THE AFRICAN RUBBER TREE 1(57 



Cultivation of Fuiitumia elastica. — During recent years 

 systematic attempts have been made by tlic Agricultural 

 and Forest Departments in West Africa to encourage 

 the planting of Funtiimia elastica by the natives in order 

 to replace the large numbers of the wild trees which have 

 been destroyed by tlie drastic native methods of tapping, 

 and in several countries considera.ble progress has already 

 been made in tliis direction. In Southern Nigeria the 

 Forest Department has established plantations of the trees 

 for experimental pm^poscs, and large numbers of com- 

 munal plantations, many of which are now reaching the 

 production stage, have been formed by the natives in 

 the vicinity of their villages. Similar action has been 

 taken in the Gold Coast, where the cultivation of Funtumia 

 trees has also been undertaken by European companies. 

 In the Cameroons and in the Belgian Congo, Funtumia 

 elastica has also been extensively planted, and experi- 

 ments on the cultivation of the tree are being conducted 

 in Sierra Leone, Northern Nigeria, and Uganda. 



The suitability of Funtumia trees for pm'poses of 

 general cultivation cannot, however, be regarded as 

 definitely established. It was thought at first that 

 Funtumia elastica, being indigenous, Avould be the most 

 satisfactory rubber tree for planting purposes in tropical 

 Africa; but owing to the success which has attended 

 the introduction and experimental cultivation of the 

 Para tree in Africa, there is now a strong and growhig 

 opinion that the Para tree should be grown in pre- 

 ference wherever the climatic conditions are suitable. 

 Funtumia elastica gives a very much smaller annual 

 yield of rubber than the Para tree, it has a much thinner 

 bark, and does not stand tapping so well. The results 

 obtamed in Southern Nigeria, the Gold Coast, and Uganda 

 with the two species are greatly in favour of the Para 

 tree, and indicate that in these countries very much 

 better retiu-ns will be obtained by cultivating Hevea 

 hrasiliensis in suitable locaUties than by growing Funtumia 

 elastica. In the Cameroons, too, the large plantations 

 of Funtumia elastica which have been estabhshcd by 

 European companies are not being extended, but the 

 Para tree is being planted instead. It is possible, how- 

 ever, that Funtumia trees may be more suitable than 

 Para trees for cultivation by the natives, as they do not 



