-rubber was at a standstill owing to loc di es caused by the “Kachin revolt.” In 1884 two Yunnanese firms agreed to pay Rs. 45,000 for a three years’ lease 156 of the monopoly ; and when their term expired, the lease for one year from September last was put up to auction and realised a lac The forest officer attached to the Mogaung column has no doubt reported on the general distribution of the Ficus elastica and on the Kachin methods of tapping it. I sott therefore touch very briefly upon these subjects. The Chin say that the India- Popa tree occurs throughout a very mime o district M several hundred miles north of Mogaung and extending to the east far across the Chinese border. A fractional part only of this ense are 5 ney north o amein. equally large supply should soon, it is said, be obtained from the Endaw and Laotsun districts. On the recent expedition we met a few me loads coming down the Endaw River, but there has, as yet, been no arrangement between the Chinese and the local tsawbwas under which the forests can be systematically worked. The Kachins are described as exceedingly jealous of interference with their trees, and very careful in their methods of tapping them. What I myself observed on the march fully bore out the latter part of this gaument The few trees seen were strong and vigorous, and though covered with innumerable small Hip one even up to the tiny topmost branches, they had mum not bee drained to to the extent of one-half their power. In the early DAE is and rectified, of over-bleeding the trees; it was in this way ascertained that a large tree if bled to death would yield: 500 viss of rubber in the course of a single season Mogaung is the adau of the India-rubber trade. Of the total yearly supply four-fifths are brought into Mogaung by Kachins, the majority a whom are in regular employ of the Chinese lessees, and one-fifth is purchased in the districts by Chinese agents of ihe; em sees. Under m pent system the Chinese manager at Mogaung. a man nam d Li, makes liberal confidence in Kachin honesty is misplaced. The Kachins having brought the rubber into Mogaung sell it to Li. All payments are now made in rupees. The price obtained when I was at ee averaged Rs. 145 for a 100 viss, last year it varied Rs. 120. to Rs. 130. At rats the Kachins used to be rnah cheated in bel process of weighing, and they retaliated by i n the plier Baten. e a balls the centre and di by mutual consent. The Kachin is now credited with the full bee ue or nearly the full weight of his rubber, which on its arrival ogaung is well washed, dried, and nating a ball by ball, before it is sided. Those Kachins w. received advances from Li make the refund by se selling to Mita at half the current price, until the amount of the debt is s cleared off. A small 157 district was opened. Lin, an influential Chinese family named Chao (who reside at Tachiai e and protect the sima route into China), to hire some 400 Chinese d Shan coolies to work the forests in the neighbourhood of the mber mines. Objection to this inroad was at one d the local Kachin tsawbwas, who insisted on the right of working the forests themselves, and declined to admit other r. After m ussi compromise was arrived at on the following basis : Two hundred of the new cooli ere to re at once, es w the remainder were to be allowed to colleet rubber under the superintendence of the Kachins, to whom they were to pay 10 per cent. of the quantity collected. The place of the 200 dismissed coolies was to be taken by an equal number of Ka hins, who were In most eases India-rubber is subject to certain charges whilst in transit through Kachin districts other than those in which it necessary in order to keep the amount of transit dues at a om ow and the chin owner bear the loss in equal shares. The Kachin, however, is amply compensated by being housed and fed at the expense of the Chinese during his stay in Mogaung. . The circumstances of the past year have been very favourable to the India-rubber trade. New producing districts have been opened, and old districts have been better worked than before. Owing to the apprehension caused by the visit of the British services to the India-rubber traders, whose operations had at first been hampered by the scarcity of labour. The profits realised this year by the lessees must be considerable. There are no means at Bhamo for ascertaining how much 158 India-rubber they have already sent down to Rangoon, but it is thought here that before the end of their term they will have i v em a handsome dividend on their outlay. The account may be stated thus :— PAYMENTS, | RECEIPTS. Rs. Rs. Cost of License ees -. 1,00,000 | Sale of 50,000 viss at Cost of 50,000 viss of rubber Rangoon at Rs. 4505 2.25,000 ogaung, at Rs. 145 per > 72,500 | per 100 viss A ET viss M E ae NN Mogaung to AM | 1,000 Freight, Bhamo to Rangoon, 3.950 at Hs. 6.8.0 per 100 viss ... L Expenses of establishment at Bhamo, Mogaung,and Man- - 12,000 dalay (say) ... E ee Incidental expenses, such as resents to Kachin tsawb- 2,000 kei Oui $us ove Total ... Sie -. 1,90,750 Total .. e ... 2,25,000 Which leaves a clear profit of Rs. 34,250, that is to say, over 17 per cent. on the capital invested, assuming that the whole outlay great deal more than 50,000 viss this season ; and on every extra 50,000 viss collected they will make a net profit of nearly a lac and a half of rupees. From the foregoing calculation it seems clear that the public revenue derived from the India-rubber forests is far too small. I ot indi auction; but it is quite as likely thata “ring” will ed t p the price at its present low level. The difficulty is that as matters now stan e se are the only traders who can assisting us in the task, and without their co-operation, or at least their good-will, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to secure a .regular supply. With the complete pacification of the district this 159 difficulty will no doubt disappear; in the pe mener it might be found poetis either by placing a reserve price on the monopoly when next put up to auction, or by abolishing the monopoly and UE the India -rubber as it is brought down, or by effecting ome arra fon sts yield something more than the nominal revenue heretofore derived from them. XXXIL—ASSAM RUBBER FOR WEST AFRICA. (Ficus elastica, Bl.) [ K.B., 1891, pp. 97-102.] COLONIAL OFFICE to ROYAL GARDENS, KEW. z Downing Street, 20th November, 1890. IR, I AM directed by Lord Knutsford to transmit to you, for your information, a copy of a despatch from the Governor of Lagos on the subject of the Ficus elastica of Asia. , &c. (Signed) JOUN BRAMSTON. The Director, Royal Gardens, Kew. [ Enelosure.] Sir ALFRED MOLONEY to LORD KNUTSFORD. Government House, Lagos, 13th October, 1890. My Lorp, I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt, direct from In cud T three packets of seed of the Ficus elastica, as also of an account by Mr. Gustav Mann, Conservator of Forests, of the mode of rci pursued in Assam. 