486 PETCH : 



Hevea was first planted at Mergui in 1877, when eight 

 seedlings, the survivors of a small batch received from 

 Dr. King, the Superintendent of the Royal Botanic Gardens, 

 Calcutta, were planted out in the Forest office compound. 



In 1879 a large number of Hevea plants were sent from 

 Ceylon, but although a man was sent in charge, only 178 

 survived the voyage. These were planted out about If mile " 

 inland from Mergui, on somewhat low ground drained by the 

 sources of the Boke Chaung. Only 64 of the plants survived 

 the planting operations, and this number was reduced, chiefly 

 through the attacks of white ants, to 50 in 1886. 



Propagation by cuttings was attempted in 1879 and later 

 years, but without success, " the cuttings generally dying off 

 during the second year." In 1884 a few of the older trees 

 began to produce seed, and 51 seedlings were raised : these 

 were tiansplanted to the main plantation, but only 28 survived. 

 A large quantity of seed was produced by the fifty old trees 

 in 1885, but it was kept too long, and only 121 seedlings were ' 

 raised. In 1 886 better results were obtained by solving the seed 

 early, " and by the part removal of the husk enclosing the seed." 

 (This latter statement would appear to make it doubtful whether 

 these records really refer to Hevea. ) 7,030 seedhngs were raised 

 in 1 886. and 8,430 in 1 887. (In view of the records of the Ceylon 

 croj) fiom over 300 trees, these figures must be considered 

 doubtful : do they refer to Ceara ?) 54 seeds were received 

 from Ceylon in October, 1887, but all failed to germinate. 



The stock in 1888 was as follows : — 



Trees planted, 1879 . . . . 50 



Seedlings of 1884-86, i^lanted out .. 2,752 



Seedlings in nurseries .. ^ 12,039 



In the year 1900 the estabhshment of a rubber plantation 

 of 10,(KK) acres in Burma was sanctioned. As it had by this 

 f inic Ix'cn deraonstrate'd that the cultivation of Hevea was a 

 l)rofit.al)]e industiy, and planters had for several years been 

 (»]M-iiiug up estate's in rubber, the ])rosi)ect of Government 

 comiKtition aioused considerable resentment. The question 

 was raised in the House of Commons, wheie Lord George 

 llamiJtiMi, K plying to Mr. Sharpe (Kensington N.), stated : 

 " The Government of India have authorized an extensive 



