14 PARA RUBBER. 



strators and Concessionaires better appreciate the necessity of 

 checking injurious methods of rubber extraction. 



The discovery of new rubber-producing plants is not beyond 

 the bounds of possibility. Recently a small tuberous Asclepiad 

 (Raphwnacnie utilis, Brown and Stapf), has been found abundantly 

 in Benguela. Tubers examined by the writer proved to be rich 

 in latex from which some excellent samples of rubber were 

 obtained. According to " Der Tropenpflanzer," of December 

 1907, a new rubber tree has been still more recently discovered 

 in Tonkin which yields latex containing a high percentage of 

 caoutchouc ; this latter, when well prepared, compares favourably 

 with Para rubber. The new rubber tree grows from 30 to 45 

 feet high ; it has been identified as a new species of Bleekrodea, 

 a genus of the Natural Order Urticaceae, and has been described 

 as Bleekrodea tonkinensis, Dub. and Eberh. 



CULTIVATED RUBBER. 



As soon as the vast areas planted with rubber-producing 

 plants during the last few years come into bearing the supply of 

 rubber will be considerably augmented. Messrs Ferguson, the 

 well-known compilers of tropical planting statistics, estimated at 

 the beginning of the year the world's cultivated rubber area to 

 be as follows : 



Acres planted. 



Ceylon - 155,000 



Malay Peninsula . 150,000 



Mexico - - - . 95^000 



Africa - . 30,000 



J ava . - - 20,000 



India and Burmah - 15,000 



Sumatra- . . . T 4^000 



Central America . . I4 000 



' 



..... - - 6,ooo 



Borneo - 4;000 



Venezuela - - .. 



Ecuador - - ... . 



Columbia . 8oo 



West Indies - . 6oo 



New Guinea - . I)000 



South Sea Islands and other countries - - 2 ooo 



Total, 515,800* 

 * Supplement to the Tropical Agriculturist, Jan. 1908, p. 87. 