2. For their ready and practical co-operation, may I invite your Colney to convey to the Government of India the thanks of this Colon e information supplied is of such general interest and value I have ve dien to issue it in extenso as a circular, of which I would ask your Lordship to allow the Director of the Royal Gardens, Kes, sé have some copies. . The seed received has been treated in accordance with vk method employed in Assam in the eultivation of this rubber tr I trust the —_— will prove a success and justify the trouble I have give I have, &c. (Signed) ALFRED MOLONEY, The pev Hon. Lord rv cm G. aih 160 CIRCULAR. Colonial ur death s Office, Lagos, 30th September, 1890. The following correspondence on the subject of the Ficus elastica of Asia has passed between his Excellency the Governor and the Right Honourable Secretary of State for the Colonies. The Ficus elastica is distributed over Assam, Java, and probably other Malayan countries; it is cultivated in Malabar, and is the chief, if not the only, source of Assam and Java caoutchouc. The caoutchouc supplied by this tree is only second in import- ance as an article of export to that of the prymiboss ien brasiliensis of the Amazon Valley. e tree is of similar growth in almost every respect to the s Abba " tree (Ficus Vogelii) of Yoruba, and would doubtless thrive excellently in the moist climate of the West Coast of ica. The preparation of the caoutchouc is similar to that of the “rubber” of the Landolphia owariensis of West Africa. Such of the milk as flows ely is ene by boiling, but the greater part is allowed to dry on the tree, Na which it is stripped when sufficiently erapoiittelii io bear handling. The value of good and fine Assam caoutchouc was quoted i 1887 at from 2s. to 2s. 7d. per pound, and in the quantity intiüblly shipped to ien United vorm it would appear to compare favourably with the Para Rubber ote seed of this valuable tree, which has, been supplied through ind offices of the Indian Government, is now being cultivated d the Bot — Station of this che and young plants will be e pu requi 8 cultivation it is to de hoped that it will soon establish itoclt | in this Colony and the neighbouring States By Command : ALVAN MILLSON, Assistant Colonial Secretary, pro Acting Colonial Secretary. The UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES. 8.8. * Sherbro," at Sea. 29th January, 1890. SIR, l HAVE the honour to request that the Secretary of State for the Colonies may be pleased to invite the co-operation of the I have, &c., | (Signed) eas MOLONEY, 161 COLONIAL OFFICE to INDIA OFFICE. Downing Street, 13th March, 1890. SIR, I AM directed by Lord Knutsford to transmit to you, to be laid before Viscount Cross, a copy of a letter from the Governor of _ Lagos on the subject of the “ Ficus elastic ca.’ ord Knutsford would be glad if the seed required by Sir Alfred Moloney, together with the information regarding the culture of de plant in Malabar, could be supplied through your Departm Any expense which may be incurred will of course be defrayed from ar ur funds, and upon application to this Department the Crown Agents will be directed to pay the d in such manner as the Secretary of State for India may des I am, &c., (Signed) RoBERT G. W. HERBERT. The Under Secretary of State, : India Office. —— — INDIA OFFICE to COLONIAL OFFICE. (R. & S. 354.) India Office, Whitehall, S.W., 24th April, 1890. SIR, I AM directed by the Secretary of State for India in Council to acknowledge the receipt of yo ur letter of the 13th ultimo, forward the sa e to the " Governor of fuh OB together with the required p enert as to the culture of the plan I have (Signed) - d GODLEY. The P ines of State, al Office Local Form No. 1. No. Kf. 134. From Gustav MANN, Esq., Conservator of Forests, Assam, to his Excellency the GOVERNOR OF LAGOS. Dated Shillong, the 24th July, 1890. SIR IN obedience to the orders received from the Government of Ingin, I c the honour to advise your Excellency of the despatch three small bags of rubber seed (Ficus elastica), containing aback one sen of seed, by sample post, and to enclose a brief 25781 L 162 f seed is very indi and light, e that probably a pre und or two will be found sufficient instead of 1 cwt. as now order I have, e (Signed) MAN Conservator ‘of stokta, Assam. Copy of LETTER No. Af. 73, dated Shillong, the 21st July, 1890, from the Conservator of Forests, Assam, to the Secretary to ed Ee Commissioner of Assam IH the honour to Eois wledge dri of your office Memo. and directing me to send to his eaa the Governor of Lagos on the West Coast of Africa, l cwt. of seed of Ficus elastica for oo in that Col t to be sufficient to begin experimenting with, even though there should be no skilled labour available for sowing it. 3. I have obtained about llb. of seed from Kamrup, which I will send at once to his Excellency the Governor of Lagos by post, and I shall write direct advising the despatch of the seed, and giving a brief account of the methods employed in cultivating the rubber tree here in Assam ; the expenditure incurred is so trifling (six annas), that it is not worth while recovering ; the postage on two letters would exceed it. 4. I shall await further instructions before despatehing more seed. BRIEF ACCOUNT of how Rubber Trees (Ficus elastica) are grown in Assam The seed ripens from o to March, when € is collected as it um off the trees, = afterwards dried in the rent: nid the dod | thus tired with the ee of the fruit is sown without any attempt to clean or separate the seed. 2. Germination takes place m only reum months after ihe seed has been sown, and as it i very small it must be sown on = — of ne soil only, but Metro just like the seed of t requires as much light as possible from mr : neni ire The seed can be sown on beds, or 163 boxes or flower pots, but it is most essential that the drainage of the soil be perfect, and that the earth never becomes soaking wet, whilst on the other hand it should Loon d be allowed to beco ome thoroughly dry, but be kept always 3. As the seedlings are very bi i go they must be pend with great care, and drip from trees Ree th d bed mu guarded against ; ee soil Spe be kept loose, and open M mould is the best soil. n the baee. are 2-3 inches high they have formed already a little thickened root something like a small carrot, and properly dug nursery bed, well drained, and the seedlings should there be placed about one foot in lines also a foot from each other. 9. After the exem have become 1-2 feet in height they are very hardy, an n be transplanted at any time of the year, but as the deer are very tanh after the leaves of the rubber trees, and to avoid the great expense of fencing in our plantation we have of late years transplanted the young trees a second time in nurseries giving them more room, say, 3-4 feet square each plant, and let them grow until 10 to 20 feet high, when they can be put om into , however, young trees down with their ack E dieti 6. The seed of Ficus elastica, where the d'a grows naturally in the Paire germinates almost invariably in the forks of trees, 30 to 40 feet and more above the surface of the ground, and the i e 6 to 10 years as young trees g epiphytes, after which the aerial roots reach the ground, and increase rapidity in size, until some of eh shack a girth of from 4 to 6 feet; they are very numerous, and it is not uncommon at a ier age that they are thrown out also from the upper branches 60 to 80 feet from the ground, being first as thin as whipcords, ut very soon increasing in size after they have reached the young rubber seedling first minated, is killed the more vigorous growing Ficus elastica, which in this respect resembles the w know Banyan tree, and is one of the est growing members of our mixed forest in Aj s an exceed- an elevation of 2,000 feet. Itis met with also at a higher elevation, ' but not so sers and at 5,000 feet it is liable to be injured cr killed by fro 1; "orem of Ficus elastica planted in the forks of trees in the forest are very difficult to attend to, and they in consequence often become dry about their roots, which retards their growth if it does not kill them ; for these reasons the rubber trees planted on the ground have grown much better in the Assam plantations, and the latter mode of planting has therefore been adopted almost exclusively ; they are not planted, however, on the ground in fie co n way but on small mounds, 3 to 4 feet high, of earth, an the cut-wood and rubbish close at hand, which suits the prie hen, habit of growth of this tree. 25781 = L2 164 8. These rubber trees can also readily be propagated from cuttings if only perfectly ne young branches or shoots are used ; but young trees so raised never are so hardy as the seedlings, and o not make equally good anew afterwards. 