RUBBER 103 



will be referred to later on, three trees have been con- 

 sidered of sufficient importance for their seeds to be 

 shipped to Europe in order that their vahie may be 

 determined. These are Pentaclethra macrophylla (Cutlass 

 bean), Irvingia Barteri (African mango), and Lophira 

 alata. Although the trials proved that the oils of all 

 might be valuable for the manufacture of soap and 

 candles, none of the trees occur in sufficient profusion 

 to permit a large export trade in the seeds being estab- 

 lished. (See Bulletin of the Imperial Institute, vol. v. 

 [1907], pp. 10-14, and vol. vi. [1908], pp. 243, 354-80.) 



RUBBER. Following the progress made by the 

 Forestry Department in re-establishing the indigenous 

 rubber tree (Funtumia elastica) in places from which it 

 had almost disappeared, an excellent system of communal 

 plantations was established. This system, which has 

 been largely adopted by the chiefs, is one to encourage the 

 village inhabitants to re-establish rubber trees in their 

 proximity ; the planting and tapping and preparation of 

 the rubber being under the direction of the Government 

 officers. The resulting rubber is marketed by the Govern- 

 ment, who retain one- third of the sale price to cover the 

 cost of supervision, etc. ; the remaining two-thirds being 

 paid to the village community. In this manner a large 

 number of communal plantations have now been estab- 

 lished. In 1911 over 400 new plantations of this kind 

 were made ; about 100.000 Funtumia plants being put in. 

 At the same time 129,000 Para rubber seeds and some 

 4.000 seedlings were distributed under the same scheme, 

 while Ceara plantations were made in the drier parts 

 of the country. Licences to collect wild rubber were 

 simultaneously made compulsory. 



The rubber produced on the Government plantation at 

 Mamu Forest, by the boiling method, proved very satis- 

 factory. In 1910 such rubber was sold at 65. 6d. per lb., 

 being only 6d. less than the best Para fetched at the 

 same time. Three hundred communal plantations yielded 

 rubber in 1911 against eighty-four in the previous year, 

 the average yield per tree being 1'59 oz. against T406 

 oz. In 1912 communal rubber amounted to 3,031 Ibs., 

 which sold at about 3s. 4d. per lb. ; and in the same year 

 Government plantation rubber was 3,501 Ibs., which 

 realised 3s. IQd. per lb. 



