10 THE GAMBIA 



rubber has not proved successful in plantations made in 

 different parts of West Africa, for, although rubber of the 

 finest quality can be easily prepared from the latex, the 

 tree furnishes an extremely inconstant yield of latex. In 

 the Gambia the tree reproduces readily, and, as far as 

 can be judged, produces a latex capable of being coagu- 

 lated into good rubber. As a shade tree it is recommended 

 to be grown along public roads, and it might prove 

 expedient in the country to make small experimental 

 plantations, in the manner adopted in Togoland and 

 elsewhere. By this system, tapping is continued for 

 a few years, and whole blocks of trees are cut out 

 as they cease to yield latex the seedlings which 

 have sprung up beneath these trees being permitted 

 to take the place of the original trees. An illustra- 

 tion showing a Ceara rubber tree at Bakau is given 

 (Fig. 5). 



One specimen of Castilloa elastica, of which a photo- 

 graph is given (Fig. 6), is growing in the Kotoo farm, 

 about 12 miles from Bathurst. This tree has not, so 

 far, proved successful in West Africa, and the example 

 photographed is apparently in better condition than 

 those grown in the Botanic Gardens of the Gold Coast 

 and Southern Nigeria. 



Funtumia elastica, the Lagos silk rubber tree, does 

 not thrive in the Gambia, and the rainfall has been 

 found to be insufficiently distributed for the cultivation 

 of the Para rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis). 



The observed facts point to the conclusion that further 

 experimental trials of certain species of rubber trees 

 in the Gambia should be made. 



BEESWAX. It will be observed that a large quantity 

 of beeswax is annually exported, the quality of which 

 is high. The native bee is a small form of Apis mellifera, 

 var. Adansonii. It is found in a wild state forming 

 nests in hollow trees or rock cavities. The Mandingoes 

 collect the wild swarms and confine them in basket- 

 hives, cylindrical in form and sometimes plastered over 

 with mud. These are placed in high trees or in abandoned 

 huts. The wax is sold in a crude form to the Bathurst 

 merchants, who boil it down and strain it previous to 

 shipment. The European market value of the cleaned 

 wax is from 5 to 6 per cwt. A detailed description 