9. To ensure the greatest possible amount of moisture in the dioéghobs, the plantations of Ficus elastica have been made in the moist evergreen forest near the foot of the hills, through which lines 40 feet in width were cleared 100 feet apart from centre to centre of the lines, thus having 60 feet of "- standing between the lines; on these cleared lines the mo s for the planting of the seedlings or saplings are thrown up x en of 25 feet apart, care has to be taken afterwards to prevent the forest left s i trees nding closing in above, over the lines, and the rubber trees plan which they have always a tend o do, d which, if not guarded against, is detrimental to the growth of the young rubber trees. The undergrowth, which springs up on these lines and grows most vigorously has also to be cleared two or three times in the year for the first four or five years to admit air for the young rubber trees, but beyond this, and the putting S PUSH OMNE some more earth into the mounds, nothing is necessary. 10. The lines on which the rubber trees are planted are cut in an east and west direction, so as to protect the young rubber trees against the strong sun in the middle of the day; the atmosphere rA keeps moister in this case than if the lines were cut south an rth. 11. High ground is always best, and swampy groon ee water lodges should be avoided, but the tree grows very well o alluvial flats on the banks of rivers, even though this be endet for a few days once or t wice in the year. GUSTAV MANN, CUM: p" "Yreats, Assam. XXXIIL—CULTIVATION OF INDIA-RUBBER IN ASSAM. [K.B., 1896, pp. 171-174.] The Assam rubber plant (Ficus elastica, Roxb.) is a large T sta iree found in ne forests from the ae s ine Sikkim Himalaya eastward to Assam and Arracan. Kurz remarks that is frequent in upper Trasg ‘gies whoie forests gate in the or of Hookhoom. The Government of India has of late years attempted to establish regular plantations of rubber trees in Assam and ras. emorandum, by Mr. Gustav Mann, Serom of Forests, Assam, describing the growth of trees from se eds, was ven in rs Kew "Bulletin, 1891, pp. 100-2 [p. 162]. In the Kew Bulletin, 1892, p. 68, it was stated that the imports into io fs cou pt of Assam and Rangoon rubber in 1491 amounted to fons. The Government of India issued directions in May, 1884, that for five years from that date the Assam plantations should be 165 Moni by 200 acres a year. Part of this extension it was mmended should be situated on higher ground than hitherto ele t the same time, it was added, endeavours should be made to induce private persons to plant india- rubber trees on their estates, seedlings being offered by the Forest Department at cost price. It was also suggested that the experimental planting of F'icus elastica, as an getter might with advantage be undertaken by the Forest Department. In a state of nature this plant generally ronPodüdee itself in this way, and although the growth of the seedlings thus raised is slow at first, the trees are said to gro much Ts dimensions ultimately. This method of reproduction is moreover inexpensive, as the seedlings do not require any attention after they have once been deposited in the singular ki dad year by year. It varied so greatly that while the yie e year was as much as 26 pounds per tree, it would fall in lacitior year to a Vice over two pounds. die value in TT depended, of course, on the market, but at an average price Mis as 6d. per pound the uring yield per tree varied from 39s. 8. The fluctnations in the yield of one and the same tree in different years are, therefore, very consilerable, and they remain personal supervision these experiments were made have not been able to find out any reasons for, or causes of, these very material fluctuations." There is another point of practical importance. It is well known aed F'icus elastica will grow with undiminished rapidity and luxuriance in situations remote from the hills, but in such localities it fai ls to yield caoutchouc. Hence, Mr. Mann concludes that no greater mistake could be made than to start plantations of this tree in the plains of Bengal. This is true also of many parts of the world where the tree has been introduced. In spite of the abundance of the tree under cultivation in the tropics of both the Old and New World i nowhere proved valuable for the TECH of rubber except in the mountainous parts of Assa Owing to doubt as to the financial results of the —— = Ficus elastica, even in m, the work underta b Government of India has latterly been suspended. - fact, no extensions have been made since the year 1893-94. The totai area of the plantations already established is estimated at about a: acres, but it is admitted that many parts are not fully tocked. too old to yield rubber in quantity.’ " The present putos of the rubber industry in Assam is very fully discussed in a “ Note on 166 an Inspection of Certain sabe in Assam,” by Mr. H. C. Hill, Officiating Inspector-General of Forests, dated the — March, 1896. From this note the: following extracts are taken The continued destruction of naturally-grown rubber trees and the impossibility of preserving them.—The ae cit tapping of trees in reserves, sparsely scattered over miles almost impenetrable evergreen forest with an undergrowth of ae is PES explained. The roughly collected impure rubber sells at a rupee a seer, and to obtain a number of seers which are interchangeable for 12 times eae weight of rice at the nearest Koya’s shop, a man has only to make his way to a tree, make cuts in the roots, and returning three days later -collect his spoil. No system of inspection paths or staff of patrols would render protection f rts, even if men could be got to stay in the eren "n e Tun rains when all guards are withdrawn. The cR aig beside abuts the Akha and Duffla hills and is heb and trackless except for wild elephant paths, therefore the rubber once collected lin im foreign territory was leased, gangs of Ne epalese employed to collect rubber beyond the Inner Line defied the forest staff, and, assembling in numbers within the veris tapped everything before them. This began the destruct Now, with few trees to work on, and licensed pure olino who pay the royalty of Rs. 12 on foreign rubber, illicit tapping goes on and the rubber i is ing generally killed off across the Line, unless the reported religious or the tree in the Abor hills is affording it protection in that vage em ud at Rs. 12a semen" amounis to "Re 42,000 (4,200/.) a year, and it : i : : : : hi i supply continuous it behoves Government to invest a fair proportion of these receipts, if they can be profitably invested, with this object in view. The o nly prospeet of success, financial or other, seems to be in ate direstión of artificial plantations, where the trees can be concentrated on a limited area, the effective protection and exploitation ot pied will be possible. Financial paleo of the plantations.—Can these plantations be expected t come a profitable investment ? Hitherto the Government of Itidia, acting on the advice of the Inspector-General of Forests, who had consulted the local officers (Messrs. McKee 167 and Campbell), decided in 1891, that the further extension of the plantation was not advisable because a considerable amount of expense would be incurred, and there was a great doubt whether the expenditure would prove remunerative ; and further because, n if it were remunerative, many years must elapse before any supply of the future may not justify the expectation that the Government will reconsider their decision of ; but be both Mr. Smythies and Mr. Home, who have followed Mr. Conservator in Assam, are more hopeful of the financial addis orders passed, I venture to put forward a further forecast of results ici it seems to me may be safely anticipated. In the first place, the cost of a ty the plantation was estimated in 1879 at Rs. 36 per acre. Mr. McKee’s estimate of 1893 was Rs. 50. Mr. Smythies was “of opinion that Rs. 20 would suffice for planting out an acre, and adding Rs. 10 for maintenance the cost would be Rs. 30. Mr Home’s estimate is Rs. 40 an acre for planting with maintenance. In my opinion this cost-rate will suffice and should not be exceeded, and where