CHAPTER XVIII 

 WHAT TO DO WITH THE SEEDS. 



Xumber of seeds per tree— Seed characteristics— Value— Seed oil and 

 fat— Meal and cake— Analysis of meal— Cake of Para rubber seed 

 compared with linseed and cotton cake— Packing Para seeds for 

 transport — Experiments at Trinidad and Singapore— Charcoal, 

 sawdust, and Wardian ceases. 



IT is well-known that trees of Hevea brasiliensis flower and fruit 

 after their fifth year in Ceylon. In other countries plants 

 raised from cuttings have been known to produce fruits within three 

 years. Each fruit usually contains three seeds, and the number 

 of seeds anuually produced per tree is about five hundred when the 

 trees are mat me. 



The following interesting information was published in the 

 "Times of Ceylon" regarding the number of seeds produced from 

 a five-year-old tree and its offspring, assuming that each tree after 

 attaining its fifth year produces 500 seeds annually : — 



Year. Total Seeds at end Year. Total Seeds at end 



of each year. of each year. 



1st 501 11th 130,255,501 



2nd .. 1,001 13th .. 1,259,006,501 



3rd 1,501 15th .. t 4,388,757,501 



4th . . 2,001 17th . . 323,019,508,501 



6th 253,001 18th . . 952,522,759,001 



8th .. 1,504,001 19th ..2,208,151,259,501 



10th . . 3,755,001 ' 20th . . 4,402,530,010,001 



The 500 old trees at Henaratgoda and Peradeniya produce annu- 

 ally about 200,000 seeds, equal to approximately one ton by weight. 

 At the present time there are about 60,000 acres of Para rubber 

 trees in Ceylon, probably more in the Straits, and very large areas 

 in other parts of the world. It is, therefore, necessary to study 

 the properties of the seeds in the event of more being produced 

 than are required for planting purposes. It is obvious from a 

 glance at the above table that, before long, very large quantities 

 of seeds will be available. 



The seeds of Para rubber contain an oil which has been valued 

 at £20 per ton, and also yield a cake which may be valued at £5 to 



