150 
Mr. ALVAN MILLSON to ROYAL GARDENS, KEW. 
Badagry, West Africa, 
August 16, 1888. 
Your letter of the 4th ultimo reached me yesterday. I regrev 
m 
quality to those which have since been made. I was sorry also 
not to have had an opportunity of correcting the notes for the 
press, as I noticed several misprints in them. 
You were correct in your belief that the name “Abba” is 
applied to all arboreous fig-trees in this neighbourhood. Of these 
there is a remarkable variety. I will at a later date send specimens 
prepared as you so kindly direct me. 
An enterpising firm of Lagos merchants, who have lately 
established a branch house in Badagry, have made a fair beginning 
in the rubber business. 
So far as I can at present see West African rubber will never be 
reliable so long as the natives have the preparation in their own 
hands. e milk bears transport well, keeps well, and can easily 
be tested, by letting a sample (mixed with water) stand for twelve 
hours in a glass vessel. Unless merchants employ reliable men to 
buy and coagulate the milk, I fear that the trade will be of a very 
ephemeral nature. Yet on the other hand it seems clear, from the 
large numbers of rubber-giving fig-trees, that a properly conducted 
trade would be a considerable source of future prosperity to the 
whole coast. The present palm oil and kernel trade may be sai 
to depend upon the continuance of slavery, and is indeed in many 
ways an injury to the people. 
The Governor of the Colony, with his usual insight, is 
encouraging cocoa-nut planting and other similar industries, which 
will do much to improve the general prosperity. He has already 
proved that the india-rubber industry is by no means the least 
important of these branches of commerce. 
ALVAN MILLSON. 
XXX.—LAGOS RUBBER. 
(Ficus Vogelii, Miq.) 
[K.B., 1890, pp. 89-93.] 
: large 
of resin present in this particular rubber has hitherto prevented 
its extended use in this country. It is evident, however, that 
some advance has already been made to overcome this drawback, 
