8 RUBBER AND 



Castilloa and Manihot Glaziovii, Ceara rubber, were also 

 distributed by Kew to the same colonies at about the 

 same date. 



Hcvea brasiliensis in Ceylon. 



The principal nursery for the trees, which were to 

 form the origin of the planting industry, was however at 

 Henaratgoda, in Ceylon. Here flowers first appeared 

 upon the trees in 1881, and in the same year Dr Trimen, 

 the Director of the Botanic Gardens, commenced experi- 

 ments in tapping. The plantation was thinned out in 

 1882, and in 1883 2 ^ seedling plants were raised, most 

 of which were distributed in Ceylon. In 1884 there 

 were over 1000 trees at Henaratgoda, but it was found 

 necessary to thin the plantation again in 1885, an< 3 we 

 read of 450 fine trees existing in 1887. In 1893 about 

 90,000 seeds were distributed to planters in Ceylon from 

 the Henaratgoda trees, and in subsequent years similar 

 numbers were available. Seeds were also distributed on 

 a considerable scale by the Ceylon Botanic Department 

 to Malaya and elsewhere, and it is curious to remark 

 that in recent years large consignments of seed have 

 been sent back from Ceylon and Singapore to America 

 and the West Indies for planting purposes. At the 

 present day about 40 of the original trees survive at 

 Henaratgoda, the largest being upwards of ten feet in 

 girth. 



