198 



for useful purposes, in any locality ; there being no expense 

 i d with it beyond those of collecting the seeds, burning 

 the grass off the site, sowing the seeds thinly over the ground, 

 and, perhaps, harrowing them in by dragging a few twiggy 

 branches over the surface. 



It need scarcely be said that the sowing should take place 

 after the first rains of the season have fallen. In case of 

 greater certainty being desirable, a scratch may be made on 

 the surface of the ground with the foot, a few seeds dropped 

 into it, and the loose soil pushed over the seeds to cover them 

 from the weather. By such simple means, large tracts could 

 1"' speedily re-wooded with this tree. It only requires the 

 trees I > be growing in contiguity to make the collecting 

 of the juice remunerative. 



What I saw at Bua confirmed an opinion that I hold 

 regarding the hardiness of the tree. It will grow in the 



DO O 



poorest soils, and in the driest parts of Fiji ; though, of course, 

 not so well as in a rich soil and moist situation. The tree 

 does not seem to have any particular season for flowering 

 and bearing seeds,— it does so all the year round. This, how- 

 eve]-, may be a characteristic of the species, not of individual 

 trees. In a locality where the tree abounds, one tree may be 

 found with its flowers in the bud, another in full flower, a 

 third bearing unripe fruit, and a fourth with its follicles burst- 

 ing, and the ripe seed falling from them. To obtain seed for 

 sowing, the follicles should be gathered when they begin to 

 change colour from green to brown or grey. This is the 

 indication of the seed being ripe. When gathered, the 

 follicles should be spread in a dry, airy room, the floor of 

 which should be covered with paper for the seed to drop upon. 

 Tli- t'nllicles should be frequently disturbed and shaken to 

 take the seed out of them. The seed should be kept in air- 

 Light vessels — bottles tightly corked would answer the purpose 

 — until the time for sowing. I am not prepared to say how 

 Ion- the seels will keep fresh, but judging from analogy, they 

 will not be injured by being kept two or three months. Still, 

 I would say that the sooner they are sown after being 

 gathered the better. The sowing should be done as early 

 in the eeason as possible, and certainly not later than 

 ember. In this a good deal will depend on the rain 

 setting io at an early or late period of the year. 



The Fijian name of this tree is Drega qumqwu. They. 

 collect the juice in their mouths, which makes the caoutchouc 



