398 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



to ,£1500, a trifling sum considering the wealth it is now 

 producing and is likely to produce in the near future. 



About the same period Cross was instrumental in bringing 

 to the East two other important caoutchouc-yielding trees of 

 the New World — viz. Manihot Glaziovii (Ceara rubber) and 

 Castilloa elastica (Central American rubber). 



After the collapse of the coffee industry in Ceylon, the 

 planters for a short time in the early eighties turned their 

 attention to the Ceara-rubber tree. However, its cultivation 

 never attained great dimensions, and was soon extinguished by 

 the rush into tea planting. The general consensus of opinion 

 was that Ceara rubber paid to collect, but not to grow. 



Castilloa has never been largely planted in Ceylon or 

 elsewhere in the East. It does not grow with the same vigour 

 as Hevea, nor has it taken so kindly to its new home. It is 

 fortunate that Ceylon planters adopted Hevea rather than 

 Castilloa, as all recent returns have shown the former to be far 

 and away the better yielding tree, even though at one period 

 results seemed in favour of the latter. Castilloa, however, 

 has been largely planted in Mexico — in fact, its cultivation 

 commenced there a year or two in advance of that of Hevea in 

 the East. Little, however, is heard at present of plantation 

 Castilloa rubber on the London market. This is partly due 

 to the fact that the trees do not come into bearing as soon as 

 those of Hevea and yield less when they do ; and partly because 

 the United States mainly receives what rubber is produced by 

 the Mexican plantations. 



In 1888 the late Dr. Trimen, then Director of the Ceylon 

 Botanic Gardens, commenced tapping experiments on the 

 Hevea trees at Henaratgoda, grown from the Kew seedlings. 

 He strongly advocated rubber planting, and was supported 

 by Mr. John Ferguson, editor of the Ceylon Observer, who 

 influenced planters, especially in the Malay States, by the 

 publication of a manual on the subject. Dr. Willis, who 

 succeeded Trimen as Director in 1896, took up the subject of 

 india-rubber energetically and enthusiastically. In a circular 1 

 published in January 1898 he advocated the cultivation of the 

 Para-rubber tree as deserving the attention of the Ceylon 

 planters. He induced the Government to sanction the appoint- 

 ment of a scientific assistant. With this help a year's work 



1 J. C. Willis, Circular, Roy. Bot. Gardens, Ceylon, No. 4, Series I. (1898). 



