RUBBER IN THE EAST AFRICA PROTECTORATE 25 



East Africa Protectorate 



The exports of rubber from the East Africa Protectorate 

 showed a gradual dechne from 182,863 lb. in 1904-5 

 to 81,424 lb. in 1908- 9. During the next two years, 

 however, there was a very large increase in the pro- 

 duction, the exports amounting to 177,184 lb. in 1909-10 

 and to 193,312 lb. in 1910-11, the figures for the latter 

 year representing the maximum export of rubber from 

 the Protectorate in any one year since the commence- 

 ment of the industry. In 1911-12, however, the exports 

 declined to 135,184 lb. 



The indigenous rubber plants of the Protectorate 

 include (1) species of Landolphia vines, (2) Mascarenhasia 

 elastica, K. Schum., the Mgoa rubber tree, and (3) 

 Funtumia elastica, the West African rubber tree which 

 has been recently discovered in the country bordering on 

 the Victoria Nyanza. 



The bulk of the wild rubber exported from the Pro- 

 tectorate has been hitherto obtained from the Landolphia 

 vines. Of these the principal species is L. Kirkii, Dyer, 

 which is abundant in the Coast Belt, whilst L. loatsoniana, 

 Vogtherr, and L. ugandensis, Stapf, are found on the 

 Nandi plateau in the Nyanza Province at an elevation of 

 6,000 ft. Landolphia kilimandjarica, Stapf, is the source 

 of the Laitokitok rubber obtained at a height of about 

 3,000 ft. on the northern slope of Mt. Kilimanjaro, and 

 another rubber-yielding Landolphia vine has been recently 

 discovered on the south-eastern slopes of Mt. Kenia. 

 The principal rubber-yielding areas are the coast strip 

 and the districts of Nandi and Lumbwa near the Victoria 

 Nyanza. Only the coast areas have been systematically 

 worked. 



In tapping Landolphia Kirkii the natives cut off small 

 slices of the bark and smear the wounds with salt water 

 in order to accelerate the coagulation of the latex. The 

 rubber obtained is wound into balls. 



In 1906 the tree Mascarenhasia elastica was found to 

 occur in the forests on the Shimba HiUs, although it is 

 not very abundant. Experiments are, however, being 

 made in order to determine the yield of rubber which 

 it will fm-nish, and its suitability for planting piu-poses. 

 The rubber is usually obtained by makmg incisions in 



