22 THE WHOLE ART OF RUBBER-GROWING 



determined by the behaviour of its latex under the 

 manipulation of the coagulator, the macerator, the 

 washer, and the creping machine, rather than by the 

 historical facts associated with its name, its origin, 

 its character, and its botanical order. 



Perhaps one of the most extraordinary fea- 

 tures in connexion with the acclimatising of the 

 Hevea in the old world is the remarkably inconsis- 

 tent behaviour of the tree. Thus we find it flourish- 

 ing exceedingly in one district whilst in another, 

 where the soil and climatic associations were in every 

 way similar, the plant stubbornly refused to live. 

 Especially was this the case in many parts of Ceylon 

 and Southern India in the early 'eighties, when 

 the Government of India, in partnership with Kew, 

 was carrying out its epoch-making experiments. 



In India the only localities in which the tree was 

 found to succeed were Lower Burma (Mergui) and 

 Malabar (Nilambur), whilst in Ceylon the most 

 promising plantations were found to be those 

 perched at altitudes hitherto regarded as absolutely 

 unfitted for rubber of any kind. Utter failure 

 attended every attempt to cultivate the Hevea in 

 Bengal, where there is a distinct cold season, which, 

 of course, is altogether unsuitable for so delicate a 

 plant. The same disappointment was experi- 

 enced in the Travancore and Cochin districts ; 

 but in this case ignorance in regard to the after- 

 treatment of trees when established was largely 

 responsible for the failure. Indeed a pronounced 

 failing in the otherwise excellent labours of the 

 various experimental staffs attached to the Govern- 



