Experience 

 Attained. 



Starch-yielding 

 Tubers. 



INDIA-RUBBER 



PARAMBRIA OLANDULIFERA RUBBER- YIELDING PLANTS 



Milk Creeper 



titude. Mention is often made of a fairly extensive cultivation in South Coim- 

 batore. Cameron (Superintendent of the Botanic Gardens, Bangalore) has 

 repeatedly reported on this rubber. Experiments were commenced with it 

 as early as 1879. After enumerating the production and distribution of seed 

 from the gardens during the past twenty-five years, he adds that Ceara 

 rubber is now tolerably common in many parts of the Province. In a report 

 published in the Mysore Gazette, April 1904, he further gives useful particulars of 

 planting, propagation and tapping of the trees. In the Forest Dept. Reports 

 of Burma mention is made of successful acclimatisation in Mergui. In 1896 a 

 valuation of 2. a pound for the rubber was obtained. 



It is hardly necessary to deal with other reports since enough has already been 

 furnished to give a fairly satisfactory conception of the efforts made and results 

 attained in India. But it may be useful to conclude with the following as in- 

 dicating the opinions held by experienced scientific authorities in Europe : The 

 Kew Bulletin summarises the results obtained somewhat as follows : 1. The plant 

 is readily propagated by seed or cuttings. Seeds are abundantly produced in 

 almost every part of the world where the plant has been introduced. Sowing 

 in the permanent position is universally adopted in Brazil. 2. The Ceara rubber 

 plant is very hardy, a fast grower, free from insect and fungoid attacks, requires 

 little or no attention when once established, and thrives in poor, dry, rocky 

 soils unsuited to almost any other crop. Large plantations only are likely 

 to prove remunerative. 3. It produces a good class of rubber, second only to 

 the best Para. The yield is small per tree, but a return is obtained earlier than 

 from any other species. Under skilful treatment the trees may be tapped twico 

 yearly, and last in a productive state for fifteen to twenty years. 4. In spite, 

 therefore, of the apparent want of success hi Ceylon and other countries, the 

 increasing importance of rubber suggests a reconsideration of the merits of this 

 interesting plant. 



Both in India and Burma mention is made of the fact that the large starch- 

 yielding tuberous roots of this tree have been discovered by the wild pigs, 

 and considerable damage done by them in seeking out and devouring 

 the tubers. This fact suggests the possibility of these starch-yielding tubers 

 becoming an additional source of revenue, should an extended cultivation take 

 place. [Cf. Cross, Ind. For., 1879, iv., 27-45 ; Notes Ceara Rubber in Ind. 

 For., 1882, viii., 58-61 ; 1897, xxiii., 456-8 ; 1898, xxiv., 460-1 ; Proc. Madras 

 Board Rev., Oct. 1894, No. 712; Nov. 1897, No. 914; 1899, No. 518; Aug. 

 1904, No. 906; Morris, Cant. Lect., I.e. 1898, 765-70; Kew Bull., 1898, 

 1-15 ; R.E.P., Comm. Circ., 1897, No. 8 ; 1901, No. 4 ; Rept. Bot. Gard. Nil- 

 giri Hills, 1902, 8 ; 1902-3, 9-12 ; 1903-4, 5-8 ; Imp. Inst. Tech. Repts.', 1903, 

 147-8 ; Tschirch, I.e. 1906, ii., 1006-7 ; Rubber Exper. in Bombay, in Agri. 

 Journ. Ind., 1907, ii., pt. i., 80-1 ; Wright, Rubber Cult, in Brit. Empire, 1907, 

 21-2; Wright, Cocoa, 1907, 79.] 



Parameria glandulifera, Benth. / APOCYNACE^E. The Talaing Milk Creeper. A 

 large climbing evergreen shrub of the borders of tidal forests on the sea coasts 

 of Tenasserim and the Andaman Islands. It is known as talaingzok in Burma. 

 It would appear to have sometimes been confused with wuimigiiiH-ia <><f/<s. 

 The milk is obtained by a somewhat destructive method of cutting the stem 

 into short lengths, and allowing the milk to drain into vessels containing water 

 at a temperature of 104 to 122 F. On agitation the milk coagulates. The 

 plant may be propagated by cuttings with great facility. The yield seems to 

 be remarkably high and the rubber of fair quality, perhaps equal to that of 

 fi'frifM '/<f s/i<-<f. Hooper (Rept. Labor. Ind. Mus. (Indust. Sec.), 1906-7, 6) gives 

 the analyses of three samples examined. They contained 92-39, 95-1 and 96-7 

 per cent, of caoutchouc. A sample from the Andaman Islands he found (I.e. 

 1905-6, 25) contained 92-5 per cent, of caoutchouc, 6 % 4 per cent, resin and 



1 '0 per cent. ash. In spite, therefore, of all that has been said to the con- 

 trary, this source of rubber seems worthy of more careful consideration than 

 has as yet been meted out to it, and it seems probable that some cheaper 

 and more economical process of collection might be devised than that practised 

 at present, while the cost may be brought within permissible commercial 

 limits. 



In this connection it may be added that the percentage of ash is an important 

 factor in determining the values of rubbers. The following average returns 

 may, therefore, be of interest : Para rubber, 1 to 2-5 per cent, ash ; Ceara rubber, 



2 to 3 per cent, ash ; Assam rubber, 4 to 6 per cent, ash ; Parameria rubber, 



658 



D.E.P., 

 iv., 361. 



Propagation. 

 Yield. 



Method of 

 Collection. 