open lands are planted as in 1892-93, the cost may be jp sa at Rs. 30. Mr. Home is able to show that, exclusive of Rs. 34,000 spent on experiments, the existing plantation has cost Rs. 50 per acre, and with the experience gained there Pan be little doubt but that operations will be cheaper in the futur The prospective yield of the plantation i is eges at length in Le dim 9 to 15 of Mr. McKee’s report, but it would seem that ome €—— have been eii too dedisse Bg to the planini Trees have been put out in the older Sa pedar 100 feet by 25 feet apart or to the number of 17 trees to the acre. In the younger compartments the trees are spaced 70 feet by 35 feet or 18 to the acre. It has been assumed that half the trees would disappear and only seven or eight remain per acre, on the score that the average lateral oue of 50 natural trees being 94 feet, ihey cover an ave 980 square yards. This is apparently a mistake for 770 square — and as now planted, the trees might 70’ + 35’ have an average diameter of crown of ———— = 53 feet and cover 245 square yards. I think it may Vests be held that more than eight trees, but with a less superficial area t "M — 605 square yards, will be permanently maintained. But perc that an aere with eight trees or more will only yield 40 ersata tapping, which may be repeated every five years, the s — of the rubber is very much understated by Mr. McKee. Rs. 50 it should be Rs. 80 per maund, uid the return acre pe annum thus becomes Rs. = pot of Rs. 10. If re interest to mount up to Rs. 220 and patero at 34 per cent. uid on this out of the Rs. 16, there would still be a riet return of Rs. per acre per annum. 168 n order to Moontélo, what prospect of yield de plantation peor rg ge compartments were only successfully planted in their present completeness in 1877-8. They visited respectively 23, 21, 11 and 41 chittacks (approximately equivalent to 3, 3, 15 and ó Ibs.). This was valued locally at Rs. 97 a maund, and allowing for some further drying and a fair rate for collection, the net t value may be taken at Rs. 80 (a little over 1s. per pound). The rubber was sent to Dr. Watt with a view to his obtaining an independent valuation in Calcutta. The result of this her E Rs. 105 to Rs. 108, Rs. 100 to Rs. 105, Rs. 110 to Rs. 115, 110 to 112 respectively, per bazaar maund M in Delia M to an average pris of 1s. 6d. per Ib.). us and mos Wc trees in the lines, and hence the rubber obtained gave no indication of the yield of the Leere the dominant vigorous trees of which alone yield rubber free I think the yield obtained from Mie few trees justifies the assumption that 20 seers (41 Ibs.) could even now be obtained from n acre, and that it is reasonable to suppose a maund will be readily obtained at or before the age of 50 years, and that Rs. 16 per acre per annum can be counted upon. Extension = plantation work.—lf these views are accepted, there would seem to be a good case for extending the plantation by 250 acres a ponis at a cost of Rs. 10,000, for md next 12 years at least. By this time it will cover an area of 5,000 acres, the pep yield of which would be, even according to Mr. ee’s estimate, 1,000 maunds of rubber per annum, adding a ae income of at least Rs. 80,000 to the forest revenues of the province. Cost to Government and the possibility ar increasing the duty.— As already shown, Government is only required to forego 25 per cent. ot the revenue it is now deriving from the extermination of the natural rubber trees. Considering that men are ready to pay up to Rs. 38 a maund for rubber collected vw the forests in the Tezpur district, with a guaranteed yie 165 maunds from one of the two mahals eastern) into which the distriet has been divided, it may be desirable to raise the royalty from Rs. 12 und. collection and carriage varies from Rs. 16-8 i n the Garo Hills to paid by mahaldars. 169 XXXIV.—ASSAM RUBBER IN EGYPT. [ K.B., 1897, pp. 429-430, & 1899, p. 87.] The following correspondence gives the promising vium of an attempt to produce rubber from Ficus elastica in Egypt : Mr. FLOYER to ROYAL GARDENS, KEW. Cairo, May 2, 1897. ok you very much for the seeds ` of Ficus elastica, I have put in this spring some 50,000 cuttings, and about 96 per cent. are doing well, owing to favourable weather. But, according to Indian experience, the tree does better from seed We need millions of trees as shade for the new agricultural roads, and some of them may well be rubber producers, in view of the fact that the present supply is obtained in men measure through the destruction of the t The i o here T more freely than those of the Chardwar experi I have posted a small sample of the India-rubber. The ‘product is very uniform, and a small sample is as good asa larg win peo you shortly some gutta from Calotropis. Yours, &c., (Signed) ERNEST A. FLOYER. Messrs. HECHT, LEVIS, and KAHN to ROYAL GARDENS, KEW 21, Ninoe Lane, TER E.C., May 19, 1897. DEAR SIR, WE have your ar. of yesterday ; also a sample of rubber. is equal in quality to the fine Darjeeling Assam, and if it comes a exactly like this sample equally strong and pure, it would at the present moment sell at 2s. 6d. per lb., and such rubber could be readily sold at any tim Always at your service, we are, dear Sir, Pi & urs, &e., (Signed) HECHT. LEVIS, and KAHN. t Short note in the Kew Bultesh. 1897, p. 429, Miami md mmencement of an attempt to pro oduce rubber ir Ficu elasiten in in En The following two supplementary fesli e the promise that Mr. Floyer has met with in continuing the experiment :— Mr. E. A. FLOYER to ROYAL GARDENS, KEW, Cairo, July 17, 1398. SIR, THANK you for sending me the Bulletin about our India- deck trying the yield of each tree. Mr. Luiji inane of "the Gezira Palace, has placed some trees 28-30 170 years old at our disposal. So far two are tapped. No. l gave 5 lbs. ; No. 2,54 lbs. The tapping is conducted with a view of - petiing another yield next year from the same trees. The year’s crop of cuttings will be about 7,000 only. We are still nsaan with seed. Yours truly, (Signed) Tiilos A. FLOYER. Cairo, June 12, 1899. DEAR hang WILLIAM, three trees, Een teu ker I p vm last ink I have ra out pes spring nearly 3,000 Ficus, and hope in due time a rubber industry may be sta rted Yours truly, (Signed) ERNEST A. FLOYER. XXXV.—INDIA-RUBBER: BRITISH SOLOMON ISLANDS. [K.B., 1897, pp. 419, 420.] “During the pee visit to the Protectorate I made several hipaa P de with a v w to the produ ction of india-r rubber, the Ficus. I regret to say that my experiments were unsuccessful. was, however, shown by one of the Aola traders, who had d just returned from British New Guinea, some samples of rubber now being procured there by the natives. The man who showed me the samples said that he had seen the same tree as that from which they were produced growing in the Solomons, and from his description it appears to be also a species of Ficus. The natives of New Guinea, the trader told me, allowed the sap ‘of the tree to run over their arme and body and when it was sufficiently solid removed it and rolled it up into lumps. The lumps were rather larger than a cricket ball "S n ,Was worth to the New Guinea traders from 2s. 6d. to 38. per Ib XXXVI—CASTILLOA RUBBER OF CENTRAL AMERICA (Castilloa elastica, Cerv.) [K.B., 1887, Dec., pp. 13-16.] This is one of the earliest described of rubber-yielding plants, but according to Sir Joseph Hooker (Trans. Linn. Societ ty, Vol H., pt. 9, p. 209), it is probable that more than one rubber-beari species exists in Central America under this nàme. 171 e of British Honduras and Nica caragua is no doubt o wers. species named Castilloa markhamiana (Collins, Report on the Caoutchouc of Commerce, 1872, p. 12, t. 3) has been shown to belong to another genus, viz., Perebea (Genera Plantarum, Vol. HI., p. 372). Plants of Castilloa have been widely distributed from Kew to various tropical agg igs and seed-bearing trees are now found in Ceylon, Singapor Faget yee Pare Trinidad, and the west and east gs of "Arópial