35 



" be fertilised by means of leguminous crops without, the aid of 

 " other manures. The acre is said to yield 8 tons of roots, and 

 " the starch got from it is sold for 2jd. per pound, while it goes 

 " six times as far as the best wheat starch at 3d. per lb. As a 

 " cattle food it is a great acquisition, making it possible, so it 

 " is said, to put on a pound of carcase at the cost of a little 

 " over |d." 



Rubber Yielding Plants. — I have frequent applications for 

 seed> or plants of Castilloa elastica, or Hevea braziliensis, and 

 am compelled to reply that it is quite unlikely, that either of 

 these trees will succeed in Natal. A plant, of Castilloa elastica, 

 which we had in the Gardens, grew a little in the summer 

 months, but died to the ground in the winter, and finally dis- 

 appeared altogether during last year. Hevea braziliensis we 

 have not tried, but it is quite unsuited to the climate of Natal. 

 It is a native of the forests of the Amazon, where it abounds 

 and attains a large size. The soil in which it grows is deep 

 and rich, mainly alluvial, sometimes a stiff clay, and is 

 frequently inundated during the wet season. The temperature 

 is very equable, ranging from 73 to 95 Fahr., the mean for the 

 year being 81, and the atmosphere is excessively damp, these 

 being conditions which are not found in any part of Natal. 

 Manihot Glaziooii grows well here, but the expense of collecting 

 the rubber would, I fear, equal, if it did not exceed its value 

 when collected ; the trees also are very brittle, and liable to be 

 damaged by high winds. Landolphia Kirkii, ami L. florida, we 

 have in the Gardens, but their growth is slow, and I fear that 

 they would not succeed commercially. 



Euphorbia, spp. — The aborescent species of this genus have 

 often been suggested as a source of rubber, or of some substance 

 akin to it, but experiments made in the Cape Colony in the 

 years 18(33 and 1864 showed that it was not likely to prove a 

 profitable industry. A sort of Ebonite was made from it in 

 small quantities, but on sending the sap to England for trial 

 the recipients said : — " I much regret to say we cannot turn the 

 " Euphoibia milk or juice to account. We can but get it into a 

 " solid condition, and that only with difficulty and exoense. It 

 " is then found to be of little value compared with India rubber, 

 " gutta percha, or hulata (Snpota muherii), so that I dare not 

 " encourage a hope of ever offering a price that would pay 

 " freight, let alone expenses." 



The European staff has not been changed, except that Mr. 

 Blunden's place was taken by Mr. R. Smith. Mr. Wylie and 

 Mr. Harniau have now completed 20 years' service, and*Mr. 



