.JAMAICA. 



BXJLTjETlISr 



OF THK 



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Vol. II. AUGUST, 1904. Part 8. 



RUBBER IN JAMAICA. 



Notes on Rubber trees were published in the Bulletin for 1894, 

 1895, and subsequent years. 



It has been universally understood that with the exception of the 

 Ceara Rubber, other rubber plants only succeed in districts that 

 are moist ; and the planting of rubber trees has not been pushed 

 in Jamaica for fear of interfering with the cocoa and banana in- 

 dustries. Large numbers of plants, however, especially of Castil- 

 loa, have been distributed from the Gardens with a recommenda- 

 tion to plant them along fences to serve as fence posts if they 

 turned out to be of no value for rubber. 



Experiments have been made in growing Castilloa, the most 

 promising for Jamaica, both at Castleton and Hope Gardens. 

 Contrary to expectation, it has been found that Castilloa succeeds 

 better in the open than under shade, and this has been confirmed 

 by experiments made by Mr. J. Shore at Cinnamon Hill. 



In the extracts now appearing in the Bulletin on Castilloa in 

 Central America by Prof. Cook, it is shown that a dry season seems- 

 to be necessary for the full supply of rubber. 



It will be well therefore to experiment with Castilloa in districts 

 where bananas and cocoa do not thrive. 



Reference was made in the Bulletin for 1894 (pages 1 10, III) 

 to a rubber tree growing at considerable elevation in the moun- 

 tains of Colombia. Frequent efforts have been made to obtain 

 plants or seeds, but hitherto without success. However, lately a 

 few have been received from Mr. Robert Thomson, and they will 

 be distributed in the Blue Mountains. 