Afri * hirsutely tomentose beneath. On the other hand, Cross's “ indigenous specimens of Caucho, and those cultivated in Ceylon “ (derived. from wie same source), have the branchlets less clothed * toment sive brief statement respecting the determination of the raoe betes plants of Central America will serve to show the present position of our knowledge of the subject. The plants distributed from Kew, and now under cultivation in various tropical colonies, would be more correctly termed Yi . Nicaragua, quality of rubber yielded by the Darien Castilloa, the Kew Report for 1882, p. 40, gives an account of the first sample of caoutchouc obtained from this plant in the ‘Ola World. “ In October 1882, the Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, * Peradeniya, Dr. Trime en, forwarded to Kew a sample of the “ Silver, Esq., F.L.S., who very kindly reported upon it :— T working and drying a portion of this sample, the loss is 12- 3 « * per cent, ; it is necessary to use warm water in washing this & « rubber ; it becomes, on drying, much darker and shorter than “< washed sample gives 1:2 per cent. The shortness of this «e rubber would restrict its use to some extent where tens ile « < strength or tenacity is required.’ It was as valued, Dec. 8, 1882, & ag worth 2s. 9d. to 3s. per pound." The collection and preparation of rubbers as à e product has hitherto been almost exclusively in the hands of natives, 172 whose only object has been to obtain as large a quantity as possible of a marketable character, without any re rd to the any localities the rubber trees have been so ruthlessly cut down or tapped, that they have been almost annihilated. In others, the preparation of the rubber is of so rude and unsatisfac- tory a character, that the waste must be enormous, Under these circumstances it is most important to extend knowledge of the subject, and it is to be hoped where rubber trees still exist under British influence, that careful steps will be taken to regulate the od or bleeding, and to replant areas already den uded of trees. the special instance of the rubber industry at British aiu ras we nay e been lately EL with the following correspondence : COLONIAL OFFICE to ROYAL GARDENS, KEW. * Colonial Office, Downing Street, SIE 11th November, 1887. * I AM directed by Secretary Sir Henry Holland to transmit “to you a memorandum on the cultivation and preparation of * india-rubber, which has been prepared by Mr. Alvan Millson, * who was formerly a district magistrate in British Honduras, and * has now been appoi inted to be a district commissioner in the * colony of Lagos * “I am to request that the Kaa which is sent in original, may be returned with your reply. “Tam, &c. D. Morris, Esq. (Signed) JOHN BRAMSTON." NOTES on CASTILLOA RUBBER TREE of BRITISH HONDURAS, by MR. ALVAN MILLSON. There is but little to be added to the admirable account given by Mr. Morris (now of Kew) of the Castilloa elastica in his book on the colony of British Honduras; but the cultivation and preparation of india-rubber is of daily increasing importance, and there is little doubt that information which in any way lessens the difficulties at present encountered in PME with this artiele is worthy of statement and examination Cultivation.—The details I am able to give with regard to the cultivation of the rubber tree are mainly foun ga on hearsay evidence, bu y of them have also come un my own observation. The present methods may be amined ep two heads :— (i.) Cultivation as a shade tree for other crops, and (ii. Cultivation for its own sake. (i.) The rubber iree is a tap-rooted tree, of small foliage area, a lover of deep moist, clayey loam, well shaded by undergrowth, and appears to need surrounding low bush to force it to its full height. 173 The natural deductions from the above facts are that while it underneath it m p d, it gives but little shade unless pl hort tances. Until it has attained sufficient mensions to shade itself (for it will not grow well if the sun gets at its tru ants nea branches, it t eris by some other shade tree, its natural habitat, like that of e Jamaica pimento, being in old plantations among the under- tah that so rapidly springs up in humid soils. If planted sufficiently closely to shade its own stems, without which both the growth and flow of milk will be checked by the heat of the sun, it must of course ultimately damage the crop beneath it, and, in the case of cacao, when both crops come to maturity about the same time, both crops would be injured to an almost equal extent. If grown as a varier Sp ut seeds should be planted, I stanc 15 feet fr le ou the under-bush to shade them and stimulate their growth—a small area of about a foot in diameter being kept clear round each only when sufficiently large to shade one another to a geri extent should the plantation be thoroughly brushed with a machete. On the plantation of M. Lefebvre (No. 7, Rue des Petits Hótels, Paris), in the western district of British Honduras, several not make half oe progress Stakes, if set in the ae make more apparent progress than seeds (seedlings should not, I think, be planted, on account of the extreme length and delicacy of their tap roots), but two or three years suffice to show that the seeds make more certain and rapid progress. have reason to believe that the is tg — affects the neighbourhood of rivers chiefly, because the bush in such places is always stunted by the floods so as io ahes the rabba uid. to have full growth, and is T sufficient to give the groun stems full shade. Under these circumstances the trees will Sach a gre fe: ze, while in identical soil in the open savannah they make no apparent progress. ation.—A. great difficulty has hitherto been found in nur the milk from the tree in a satisfactory manner. The method now employed is wasteful both of time and of the quantity and quality of the milk extracted. I append a rough sketch of a machine* invented by Mr. Blancaneaux, of the Cayo, British Honduras, which avoids all these disadvantages. oagulation.—The methods which at present prevail = eet E the milk are well described by Mr. Morris. I cannot * Not reproduced. 174 but think, howsyon. ne a plan suggested to M. Lefebvre by a series of experiments in the spring of this year (sample of the result of which I map and will forward at a later date,) offers decided advantages over any other M. Lefebvre's method.—The milk is put into a barrel with a tap at the bottom, and three parts of pure limeless water are added to every part of milk. After Manis for twenty-four hours the water is drawn Off through the tap and the process repeated twice more. "The well ] washed milk is then pressed slowly in a finely sampl prepared is difficult to distinguish from the smoke-coagulated Para rubber which at pen leads the market. e preparation of Castilloa E t. Peco by Morris (Golews of British Honduras, p. 76), as f * At the close of the day the ake Wee collects all the “ milk, washes it by means of water, and leaves it standing till the “next morning. He now procures a quantity of the Ais: of “the inoon-plant (Calonictyon speciosum), pounds it into a mass, “and throws it into a bucket of water. After this decoction has * been strained, it is added to the rabber-milk, in the proportion “of one pint to a gallon, or until, after brisk stirring, the whole of “the milk is coagulated. The masses of rubber ie gd on the id ERA are now strained from the liquid, kneaded into cakes, “and placed under heavy weights to get rid of all watery particles. * When perfectly drained and dry, the rubber cakes are fit for the * market, and exported ge ibid: inc asks.’ The idea respecting the preparation of rubber, as suggested above by Mr. Millson, without the aid of the moon plant or of new. In the Report on the Caoutchouc of Commer. rce, PE Collins published in 1872, it is stated that if the juice of plan not “abou two parts of water are added to one part of and allowed to stand for 12 hou he residue which * the watery portion allowed to evaporate or otherwise di isappear. * The ye when dry, is subjected to pressure in order to get id." D. M. 175 XXXVIL—CENTRAL AMERICAN RUBBER. (Castilloa elastica, Cerv.) [K.B., 1899., pp. 159-164, ] Some account of Castilloa rnbber, and of the porn ein it, was given in the Kew Bulletin for December, 1887 13-16 [p. 0]. Since then its cultivation as a source of rule ahaply has attracted some attention in Mexico and the West Indies. It has not, however, been easy to obtain any trustworthy data as to to the cos the practical methods to pursue or as t and return to be expected. The following account is erapr reprinted from the United States Consular Reports (May, 1 1-1 It been drawn up by a man conversant with the ap Sables and with a good deal of care :— * Consul-General Beaupré sends from Guatemala, under date of January 28, 1899, a translation of an article on rubber prepared by Mr. José Horta, of the city of Guatemala. Mr. Horta, adds the Consul-General, is an experienced agriculturist, and has handled the subject ably. Extracts from his report are given below. * In — Castilloa elastica, Cerv., is bip in the wild state, and ers an immense zone in tral Ameriea; the rubber whi ks pes aar pipen is one of. rm best and most valuable for the indus “The Castilloa elastica is a tall, well-shaped tree, with smooth, greenish-white bark. At a height of from 15 to 20 yards from the ground there start from the trunk (of spongy and porous NOUS large and almost horizontal branches, from which hang two rows t leaves, long, oval in shape, and smooth edged (not ed). “The milk of the rubber tree, or its mercantile product, is contained Eon in the fibres between the woody portion of the tree and the bark. ee fibrous part is a vital Eus n of the iree. For this reason, in making incisions in the bark to obtain the milk, it is nece to proceed with great caution and aecording to the AA described further on. “The milk contains more or less water, according to the time of its extraction ; on an average it can be calculated to hold about 60 per cent. water and other substances, and 40 per cent. saleable grund of this, faxsbepe ees 33 per cent. is rubber of superior ali «The climate most appropriate for rubber is the hot or coastal, with a temperature of from 25° to 35" Celsius (93° to 103° F.) and the altitude above sea level up to 1,500 feet. The ground should be moist, deep, and loose ; s dias clay nor stone. Rubber sh -— not be planted in the sun. We found our opinion upon following reasons :— *(1.) The nature of the rubber tree. “(2.) The trials made in Guatemala since 1872. *(3.) The consideration that, planting in the shade, there is absolute certainty of a m result. — 176 *If the wild tree always seeks the shade of trees of greater growth iu the natural forests, it is because, by the help of these, its sap remains in the state imposed by nature as a condition of its proper growth and production. It is not the desire here : o leaves do not resist the sun, nor do they, by the nature of their surface, oppose evaporation. It is clear that without shade there is an evaporation which must exercise a harmful infiuence upon the production of the milk of the tree. It should also not be lost ue of that on the Pacific Coast we have a dry season for six onsecutive months, very prejudicial to plantations in the sun. Allow the rubber tree a high and well-distributed shade, withont undergrowth or brush, and tbe result will be healthy and robust : : b i . nei one se for proper developme It would appear much more feasible to conduct the Mitis of iila alae "with that of rubber, utilizing the trees for shade. “Advocating the planting in the shade is equivalent, in a untry like een still possessing so much virgin forest, to sete ing in the woods. There are thousands of acres of land where it would to autioloht = clear the forest (cutting down part and removing the low branches and undergrowth) in order to obtain ground sufficiently shaded and with the necessary ventila- tion, the latter a condition of the greatest importance. The trees and undergrowth cut down could be spread ae! the ground to prevent the growth of weeds, as well as to serve as manure. pla pos the rubber tree the ground should be ‘perfectly cleaned for a circle at least a yard in diameter and the tree placed in the ene: We advise the planting of trees taken from a sued il even prevent sprouting. After a year in the nursery the trees are taken out with great care (it is best if the FAX adheres to the roots) and transplanted. * The least distance at which rubber trees should be set out is covering the und as has previously been explained. In the third and inn years two to Hind cleanings per year should be made ; and from the fifth year, one cleaning annually will suffice until the growth of the tree impedes the further wh m of weeds. Before beginning to exploit, the trunk of the tree should measure at least 12 inches in diamete ter, an and eX e + 15 yards in height, for which from 9 to 10 years is n B 177 “The milk may be extracted from the trees twice each year, during the rainy season ; about two months after its commence- ment and towards the termination, bi most propitious time being when the tree pus dropped its leave * A tree planted and cultivated uds good édnditions will give an annual product, after nine or ten years, of 1 pound of rubber, or, say 24 to 3 pounds of milk. With proper aay of the nature of the rubber tree, the progress of its sap, a and the fertilizers that might be best t for it, it is very probable that this yield would be greatly increased. * EXTRACTION OF RUBBER. * Until no wW, the machete has been used in Guatemala to make the incisions in the bark, incisions in the form of small canals about t fires earth of an inch wide, which receive the milk. I other countries (as in the East Indies) there is employed a kind of knife, which allows the making of an incision which is cleaner and better directed. “To extract a good quantity of milk it is not sufficient to make fo only one incision at the foot of the tree. Care should be taken that the bark of the tree remains intact in one continuous strip the entire height of one side of the tree; he entire circumference of the trunk were cut (even by incisions situated at different notes pee the tree would die within a few days. To avoid this danger we Rare seen the following moe pee? — a until within two metres of the first eh eh “Bach i cision consists of two symmetrical cuts, which autre will ver den thirds of the circumference of the tree, and will an angle 45°, in order that the milk may run freely to the 1 lowest Sat The points of all the incisions must be in a perpen icular line, so that the milk from the hig Wat i edes. epe concentrating in the angle formed by the two cati, may run to the lowest point of the xt lower incision, and from there on to che following, etc., "mcd reaching the lowest, where it is collected, as explained further on. « (9.) The incision is extended to the same height of the trunk as indicated in the first method, but is continuous, and ndn of cuts, one de ase to the other, eis ays taki ing care never to e leaving vue-tliird of the bark intact. “Tt is useless and even dangerous to make the — so deep as to penetrate the woody part of the a On the contrary, great . eaution should be exercised to preserve the fibred- prre to the wood. “ From the point of the incision nearest the A the S is conducted by a canal to a receptacle of clay or eollected: ibus, the milk must be coagulated to obtain the solid product has not been decided. We limit ourselves to indicating the principal processes we have seen employed, 25781 M ` 178 “The most rudimentary comes in ecu the milk in trough, or even a hole excavated in the und (which doli from its value), and employing in its suceeded the juice of the vine, here called ‘ Quiebra-Cajete’ (an infusion of the leaves of the vine). Alum can also be employed, and exercises a very rapid the milk may be mixed with aint which is ed off at intervals, until all impurities are remo The clean rubber, which presents the aspect of a spongy iue is passed through a press to expel the water, thus obtaining a white product of superior quality, which is left to dry in the shade, in order that it may not show on the outside a glutinous liquid, which detracts from its market value. “COST AND PROBABLE PRODUCTION OF A PLANTATION. (by day, by task, with advances, etc.), on the distance apart that trees are to be planted, whether the land is to be used exclusively for rubber or not, and on many other considerations. i ures expressed herewith, therefore, do not pretend to arigorous exactitude, but will serve as a guide for the agriculturist. “ We will suppose that the trees are to be planted at 8 varas (1 vara — 33 English inches) distance, so that each will have an approximate area (with space occupied by shade trees) of 64 square which we believe necessary for their proper development, thus allowing approximately 10,000 trees to the caballeria (112 acres)};:cost of land at $400 (8175. 