516 FETCH : 



ou hand. Dr. Trimeii attempted to get Government planta- 

 tions of this rubber estabhshed at Ratnapura and Kalutara, but 

 without success. 300 plants were, however, sent to the Model 

 Farm, Kalutara, in the following year. Calcutta, Singapore, 

 and Moulmein each received 25 plants in 1883, and Nilambur 6. 



In 1884 two consignments of plants (190) were sent to 

 Nilambur. 25 plants were forwarded to Buitenzorg, 4 to Fiji, 

 and 12 to the Agricultural Society of Madras, while seeds were 

 sent to Kew. In 1885 seeds were sent to Nilambur and 

 Moulmein, and material supphed to Sir J. D. Hooker for the 

 critical determination of the species. 



Hooker's description of the Castilloa grown in Ceylon was 

 pubhshed in the Transactions of the Luinean Society, Series 2, 

 Vol. II., p. 209, and illustrated by a coloured figure of the 

 flower, &c. He decided that though the Ceylon plant differed 

 from the original Castilloa elastica in having the leaves less 

 hairy beneath, and the seeds of a somewhat different shape, the 

 differences were not sufficient to constitute a distinct species. 



There does not appear to be any possibility of doubt that 

 the Ceylon species is not identical with the Castilloa elastica 

 cultivated in the West Indies. It will be noted that Markham 

 refers to it as Castilloa Markhamiana, and that name was 

 tentatively adopted by WlIMs in his Circular of 1899. But the 

 tree has never been satisfactorily determined. All that is 

 known is that it does not yield such an abundant flow of latex 

 as the true Castilloa elastica. The late Dr. Pehr Ohlson Seffer, 

 on the occasion of his visit to Ceylon, stated that he had never 

 seen any other Castilloa Mke it. 



In 1886 50 Castilloa were planted in Lady Horton's Drive, 

 Kandy, and 250 sent to Tavoy (Burma). Seeds have been 

 distributed from time to time, but there has never been any 

 great demand for them. Seeds were sent to Bangalore in 1888, 

 Singapore and Saigon in 1894, and to Perak in 1899. 



The tree grew with suiprising rapidity in its earlier years, 

 but later Trijnen recorded that its growth had become very 

 unsatisfactory. The original trees at Henaratgoda were 

 reported to bo dying in 1896, and 26 more were planted that 

 year. But Parkiji found four old trees available for tapping 

 expeiimentB there in 1899, of girths 3 to 4 feet. 



