27 



wooded tree, and very likely to damage from strong winds, and 

 certainly would not on that account prove satisfactory in exposed 

 situations. Jn 1889 we experimented by tapping the trees, and a 

 small quantity of rubber was sent to the Director of Kew 

 Gardens for report, and I extract the following from my Annual 

 Report for that year : — 



" The specimen of Ceara rubber is very interesting. 



" ' This rubber is ordinarily seen in the form of tears 



" ' agglutinated together. I never saw before a specimen in 



' ' which it was wound off in the same way as the Landolphia 



" ' rubber of the East Coast of Africa. Your sample is 



1 ' evidently of very good quality, and no doubt what is 



" ' stated in the Kew Report for 1882, page 40, would prettv 



' ' well apply to it.' The following is the extract referred to 



"by Mr. Dyer: 'Has a dry and compact appearance, is free 



' ' from extraneous impurities, and from its tolerably uniform 



" ' condition, has been collected with care. It agrees in all 



' ' respects with Ceara rubber of good and sound quality. 



" ' When washed and dried it gives a loss of 8 per cent. 



" ' This loss is much less than is met with in Ceara of the 



' ' finest quality, and may probably be accounted for by the 



" ' small bulk and facilities offered by time, mode of packing, 



' ' and transit to the escape of the natural moisture of the 



" ' product.' The article concludes by saying : ' This sample 



"' was valued June 22nd, 1882, as worth 2s. 9d. to 3s. per 



' ' pound. A sample of Para rubber sent from the same 



" ' place was valued at 4s. per pound.' " 



In conclusion, I have only to say that from consideration of 

 the above information, together with reports from other sources, 

 I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that the climate of 

 Natal is not tropical enough for the successful cultivation of 

 rubber. Its rainfall is not sufficiently large, its atmosphere too 

 dry, and its winter temperature too low for the trees to grow with 

 the vigour that they do in more favourable climates, or to produce 

 an amount of sap sufficient to make their cultivation profitable. 

 The Landolphias only remain as yet uncertain, but I hope that 

 before long we shall be able to report upon them, whether 

 favourably or otherwise I am as yet unable to say. 



The " Chicle " gum noticed in the prospectus, and from 

 which a large revenue is expected by the projected Company, is 

 the product of a tree named Aehrax sajpota, but better known as 

 bearing what is popularly called the " Sapodilla Plum." This 

 tree has been for many years in the Gardens, but is only 4 feet 

 high, while in its native country it attains a large size. Our 

 plant flowers every year, hut has never produced a single fruit, 

 and to judge from its size and rate of growth I should say that 

 the Chicle gum would have to realise a very high price to make 

 the cultivation of the tree profitable in Natal, 



