"India-Rubber Collection at Para/'* 



By J. A. Coelho. 



OME weeks ago I had a conversation with Mr. 

 ^NEAS D. Mackay re cultivation of rice in 

 this Colony, and it struck me that such a ven- 

 ture would only yield beneficial results should a ready 

 market be found for the produce abroad, and not be 

 dependant solely on local consumption, for, if so, rice 

 cultivation in this Colony would suffer the same conse- 

 quences as that of plantains. I suggested the cultivation 

 of the India Rubber plant as a valuable addition to 

 the intended industries of this Colony, as that produ6l 

 finds a ready market abroad and always bears a steady 

 price owing to its increasing demand. 



In suggesting the cultivation of the rubber plant to 

 Mr. Mackay, I had no idea that he would ask me to 

 read a paper on the subje6l to you, and I felt some- 

 what diffident as to how it would be received ; but I 

 promised and am, therefore, in honour bound to do so. 

 I trust, however, that you will not look for anything like 

 choice English in this paper, but to the possibility of a 

 future to British Guiana should the subje6l it is meant to 

 advocate be judiciously carried into effe6l. I am not a 

 botanist, and therefore cannot tell you anything here 

 about the nature of the rubber tree, nor is it essential to 

 the point at issue. Neither do I intend taking up much 

 of your valuable time though the subje6l is of great 

 importance, so I am only going to tell you what rubber 



* Read at the May Meeting of the Society. 



