165 
Moni by 200 acres a year. Part of this extension it was 
mmended should be situated on higher ground than hitherto 
ele t the same time, it was added, endeavours should be 
made to induce private persons to plant india- rubber trees on their 
estates, seedlings being offered by the Forest Department at cost 
price. It was also suggested that the experimental planting of 
F'icus elastica, as an getter might with advantage be undertaken 
by the Forest Department. In a state of nature this plant 
generally ronPodüdee itself in this way, and although the growth 
of the seedlings thus raised is slow at first, the trees are said to 
gro much Ts dimensions ultimately. This method of 
reproduction is moreover inexpensive, as the seedlings do not 
require any attention after they have once been deposited in the 
singular ki dad year by year. It varied so greatly that while 
the yie e year was as much as 26 pounds per tree, it would 
fall in lacitior year to a Vice over two pounds. die value in 
TT depended, of course, on the market, but at an average price 
Mis as 6d. per pound the uring yield per tree varied from 39s. 
8. 
The fluctnations in the yield of one and the same tree in 
different years are, therefore, very consilerable, and they remain 
personal supervision these experiments were made have not been 
able to find out any reasons for, or causes of, these very material 
fluctuations." 
There is another point of practical importance. It is well 
known aed F'icus elastica will grow with undiminished rapidity 
and luxuriance in situations remote from the hills, but in such 
localities it fai ls to yield caoutchouc. Hence, Mr. Mann concludes 
that no greater mistake could be made than to start plantations of 
this tree in the plains of Bengal. This is true also of many parts 
of the world where the tree has been introduced. In spite of 
the abundance of the tree under cultivation in the tropics of both 
the Old and New World i nowhere proved valuable for 
the TECH of rubber except in the mountainous parts of 
Assa 
Owing to doubt as to the financial results of the —— = 
Ficus elastica, even in m, the work underta b 
Government of India has latterly been suspended. - fact, no 
extensions have been made since the year 1893-94. The totai 
area of the plantations already established is estimated at about 
a: acres, but it is admitted that many parts are not fully 
tocked. 
too old to yield rubber in quantity.’ " The present putos of the 
rubber industry in Assam is very fully discussed in a “ Note on 
