91 
usually occurring in the second. At the end of 1893 a few of 
those P IM fruited, and the seed produced was successfully 
germin 
* Measurements taken recently (December, 1894) of average 
sample plots from each plantation give the following mean girth, 
at three feet from the ground :— 
a. aa ies (4 ders ber dM of 100 
12-96 ins. 
At Edi (8 years "old), average of 50 
8379 4 
p Edangoda (2 ‘Years old), average of 20 
4-96 ” 
At "Yattipowá d years old), average ‘of 108 
trees, on western slope oS y 
At Yattipo owa (3 years old), average ‘of 108 
on eastern slope 9:13 
the Sasa in the last méneuseriente fo iue to sinn of 
exposure to wind, 
* My first ER PREDA tapping was made in October, 1882, of 
five trees, then six years old ; and about 2l ounces only ^ 
rubber was ain ned. This small sample was sent home, and 
reported by Messrs. Silver to be ‘fully equal to mue Para dadis- 
rubber as regards strength and elasticity, and to be worth 4s. 
eai lb. This was quite satisfactory as to ied but it was 
obvious that the trees were yet too young to afford any quantity 
of milk. I therefore deferred any further tapping for a few years, 
till 1888, when the trees were 11 years old. One of the best 
grown and healthiest was then selected, having a stem circum- 
ference of 4 ft. 24 ins. at a yard from. the ground. The plan 
followed was to scrape off a little of the rough outer inis and to 
make V-shaped incisions with a ł-inch chisel in the inner bark. 
The milk mostly dried on the trees in tears, thick siti, and 
small sheets, and that which ran down the trunk was prevented 
with the following results :—In 1888 gave 1 Ib. 112 ozs.; in 18 
gave 2 lbs. 10 ozs. ; in 1892 gave 2 Ibs. 13 ozs. ; in 1894 gave 3 lbs, 
3 ozs. ; being a total of 10 lbs. 72 ozs. Ne a sample of eu rubber 
sent home in Februar ry, 1893, Messrs. Hecht, Levis, & Ka 
saei. that it was ‘very good i idée? its value at that date 
being from 2s. 3d. to 2s. 6d. As lb., easily saleable in any quantity. 
“A yield of over 10} lbs. of first-class rubber from a single tree 
in six years fully warrants a belief that the cultivation of large 
plantations would be highly profitable. Nor is there any reason 
to suppose that the trees would not easily bear tapping annually, 
and continue to yield for very many years if the wood were not 
