282. 



The World's Commercial Products 



of the steps taken to establish the 

 Para rubber tree as a cultivated 

 plant in various, parts of the iworld, 

 with special . reference to Ceylon, 

 and British Malaya, in which the 

 most important results have been 

 attained. In 1896 Ceylon received 

 from the Royal " Botanic Gardens, 

 K-'ew, some 2,000 seedlings of this 

 valuable plant. The seeds had been, 

 collected in Brazil by Mr. H. A. 

 Wickham,' forwarded to Kew, and 

 despatched thence to Ceylon in 

 Wardian casesV A Wardian case, it 

 may be said, is essentially a small 

 portable glass-roofed box, in which 

 plants are placed with a supply of 

 soil and moisture so that they can be 

 sent long journeys without injury. 

 This is of particular importance to 

 the plant. The cost of the experi-' 

 ment was borne' by "the Indian 

 Government, but Ceylon was selected 

 as having a more suitable climate, 

 and tHe young seedlings were mostly 

 planted out in a special garden at 

 Heneratgoda, in the hot and moist 

 region of the island. As early as 

 1897-8 young plants, raised from 

 cuttings, were distributed to Madras, 

 British Burma, and the Straits 

 Settlements, and after the first 

 flowering in 1881, ' when seedlings 

 became available, the work of dis- 

 tribution was continued, and Aus- 

 tralia, Fiji, the West Indies, Sey- 

 chelles, and the west "coast Of Africa 

 are amongst' the widely ; separated 

 places into which Para rubber plants 

 have been introduced. The: use of Wardian cases is the most satisfactory manner of 

 transport over long distances, the seeds germinating en route, but very successful results- 

 have been attained -with carefully dried fresh seeds packed in tins in dry powdered charcoal 

 and... coco-nut! fibre dust, or sawdust. 



It- was at first thought that, the plant would only grow on moist,, preferably periodically.' 

 inundated ground, and near the sea level. This, however, has proved not to be the case, 

 and good.' results have been, attained in Ceylon up to. an elevation of: 2,000 feet, and in some 

 cases even higher. .The- other requirements are practically those indicated as existing in the 

 Amazon valley, i.e.,. a rainfall of about 100 inches per annum, and a mean annual temperature 

 of about 80° F. The plant grows very rapidly from seeds, the seedlings being raised in 

 nurseries. The distance the plants are set apart depends on various causes, but if ten feet by 

 fifteen feet is adopted the result will be 290 trees to the f acre. If eighteen feet by eighteen 



, By permission of Messrs. Maclaren, Shoe Lane 



CASTILLOA ELASTICA 



