PART II 



THE RUBBER INDUSTRY IN THE 

 ORIENT 



CHAPTER XI 

 CEYLON 



Locality Extent Tenure of land Taxation Elevation above 

 sea-level Rainfall Soil Origin of the rubber industry Health 

 of rubber-trees The rubber " boom " and Ceylon Capitalization 

 of rubber estates Working expenses Revenue from young 

 plantations Organization of estates Frequency of tapping 

 Recent experiments in regard to preparation of latex. 



has taken a leading place in the develop- 

 >^ ment of tropical agriculture in the past, and with 

 the establishment of the proposed School of Tropical 

 Agriculture at Peradeniya the island will become the 

 scientific training centre for the British possessions in 

 the East. 



Since Ceylon was separated from the Madras Presi- 

 dency in 1801, and created into a Crown colony, the 

 main source of industry and wealth has been agricul- 

 tural. The island has experienced many phases of 

 existence during the past century, and more than once 

 has been on the verge of bankruptcy. From 1875 to 

 1880 the community was faced with ruin by the dev- 

 astation of the coffee plantations from leaf disease 

 (Hamilia vastatrix) ; in five years this pest assumed such 



9 129 



