143 
The i investigations undertaken by Mr. Millson in West Africa 
re described in the following notes, which have been. com- 
municatod í to this establishment by the Secretary of State for the 
olo 
Badagry, 15th April, 1888. 
In LUE all the que villages of the western district of the 
Colony of Lagos, and, I believe, throughout the colony and pote 
i es, 
r 
gallons could have been obtained with but little trouble. The 
trees, however, should only be tapped on alternate years, 80 as to 
lace that 
removed. It is difficult form rate estima f th 
rcentage of dry rubber that would be yielded by a gallon of 
milk, but I have reason to believe from p experiments on 
richness of milk, that each gallon should give about three pounds 
of india-rubber. The value of the rubber produced depends 
largely upon the care with which it is prepared, and I have reason 
to apne: that the milk of this species, at least, of the “ Abba” 
tree e to give an excellent sample. 
Sho md the above facts be established, it becomes evident that 
plantations of the a" tree wou e a highly profitable 
investment. It is planted by the simple method of cutting off a 
bran d hing it into the ground, and on account of the 
facility and rapid ith which it is raise e natives use it 
or fence posts. From the trees already in full gro 
in the b and towns a considerable export trade could be 
expo d 
readily established, and careful eec would develop this trade 
to almost an unlimited exten 
The rubber gatherer has no een of expensive implements or 
heavy baggage when he goes into the bush to collect and prepare 
the milk. He should take half a dozen or more well-cleansed 
DINEM tins. With these tins, a sharp cutlass, a few yards of 
rong cotton cloth, pu a sieve made of doubled muslin fastened 
Tike * jelly bag to und hoop, he has all that he absolutely 
requires for his w E 
On ME the tree to be tapped, deep incisions are made on 
one side only of the stem and branches. The milk, as it flows 
from the ae, is directed into the collector’s vessel by a small 
piece of tin w is inserted into the bark so as to serve asa spout, 
