RUBBER IN UGANDA 23 



The total annual production of rubber in the three 

 countries since the year 1905-6 has been as follows : 



The following account gives a brief summary of the 

 rubber industry in each of the Protectorates : 



Uganda 



Rubber was first exported from Uganda in the year 

 1902-3, and up to the year 1908-9 the exports showed 

 considerable variation, the minimum production being 

 34,530 lb. in 1907-8 and the maximum 73,191 lb. in 

 1906-7. During the next two years there was a large 

 mcrease in the exports, which reached 105,909 lb. in 

 1909-10 and 101,352 lb. in 1910-11, this rise being due 

 to the greatly increased production of rubber from the 

 wild Funtumia trees. In 1911-12, however, the exports 

 fell to only 45,923 lb. 



The rubber-yielding plants mdigenous to Uganda are 

 Funtumia elastica, Stapf, and the vines Landolphia 

 Daivei, Stapf, Landolphia ugaiidensis, Stapf, and Cli- 

 tandra orientalis, K. Schum. Landolphia ugandensis is, 

 however, not of much importance as a source of rubber 

 in the Protectorate. Other species of Landolphia, such 

 as L. subtwbinata, Stapf, and L. florida, Benth., which 

 do not jdeld rubber also occur. 



Funtumia elastica was formerly thought to be restricted 

 to western tropical Africa, but in 1903 Mr. M. T. Dawe, 

 of the Uganda Forestry Department, discovered it in 

 the Mabira Forest near the Victoria Nvanza, and since 

 that date it has been found to occur freely in the other 

 large forests of the Protectorate. Funtumia elastica is at 

 present the most important source of Uganda rubber, and 

 efforts have been made to preserve the wild trees so 

 far as possible by leasing the rights of exploiting the 

 forests to European companies. The Funtumia rubber 



