434 PETCH : 



account which was subsequently included in the article on 

 Para Rubber in the Kew Bulletin for 1898. Many of the facts 

 will no doubt be new to the reader, but if they happen to 

 conflict with accepted tradition, it is expected that he will 

 judge their vaUdity by consideration of the authorities quoted. 

 .The object of the present paper is rather to link into a connected 

 record all the available evidence, up to the end of 1904, for the 

 benefit of future writers. 



It will be noted that frequent reference is made to the pages 

 of the " Tropical Agriculturist." The writer wishes to acknow- 

 ledge his indebtedness to the former editors of that Journal, 

 who, for more than twenty years, vigorously advocated the 

 planting of rubber in Ceylon, and endeavoured to arouse the 

 interest of the Cejdon planter by pubhshing information about 

 rubber from every possible source. 



I. — The Introduction of American Rubber Trees. 



After the successful introduction of Cinchona into India and 

 the East, it occurred to Sir Clements R. Markham^ that the 

 same might be accomphshed with rubber-producing plants. 

 The consumption of rubber was steadily increasing, and owing 

 to the destruction of the trees by native methods of tapping it 

 was anticipated that the demand would soon exceed the supply. 

 The chief rubber tree of India, Ficus elastica, was being 

 destroyed wholesale by the collectors, and consequently the 

 establishment of plantations under proper control was being 

 strongly urged by the Forest Department of that country." 

 Under these circumstances, the Indian Government were 

 persuaded of the advisabiUty of taking steps to ensure 

 the permanence of the industry, either by adopting the 

 proposals of the Forest Department, or by introducing 

 other rubber-yielding plants. 



To Markham fell the prehminary steps of the enterprise. 

 Before advising the initiation of any expensive operations, he 



» Markham, «« Peruvian Bark," p. 441: " In 1870 I came to the 

 conclusion that it was necessary to do for the indiarubber or caout- 

 chouc producing trees what had already boon done with such 

 happy rosiilts for the cinchona trees." 



■•' Mann, G., Progress Report of Forest Administration in Bengal, 

 1868-69. 



