INDIA-RUBBER 



FICUS ELASTICA 



Assam. 



RUBBER YIELDING PLANTS 



Reports on 

 Planta- 

 tions. 



Charduar 

 Plantation. 



Seed. 



Seasons. 



the outer Himalaya from Nepal eastward to Assam, the Khasia hills and 

 Burma, being especially plentiful in the Hukong valley. It usually occurs 

 in altitudes from 1,000 up to 3,000 or sometimes as much as 5,000 feet. 

 It is now largely cultivated both as a shade or ornamental tree and as a 

 source of rubber. For the latter purpose plantations were established in 

 Java as early as 1872, and in Assam in 1874. 



INDIA-RUBBER PLANTATIONS. Flow, the Assam Forest Depart- 

 ment Reports of 1897-8 it may be learned that 88 acres were planted 

 with this fig in Kulsi during 1873-7, and that in 1898 there were 2,411 

 trees on that plot having an average height of 87 feet 8 inches and mean 

 girth of central bole of 6J feet; further that in 1878, 13 acres were 

 planted, and the trees were in 1898, 81 feet in height and 9 feet ir 

 girth ; that 25J acres were planted in 1883, and the trees on this 

 extension were, when reported on, 67 feet in height and 5 feet in 

 girth ; and lastly that in 1884 there was a still further addition made of 

 33 more acres, the trees of which were found in 1898 to be 55 feet high 

 and 4i| feet in girth. In the report for 1904-5 (Prog. Rept. For. Admin. 

 Assam, 9) it is stated that " 56 \ acres were exploited, 4,100 trees tapped 

 and 2,550 Ib. of rubber obtained. The yield of rubber varied from 62i 

 Ib. per acre in the plantation of 1878 to 30|- Ib. per acre in Block II. of 

 the plantation of 1883." " The cost of tapping was Rs. 672 or annas 4, 

 pies 3 per Ib. ; and of the rubber obtained, 1,488 Ib. were sold for 

 Rs. 4,020-6, or Rs. 2-11-3 per Ib. ; 3 Ib. were kept as a sample and 

 1,059 Ib. sent to London for sale." 



In the Charduar plantation there were in 1898, 1,700 acres under this 

 fig. Experimental tappings were made in 1896-7 and 1897-8. These 

 gave for 21 trees 46 and 48 Ib. of rubber respectively, i.e. 2' 19 and 2'29 Ib. 

 per tree. The rubber produced was in England valued at 2s. 3d. to 2s. 9rf. 

 per Ib. In the report for 1904-5 it is said that " in the Charduar and 

 Bamoni Hill plantations, Darrang Division, 367|- acres were worked, 7,103 

 trees tapped, and 9,817| Ib. of rubber obtained. The yield of rubber 

 varied from nearly 37 Ib. per acre in compartment 3 to 17^ Ib. per acre 

 in compartment 11 of Charduar. In Bamoni Hill plantation only 5 Ib. 

 per acre were yielded, but this is accounted for by tapping being confined 

 to small suppressed trees." Home (Ind. For., 1899, xxv., 70) estimates 

 the annual yearly outturn from these Government plantations at 8,000 Ib. 

 of rubber, which at 2s. 8d. would give a gross return of Rs. 16,000 or a 

 net return of Rs. 10,400, or say 9 per cent, on the capital cost of the 

 plantations. But does this estimate include the cost of management, 

 rent and interest ? Plantations on a much smaller scale have been 

 attempted in Madras and Mysore. 



PROPAGATION. According to Claud Bald, " the prime requirements for 

 raising this rubber are two : high, or well-drained land, and a hot steamy climate." 

 Fruit is produced from March to October, but according to Bald, the best seed 

 is obtained in the hottest months, May, June and July. When collected the 

 fruits or figs are dried in the sun and mixed with powdered charcoal to preserve 

 them. They are about the size of peas, and at the time of sowing are broken 

 up, and the seed thus sown mixed with portions of the disintegrated fruit. Light, 

 sandy loam is most suitable for seed-beds and the best time for sowing would 

 appear to be during the rains, viz. from June to September ; but in some of the 

 Government experiments the sowings are made in January and others in October. 

 Bald recommends sowing in seed pans or boxes covered with glass. The seed 

 is lightly scattered over the surface of the ground, and germinates about three 

 months later. But the drainage of the beds must be perfect, and the ground 

 allowed to become neither very wet nor very dry, and at the same time the plants 



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