226 Select Plants for Industrial Culture and 



been obtained by exsiccation of the sap of F. columnaris [Fitzgerald]. 

 Thus hardened sap of this species resembles in many respects that 

 of F. subracemosa and F. variegata, called Getah Lahoe, but differs 

 apparently by its greater solubility in cold alcohol, and by the 

 portion insoluble in alcohol being of a pulverulent instead of a 

 viscid character. The mode of exsiccation affects much the proper- 

 ties of the product. The tree also in culture should form a mag- 

 nificent retreat for singing birds and for epiphytal orchids. 



Ficiis Cunning'h.ami, Miquel. 



Queensland, in the eastern dense forest-regions to about 28 S. 

 Mr. J. O^Shanesy designates this as a tree of sometimes monstrous 

 growth, the large spreading branches sending down roots, which 

 take firm hold of the ground. One tree measured was 38 feet in 

 circumference at 2 feet from the ground, the roots forming wall- 

 like abutments, some of which extended 20 feet from the tree. 

 Several persons could conceal themselves in the large crevices of the 

 trunk, while the main-branches stretched across a space of about 100 

 feet. A kind of caoutchouc can be obtained from this tree. A still 

 more gigantic Fig-tree of Queensland is F. colossea (F. v. M.), but it 

 may not be equally hardy, not advancing naturally to extra-tropical 

 latitudes. This reminds us of the great Council-tree, F. altissima, 

 from Java, where it grows in mountains on calcareous ground. F. 

 eugenioides (F. v. M.), from North- and East- Australia, attains a 

 height of 100 feet, and produces also columnar air-roots. It is com- 

 paratively hardy, reaching extra-tropic latitudes. 



Ficus elastica, Roxburgh.* 



Upper India, to the Chinese boundary, known as far as 28 30' 

 north-latitude, extending to Burmah and the Malayan Islands. A 

 large tree, yielding its milk-sap copiously for the kind of caoutchouc 

 called Assam -Rubber. Roxburgh ascertained 80 years ago, that 

 india-rubber could be dissolved in cajaput-oil (very similar to 

 eucalyptus-oil), and that the sap yielded about one-third of its weight 

 of caoutchouc. This tree is not of quick growth in the changeable 

 and often dry climate of Melbourne ; but there is every prospect, 

 that it would advance very rapidly in any of our mild humid forest- 

 gullies, and that copious plantations of it there would call forth a 

 new local industry. This tree has grown in Assam to 112 feet with 

 100 aerial roots in thirty-two years [Markham]. In moist warm 

 climes, according to observations there bv Mr. Gustave Mann, 

 branches lopped off and planted will speedily establish themselves. 



. Single branches attain a length of 50 feet ; the root-crown will 

 attain a diameter of 200 feet exceptionally [Haeckel]. The import 

 of caoutchouc into the United Kingdom in 1884 amounted to 

 198,000 cwt., representing a value of 2,266,000, of which F. 

 elastica must have furnished a considerable proportion; in 1883 the 

 value of unworked rubber imported there was estimated at 