60 in United States currency)* per caballeria, a price somewhat high, as some cod ast land (hot) adequate for this epi vain can ow purchased in Guatemala for less; but we have adopted this figure, as, eum to existing laws, it is the average cost of public lands in the Republic. Guatemalan United States currency urrency. $ Cost per poole E. Ed ES Ban — ETE Fencing per m 10.00 =... 439 Nursery, at $10 sa 1 000, say, for 159 p Lbs. o .69 Preparation of ground and arranging e, per manza : BOG Li 9M aa 159 trees to the nia anzana S00 ae 142 Cleaning by machete, four in first year. .-. sc AMD 1 LUIR Three el cleanings in second year p RAN Vs ANE Two cleanings in third year nes SO: .. . Saf. * The value of the Central dollar, was estimated by the m ted States Director o: E the Mint ny, January 1 1st, li 1899, ot 18.3 eque. S Banato of 200 waren: or 275 179 Guatemalan United States currency. currency. One cleaning vnd Je from fourth $ $ to sixth, inclusi 1300 -... 2 ient on ‘vented capital, at 10 per ent. for ten years 68.18. ... 290.19 ii gemeot, ete. S Di e 4238 .. L93 es Aud in Rabie se (200 per m is ruling rate on gold to- $us of - trees occupy- ing a manza eis and 10 years oa TA nm 150.00 $ 66.00 s vie the foregoing caleulation it may be seen that a plantation of, say, 100,000 trees requires caballerias - ground (besides ae whieh may be necessary for bev euro etc.), and would cost, after ten years, about $95,000 ($41,700). If the annual yield of each tree after ten years is 1 pound of rubbar of good class, 100,000 trees would give 1,000 centals per year of good appar, At p hea Ib T the article these 1,000 would valued in Paal mon to-day’s exchange 8202, 500 ) (8115238). There i is ie: bs deducted from this Guatemalan United States — — Cost of extraction and collection of $ $ the milk and manufacture of pro- duct (which together may - culated at 30 c xs pound of rubber) for 1,000 cen 30,000 ... 13,170 Expense of TRAE Ee to point of shipment (which varies in each case, but can be calculated in lands situated on the Pacific coast at xe 90 t = $2 per ay for 1,000 LOU .. 768 Eas. for embarking, more or less, 80 cents per cental, or, for 1,0 centals BE veh 355 Ocean freight, insurance, commission sales, and other Ss ip proximately . 40,000 ... 17,560 Total -z E ji. uec 225859. o SERS « Deducting the cost of $72,559 ($31,853) from the income, leaves a vds of $189,941 ($83,385). ccording to these caleulations, one eM after ten yum will sodile double the amo ed expended during that time. Even incomparably more remunerative the best and un: eeu croumstances can yie 180 XXXVIIL—PERUVIAN RUBBER. [K.B., 1899, pp. 68-72.] Up to the present time little or nothing has been known botanically with respect to Peruvian rubber. Our knowledge, “There comes ion Peru, at the sources of the Amazon and its tributaries, a rubber resembling the Nicaragua Sheet, and called Cau v much, which is a serious drawback. It is considered a goo Strong rubber, and it is utilised to a considerable extent by the boot and shoe manufacturers.' The following correspondence iren the first information as to the aetual source of Peruvian rubber FOREIGN OFFICE to ROYAL GARDENS, KEW. e Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs presents his aiala to the Director of the Royal. Gardens, Kew, and i Eon known as “ Caucho. Foreign Office, May 17, 1899. MR. CONSUL CHURCHILL to FOREIGN OFFICE. Her Majesty's — Pará, My Lorp, ril 28, 1899. Ir may interest those concerned to uc pus the E which produces the quality of India-rubber exported from Per through Pará, under the name of Caucho, has recently ien dolor. mined by Monsieur Mee à botanist, who is on the scientific staff of the Museum of Pará Monsieur Ser lately visited = pa ayali region in Peru, and discovered that the tree was a Casti He will mios be able to deci = s comparison, whether it is the same as the Castilloa elastica of Central Am merica, or a species of the same genus. It had been surmised vinis cal s as the s the first authority who has settled the point. With this E knosdodee it results that the distribution oe e Castilloa is wider than was previously thought to be the “Caucho” is also produced in the neighbourhood of v Bolivian tributaries of the: River Amazon, and from parts the said tributaries that pass through Brazilian territory. 181 A sample of “ Caucho" exists, in the en of this City, that came from the banks of the River Tocan It is said that * Caucho" is also ae a near Macapa and Mazagao, on the north bank of the River Amazon, near p estuary. A recent statistical return on the exports of the State of Pará reports that this produce was exported in small piia (altogether about 10 tons) from A Vo Hiele Santarem, Alemquer and Obidos on the River Amazon. The total shipments of “ Caucho” from Amazonian ports aiti to ined 2,000 tons annually. Monsieur Huber describes the process of tapping as follows :— “ The trunk is almost severed in two at a distance of about 3 feet from the ground, and the usd. is allowed to fall in such a manner that it is supported in an inclined position by its branches, and still holds on to the part that ^ ‘left standing. The sap is collected and poured into a hole made in the ground, and is coagulated by means of the juice of certain local lianas. e ag hd state that this is the best method of tapping, and that if t were treated in the same manner as the Heveas they ould soon be would be injured by incision. This be only an excuse for n which might be avoided. However, it must be considered that as these trees grow far rom each ar apart f other in their native state it must be inconvenient, if no impossible, to attend to more than one tree at a time. Trees that have been tapped in the manner described do not survive the operation. In the course of time their places are, no ies. taken by young trees that grow from seeds. e Amazonian Castilloas are found on elevated land that is md the reach of floods, whereas the Heveas thrive best in the seb that are periodically inundated z the River Amazon I have, &c., (Signed) Wat A. CHURCHILL. The Marquess of Salisbury, K.G., &c., .&c, &c. ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS, KEW, to FOREIGN OFFICE, Royal besa Kew SIR, y 23, 1899. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the mide of letter of May 17, transmitting a copy of Consul Churchill s report on a kind of India-rubber e xported from Peru, through Pará, under the name of Caucho 2. Caucho, of which Caoutchouc is peny an sepen reir has been hitherto identified with * * India-rubber" par excellence th : Castilloa. One or more pesn of this s genus produces the ne rubber of Central America. In South America Castilloa has been 182 known to extend as far as Ecuador, rere _ is called Jebe, other- wise Jeve or Heve. According to Au this latter name was ue in EN rthern Ecuador to a species "i Facer and in founding that us he derived its name accordingly. In the Amazon T ike name for the species of oe vea is “ Seringa," and in Central America for those of Castilloa “Ule” or “Tunu Kew Bulletin, €: pp. 141, 142). Pohi in Western South America the nam diesen and Jebe are applied Sadincttnitantely to Eher pronior tre 3. According to a et by Mr. D. B. Adamson, H.B.M. Consul at Iquitos, dated December 24, 1898, and published in the Trans- actions of the Liverpool Geographical Society for the same year, Peru has two kinds of rubber-producing trees: Caucho, which appears to belong to Castilloa, and Jebe to Hevea (p ) t amson and Mr. Churchill ss that be rubber is out," In consequence, anon ng to Mr. Adamson, * man of the qaare [or rubber čollectora] are working on Brazilian rivers, where the supply is yet more plentiful.” 