26 RUBBER IN NYASALAND 



the bark and allowing the latex to coagulate spontaneously 

 on the stem. 



At present there is little information available regarding 

 the occiu-rence of Funtumia elastica in the East Africa 

 Protectorate beyond the statement that the trees occur 

 in considerable numbers in the forests of the Victoria 

 Nyanza basin at altitudes of 5,000. to 6,000 ft. 



Experiments have been made in the East Africa 

 Protectorate with Para, Ceara, Funtumia, and Castilloa 

 rubber trees. Except in a few favoiued situations the 

 climate, even in the Coast and Lake regions, is not suitable 

 for the Para tree. The Ceara tree has, however, done 

 very well, and large plantations of this species have been 

 already formed, 



Nyasaland 



The exports of rubber from Nyasaland amounted 

 to 118,239 lb. in 1899-1900 and to 86,404 lb. in 1900-1, 

 but in the following year they fell to 14,393 lb. and the 

 maximum production during the period 1901-2 to 1908-9 

 was 17,664 lb. In 1909-10 the exports rose to 27,144 lb., 

 and during the next three years the figures were : 59,472 lb. 

 in 1910-11, 47,709 lb. in 1911-12, and 61,112 lb. in 

 1912-13. It was stated that the large increase in 

 1910-11 was due principally to the more vigorous ex- 

 ploitation of the indigenous rubber vines, and in a lesser 

 degree to an increase in the amount of plantation rubber 

 produced. 



The indigenous rubber-jdelding plants of Nyasaland 

 arc vines or shrubs belonging to the genus Landolphia. 

 The principal vine is L. Kirkii, Dyer, but L. Droognian- 

 sittTui, De Wild., and other species also occur. Large 

 numbers of these vines have been destroyed by the 

 natives in collecting the rubber, but measures have been 

 adopted for preserving the existing vines as far as possible. 

 The bulk of the wild rubber exported is collected by the 

 natives from vines in the West Nyasa district. 



Two of the bushy forms of Landolphia, L. parvifolia, 

 K, Schum., and L. ThoUonii, Dewevre, which furnish 

 the so-called root-rubber, are also found in the West 

 Nyasa district, and machines have recently been intro- 

 duced for the extraction of the rubber from the under- 

 ground stems of these plants. 



