107 
e 
Mr. Ridley, Stroo of the Gardens and Forest Départinélt was, 
however, good e ough to forward photographs, in May last, of a 
rubber pla ‘tation in the Botanic Gardens, showing a grove of 
trees of different ages and sizes. One of these had been tapped at 
nine years old, and had yielded two pounds of rubber 
An interesting account of the original trees ned at Kuala 
oe by Sir Hugh Low was lately given by Mr. R. Derry in 
Perak Museum Notes, Vol. IL, pp. 101-102. They are yielding 
sends freely (25,000 last year), 'and are considered at present of 
re valde 1 as seed bearersthan as rubber producers. The follow- 
a letter has been received from Mr. Derry :— 
CURATOR, GOVERNMENT GARDENS and etg icc TAIPING, 
PERAK, to ROYAL GARDENS, KEW 
Government Plantations Office, Taiping. 
October 6, 1897. 
DEAR SIR, 
I AM now able to reply to your letter, dated December 14, n 
with reference to Para rubber trees planted by Sir Hugh Low a 
Kuala e SANDING Pe 
s quite a mistake to suppose that -> Ar no rubber. 
I Án collected over 1 cwt., and find the n quite freely. 
rom a few trees I have collected 5 Ibs. sash sid vul stopped for 
fear of talong too much. 
sent me) that the trees had br been dd by Dyaks un- 
who 
are familiar with such rubbers as Alstonia a m Willughbeia, 
&c., no doubt extendi that as the trees did not run at once when 
ta pped t there was not any rubber—hence the mistake. 
I am now sending samples home for valuation. 
Iam, &c., 
(Signed) R. DERRY. 
The Director, 
Royal Gardens, Kew. 
The following further particulars, communicated by Mr. Derry, 
". taken from the Perak Government Gazette for April 8, 
98 :— 
PARA RUBBER (Hevea brasiliensis). 
Many trees hav» been tapped, and a report on the work sub- 
mitted. The rubber obtained is not yet sufficiently smoked for . 
sending home, but samples have been valued in Mincing Lane at 
2s, 8d. and 3s. per pound, and considered equal to Brazilian- 
produced rubber, and also worth ls. per pound more than that 
usually sent home from the Straits 
