2o8 RUBBER AND 



Ficus elastica. 



Sir Daniel Morris, in his Cantor Lectures, states that 

 "In 1873 tne Government of Bengal decided to start 

 regular plantations of Ficus elastica in Assam. The 

 order, issued in 1873, was repeated in 1876, and has 

 been acted upon with slight interruption until the 

 present time." In 1884 nearly 900 acres had been 

 planted in the Charduar district, and in the same year 

 directions were issued that the plantations should be 

 increased by 200 acres annually. It is said to be well 

 known that although the trees grow vigorously in 

 situations remote from the hills, the yields of rubber 

 are then almost negligible. It appears, however, that 

 even in its native hills the yields of the Assam india- 

 rubber tree are very small from a planter's point of view. 

 Thus in 1896 the Inspector General of Forests, H. C. 

 Hill, was glad to estimate a yield of a maund (about 

 80 Ibs.) per acre at an age of 50 years. 



Ficus elastica has been widely planted in Java in 

 more recent years, but here again no better yields 

 appear to be obtained. Berkhout estimated 17 Ibs. of 

 dry rubber per acre in the eighth year from planting, 

 26 Ibs. in the tenth year, and 70 Ibs. an acre in the 

 twentieth year. Such yields render the trees almost 

 useless for plantation purposes, and in many parts of 

 the Dutch East Indies where they have been planted 

 they are already being cut down to make way for 

 Hevea. 



