RUBBER PLANTING 201 



been entirely overcome, soon led to a temporary cessa- 

 tion of planting, and after 1884 the interest in Manihot 

 died away, owing to the small yields of rubber obtained. 

 Samples of rubber from Zanzibar were unfavourably 

 reported on in 1884, and further extension of the 

 cultivation of Manihot in Africa was thus delayed. 

 Recently, however, the species has been widely planted 

 in East and Central Africa and in Angola, and good 

 results are anticipated, owing to the fact that Ceara 

 rubber grows well in a drier climate and at a higher 

 elevation than Hevea. 



Biffen, who visited the North East coast of Brazil 

 in 1897, found large plantations already being opened 

 in the Ceara district, at elevations up to 3500 feet. 

 No recent reports regarding the development of these 

 plantations are available. The methods of collecting the 

 latex and preparing the rubber on plantations in Brazil 

 appear to be similar to those applied to the wild trees. 

 Tapping is generally carried out during the dry season 

 by slicing the bark with a knife. 



The Ceara rubber plant grows readily from either 

 seeds or cuttings, but in order to ensure immediate 

 germination of the seeds it is necessary either to file 

 through the tip of the hard shell or to steep the seeds 

 for some time in warm water. The early growth of the 

 trees is very rapid, and it is often possible to begin 

 tapping earlier than in the case of Hevea. Close 

 planting is generally recommended, but this seems to be 

 a mistake. Trees have been planted at distances of 