4. It is not, however, any to fell the Castilloa trees to collect the rubber. The method of x fd is minutely esie ir He e ic enquiries to the Foreign DA i in ou Cue of April 14, 1897. I am, Sir, Your obedient Servant, The Under Secretary. = State W. T. THISELTON-DYER. for shoves in Affai reign Office, Downing Street, S.W. EXTRACT pe Report by Consul D. B. Adamson in Transactions verpool ees Society, 1898, pp. 39-40. “ As you are aware, rubber is the chief article of export, and hitherto has been practically the only one of any importance. Its extraction from the trees and remise t for the market is - work is ro and the hardships mentir with etn: t. The kind exported from = in past years has boni ceti Caucho, the gatherers of w are known as 183 not worth while to délit It must be remembered that it is a there Caucho-yielding trees still, for there are vast tracts of land absolutely unexplored. These, however, are either inaccessible or would be unremunerative to work * Tt is much to be desired that some more economical method of gathering Caucho could be introduced, one which bene allow the sap to be got without destroying the trees, as the timber is worthless. is is done in other parts of the world S here more economieal conditions prevail. At present many of the Caucheros are working on Brazilian Rivers, where the supply is as yet more plentiful. The heavier export duties of Brazil will cause the Caucheros to return to Peru, when, in the absence of Caucho, they will devote themselves either to its cultivation, which i searcely likely to any large extent, or gathering the other chief kind of rubber, known as Je “ This is of — (€ dea value than Caucho, being worth from 70 per cent. to 90 per cent. more, according to ruling prices here. The tatad of hone it, peris has not been so well understood by the native labourers, or they have not found the work so much to their taste. “In gathering Jebe the tree is simply tapped, the sap being collected in small pans, which are emptied daily or periodically. This class of rubber collecting is pees ucted mainly by settlers, as y ee from the wandering Cauche To complete the available. information. on the ee qnit the tolling extract from e Consul n s Report on the Trade of Iquitos is reprinted from the Foreign | Office Report on the Trade and Finances of fu (1898, p. 13, No. 24 Ege :— “ Rubber forms the chief article of export. Most of it goes to Europe, and very little attention is given to other eodd d mE = the district. The chief classes are Caucho and Jebe, the prese prices of which may be taken as 30 and 50. soles per Ko those within easy reach havi ng become scarce owing to the wasteful method of gathering the gum. The tein has been to cut down the tree instead of merely tapping it, 184 “The trees are all wild, and it will take some years to allow them to grow sufficiently to gather from again. Another r reason a ith the former, is that a lar rge number of the Caucheros, or rubber gatherers, have dus tothe Jurua and other Brazilian rivers, whence, however, there are grounds for saying the bulk of them willreturn. Asar du the Caucheros are not familiar with the collection of Jebe, or fine rubber, but they are learning, and kgs e n ey return io fen will probably devote more attention lately. es is petes by tapping the trees, a cer of which are placed under the control of a mira RR visits them didi Y collect the yields.’ INDEX. A. * Abba,” see Ficus Vogelii. Accra rubber, 141. Actinella Richardsoni, 2 2. African rubber, 2, zx 31. € ues — villosa, " Ado bino! Rr Artificial production of rubber, Artocarpus Chaplasha, 13. cisa, 14. Asi rubber, 2, 3, 5, 26, 159, 164, 169. —, — cultivation in, 164. — — West Africa, 159. 69. n Egypt, Midi e A 12, B. “Saka,” 11, sh British Giada rubber plants of, 40, 112. Burma, rubber in, 102, 125, 155. C. Calotropis sp., 169. arruthersia scandens TE na rubber, see Colom- bia Caucho rubber, see Peruvian Castilloa elastica, TS nL 15, e 110,175 180. markham iana, 171. — — rubber of Central America, 110. 25181 ane sp., 180. Ceara rubber, 1, 3, 8, 12, 117. Central American rubber, 1, 4, 8, 170, 175. Ceylon, ‘Ceara rubber i in, 121. —, Para rubber in, 75, 88, 1 116. Coagulation of rubber-milk, 1. Colombian rubber, 2, ds 132. Colorado rubber, Congo rubber, see African. * Cumakaballi,” 2, 113, 132. D. Dominica, rubber plants in, 111, 128. is Drega quruquru," 9. E. t, Assam rubber i in, 169. Esmeralda rubber, 2, 5. Eucommia ulmoides, 18, 23. F. Ficus elastica, 2, 26, 134, 156, 159, 164, M 175. — ob ena — spp., 153, — Vogelii, 2, at 54, 141, 150. Fiji ru Forsteronia floribunda, 41, 42. — elasti 2. — latifolia, 74. 186 G. Gambia Botanic Station, rubber —, Para * Godroa," 29, 30. Gold Coast, Para rubber at, 111. * Green-wythe," 41. Grenada, Para rubber in, 111. avete rubber, see Central —. sub ber cultivation i in, 115. Guayaquil rubber, see Central American Gutta-percha from a Chinese tree, 18, 23. 2. Hancornia speciosa, 1, 13, 14, 35. * Hatie," Hevea benthamian a, 76. — brasiliensis, 1, à. 19, 19,14,15, 15, 46, 113, 114, 116, 126, 147. Bp. 2, . — spruceana, 76, 112. Holarrhena africana, 48, 54. Hymenoxys sp., 25. L India, Ceara rubber in, 124. —, Para rubber in, 99. I X, 13. " Tre,” see Ki erie africana. J. Jamaica rubber, 42. —, lg plants i in, 41, 42, 111, 12 * Jeve" or *Jebe," see Hevea brasiliensis. K. “ Kau drega," 9. * Kewatia," 6. Kickxia, 61. — africana, 44, 51, 54, 72. — Wigma — Prr m 1. L. Lagos, new rubber industry, 44, —. Par a rubber i in, 111. — 'ribber, 13, 141, "150. Rnd a florida, 2, 8, 26, 33, 142. — Kirkii, 2. Landolphia madagascariensis, — Man h 2: — owariensis, 2, 8, 59, 141. — Perieri, 30. -— pelorsian, 2. — Sp, 5 Liberian rubber, 2, 9. ** Lilibue," 6. M. * Macwarrieballi," 40, 113. Madagascar rubber, 2, 5, 26, 30. * Malawaci,” 11. Mangabeira rubber, 1, 4, 13, 25. Manihot Glaziovii, 1, 8, 12, 13, pL 34 II. Mauritius, Ceara rubber i in, 126, dias niiae MEN xeu co dede see Central merica " Milk.wy the, "aL Mimusops globosa, 13, 14, 16. 187 Mollendo rubber, 87. Mozambique, Para rubber in, — rubber, see African. N. Natal, Ceara rubber in, 128. Nicaragua rubber, see Central ^d Am ** Nofe,” ww Npok, » ie O. > * O'Funtum," 63. P. Para rubber, 1, 3, 8, 12, 75, 76, 116. — —, prices of, 116. — — seeds, export of, 114. Perebea sp., 171. Pernambuco rubber, see Manga- Peruvian rubber, 3, 180. Picradenia floribunda, Age R. Rangoon rubber, see Assam. Rubber, sources of supply, 1. — tree, a hardy, 23. S. ' St. Vincent, rubber plants in, Sapium biglandulosum, 2, 132. — sp., 2. “ Sarua,” 10. * Seringa,” 76, 182. Seychelles, Ceara rubber in, 126. Sierra Leone, forest products of, 6. — —, Para rubber in, 110. bber, see African. Sinko onia sp., 137. Solomon Islands, rubber i in, 170. Soudan prod Straits Settlements, Ceararubber in, ——, export of Para rubber seeds, 1 — —, Para rubber i in, 106, 113, 116. a Tabernaemontana Thurstoni, 9. “ Talotalo,” 11. s Touckpong,” 2, 113, 132. Trinidad, Para rubber i in, 111. Trophis anthropophagorum, 11. *'Tu Chung," 18, 23. "Tam" II. U: Uler ubber,see Central American. Urostigma Gam ETRY, 15. Urucury nuts, 1, 12, y. Vahea, 28, 29. W. * Wasalili,” West Africa, cm rubber for, 159. — African rubbers, 31. Willughbeia sp., 2. Z. Zanzibar, Ceara rubber in, 126. —, Para rubber in, 110.