PLANTATION RUBBER INDUSTRY OF THE EAST. 515 



the 8th, when going thirteen knots an hour, the vessel ran on the 

 Pedro reef of rocks, off the coast of Jamaica, and her bows were 

 immovably fixed upon them, while the stern continued to bump 

 heavily for many hoiu's. The rest of the passengers left the ship 

 in boats, but Mr. Cross stuck manfully by his plants, and was 

 eventually taken on board H.M.S. "Dryad." He came home in 

 the mail steamer "Nile," reaching Southampton on October 2. 

 Considering all the extraordinary difficulties of the undertaking, 

 it reflects great credit on Mr. Cross that he should have been 

 successful, and thus have performed an important public service 

 with ability and soiind judgment. There were soon 134 of Mr. 

 Cross's Castilloa plants in a flourisliinc condition at Kew Gardens, 

 and in the coiirse of 1876 a good supply of CastilJoas was forwarded 

 to India, to form the nucleus of a series of plantations. 



According to the Kew reports, Cross brought 7,000 seeds 

 and a number of cuttings. The seeds all failed to germinate, 

 but plants were raised from the cuttings and distributed, in 

 1876, to the West Coast of Africa, Ceylon, and Java. 31 

 plants were sent to Ceylon, of which 28 survived the journey. 

 In 1877 plants were sent to Liberia, Mauritius, and Singapore, 

 and a further consignment of 24 to Ceylon. The Ceylon 

 plants were planted out at Peradeniya and Henaratgoda. 



In 1878 two plants were despatched from Ceylon to Burma ; 



these were part of the original consignment, attempts to 



propagate them by cuttings having failed. In 1880 cuttings 



proved successful ; two plants were sent to Calcutta this year, 



■ and the Burma plants were reported to be flourishing. 



The trees both at Henaratgoda and Peradeniya flowered in 

 1881, but all the flowers were male. In this year Trimon 

 planted Castilloa by the side of the Lake road, Peradeniya, and 

 a group of 6 in the South Garden. Of the latter, 3 were 

 transplanted from the Arboretum, and the other 3 were plants 

 grown from cuttings. 



In 1882 15 seeds were obtained at Peradeniya, and 

 seedhngs raised. Plants were sent to Ootacamund (2), Cal- 

 cutta (2), and Nilambur (9), while plants previously sent to 

 Nilambur were reported to be growdng well. Trimen tapped 

 the CastiUoa at Henaratgoda this year, and samples of the 

 rubber were forwarded to London for report. 



In 1883 a tree at Peradeniya fiuited, and a large crop of 

 seedlings was raised. These were advenfcised for sale , but there 

 was no demand for them, and in August over 1,200 lemained 



