16 COMMERCIAL BOTANY. 



In 1879 Dr. King, of Calcutta, reported as follows : — 

 " The Ceara-rubber promises to grow well in Calcutta. The 

 seedlings received from Kew have thriven vigorously, and 

 some of them are now 20 feet high. The Director of the 

 Botanic Garden in Ceylon having, at the request of the Sec- 

 retary of State, undertaken the propagation of this species, a 

 quantity of seeds of it were distributed by him to Indian 

 officers during the year. Supplies were, I understand, sent 

 to the Conservators of Forests in Burma and Assam, and 

 to the Inspector-General of Forests for Madras. A large 

 supply was received at this garden, and a thousand seeds 

 were sent, at the request of the Conservator of Forests of 

 Bengal, to the officers in charge of the forest plantations 

 near Chittagong. The seeds received here have begun to 

 germinate, and I expect before long to be in a position to 

 issue supplies of seedlings for trial in different parts of the 

 country. The plant appears to thrive very well in Upper 

 India ; and if the quality of the rubber yielded by it in this 

 country turns out to be good, its introduction may prove 

 to be of much importance." In 1880 as many as 24,550 

 seeds and 1,879 rooted cuttings of this important plant 

 had been sent out to different parts of the world from the 

 Botanic Garden, Ceylon. In 1882 Dr. Trimen reported 

 from Ceylon that some planters were going in largely for 

 cultivating this plant, and that if it proved profitable it 

 would be " a great help, as it grows anywhere up to almost 

 2,500 feet." From a quotation from the JIadras Mail of 

 October 24, 1883, published in the "Kew Report" issued 

 in November, 1883, some idea of tl e progress of the plant 

 in Southern India may be gathered. "About si.K months 

 ago," the writer says, " some gentlemen imported Ceai-a- 

 rubber seed from Ceylon. The produce of these trees may 

 now be seen flourishing in a wondei'ful manner at the foot 

 of the Nilgiri HiUs. . . . The rapid growth of the Ceara- 

 rubber tree is marvellous ; some, measured six months old 



