ii4 



THE PARA RUBBER TREE 



It is stated that at Messrs. Miller Brothers' Para 

 plantations at Sapele 8,000 four-year-old trees had an 

 average height of 20 ft. and a girth of 13 in., whilst the 

 corresponding figures for 22,000 three-year-old trees were 

 1 3 ft. 6 in. and 8 in. respectively. 



Gold Coast. — The Para tree is being cultivated experi- 

 mentally at each of the Botanic Stations in this Colony, 

 and the following particulars have been recorded regard- 

 ing the rate of growth of the trees. 



At Abiuri, where the climatic conditions are not entirely 

 favourable, 154 trees planted 15 ft. by 15 ft. in 1900 and 

 1901 had attained an average girth of 20^ in. at 3 ft. from 

 the ground by the end of 1908. In March 1910 eighty 

 of these trees were tapped experimentally in four groups, 

 and the average girths of the trees of each group were 

 24, 26, 26^, and 27i in. respectively. 



At the Tarquah Botanic Station over 60 acres are 

 planted with Para trees at distances ranging from 12 ft. by 

 12 ft. to 40 ft. by 40 ft., but mostly at 15 ft. by 15 ft. The 

 rate of growth diu'ing the first four years is shown in the 

 following table : 



The average girth of the above trees when four and a 

 half years old was 17 in., and in 1910 many of them were 



