129 
ihe former gardens, young trees when about 9 to 12 feet high 
were beginning to flower, but the hurricane deprived us of the 
hope of procuring seed this year. Judging by riy from 
South America it is possible that tracts of dry, stony, almost 
hopet lands, in the M may be turned to good account by 
eans of ud cultivation 
Ew Report of the Botanical Department for 1884, states :— 
* Of the Ceara rubber there are seven large trees at the Castleton 
Gardens; the largest is about 25 feet in height, with a circum- 
ne of 28 inches about one foot from the ground. It appears 
o be more at home than any of the other species of rubber- 
Yieldihg plants at Castleton 
* Being anxious to EA a small specimen of Ceara rubber the 
trees at Castleton were tapped early in September. Although the . 
trees are strong and healthy the flow of milk was uri very 
small. When the trees were tapped they were bearing a heavy 
crop of both flowers and fruit. It is intended to try oi again 
later.” 
The Report for 1886 states further :—“ The trees of Cea 
rubber in the several gardens continue to grow well, but no hae 
has yet been prepared from them 
DOMINICA. 
The early account of Ceara rubber trees in this island was 
pious dase me: to Kew by Dr. H. A. Alford Nicholls, in 1884, as 
follows : 
“ This is now established in aie island, and the tree has taken 
very kindly to the soil. From small experiments I have made, 
the juice appears to be eeel and very rich in rubber in the 
dry months. The seeds have been borne abundantly, and I have 
distributed them to planters here and in Grenada.” 
LATER INFORMATION. 
The most recent account of Ceara rubber in South America has 
been obtained as the result of a visit made to the north-east 
coast of Brazil by Mr. Esme Howard and Mr. R. H. Biffen, 
Demonstrator in Botany at the University of Cambridge. 
The following letter, addressed to the Governor of Jamaica by 
Mr. Howard, was published in the Jamaica Bulletin (Vol. IV., 
p. 242) :— 
“ I have been travelling in Mexico and Brazil for some months 
to examine the habits of the different rubber-producing agen! of 
y LI * most 
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