﻿G. 
  L. 
  Goodale 
  — 
  Possibilities 
  of 
  Economic 
  Botany. 
  293 
  

  

  India 
  Rubber.™ 
  — 
  Under 
  this 
  term 
  are 
  included 
  numerous 
  

   substances 
  which 
  possess 
  a 
  physical 
  and 
  chemical 
  resemblance 
  

   to 
  each 
  other. 
  An 
  Indian 
  Ficus, 
  the 
  early 
  source 
  of 
  supply, 
  

   soon 
  became 
  inadequate 
  to 
  furnish 
  the 
  quantity 
  used 
  in 
  the 
  

   arts 
  even 
  when 
  the 
  manipulation 
  of 
  rubber 
  was 
  almost 
  unknown. 
  

   Later, 
  supplies 
  came 
  from 
  Hevea 
  of 
  Brazil, 
  generally 
  known 
  

   as 
  Para 
  rubber, 
  and 
  from 
  Castilloa, 
  sometimes 
  called 
  Central 
  

   American 
  Rubber, 
  and 
  from 
  Manihot 
  Glaziovii 
  Ceara 
  rubber. 
  

   Not 
  only 
  are 
  these 
  plants 
  now 
  successfully 
  cultivated 
  in 
  experi- 
  

   mental 
  gardens 
  in 
  the 
  Tropics, 
  but 
  many 
  other 
  rubber-yielding 
  

   species 
  have 
  been 
  added 
  to 
  the 
  list. 
  The 
  Landolphias 
  are 
  

   among 
  the 
  most 
  promising 
  of 
  the 
  whole 
  : 
  these 
  are 
  the 
  Afri- 
  

   can 
  rubbers/ 
  Now 
  in 
  addition 
  to 
  these 
  which 
  are 
  the 
  chief 
  

   source 
  of 
  supply, 
  we 
  have 
  Willughbeia, 
  from 
  the 
  Malayan 
  

   Peninsula, 
  Leuconotis, 
  C/iilocarpus, 
  Alstonia, 
  Forsteronia, 
  

   and 
  a 
  species 
  of 
  a 
  genus 
  formerly 
  known 
  as 
  Tlrostigma, 
  but 
  

   now 
  united 
  with 
  Ficus. 
  These 
  names, 
  which 
  have 
  little 
  sig- 
  

   nificance 
  as 
  they 
  are 
  here 
  pronounced 
  in 
  passing, 
  are 
  given 
  now 
  

   merely 
  to 
  impress 
  upon 
  our 
  minds 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  the 
  sources 
  of 
  

   a 
  single 
  commercial 
  article 
  may 
  be 
  exceedingly 
  diverse. 
  Under 
  

   these 
  circumstances 
  search 
  is 
  being 
  made 
  not 
  only 
  for 
  the 
  best 
  

   varieties 
  of 
  these 
  species 
  but 
  for 
  new 
  species 
  as 
  well. 
  

  

  There 
  are 
  few 
  excursions 
  in 
  the 
  Tropics 
  which 
  possess 
  

   greater 
  interest 
  to 
  a 
  botanist 
  who 
  cares 
  for 
  the 
  industrial 
  

   aspects 
  of 
  plants 
  than 
  the 
  walks 
  through 
  the 
  Gardens 
  at 
  Buiten- 
  

   zorg 
  in 
  Java 
  and 
  at 
  Singapore. 
  At 
  both 
  these 
  stations 
  the 
  

   experimental 
  Gardens 
  lie 
  at 
  some 
  distance 
  from 
  the 
  great 
  

   gardens 
  which 
  the 
  tourist 
  is 
  expected 
  to 
  visit, 
  but 
  the 
  exertion 
  

   well 
  repays 
  him 
  for 
  all 
  discomfort. 
  Under 
  the 
  almost 
  vertical 
  

   rays 
  of 
  the 
  sun, 
  are 
  here 
  gathered 
  the 
  rubber-yielding 
  plants 
  

   from 
  different 
  countries, 
  all 
  growing 
  under 
  conditions 
  favora- 
  

   ble 
  for 
  decisions 
  as 
  to 
  their 
  relative 
  value. 
  At 
  Buitenzorg 
  a 
  

   well-equipped 
  laboratory 
  stands 
  ready 
  to 
  answer 
  practical 
  ques- 
  

   tions 
  as 
  to 
  quality 
  and 
  composition 
  of 
  their 
  products, 
  and 
  year 
  

   by 
  year 
  the 
  search 
  extends. 
  

  

  I 
  mention 
  this 
  not 
  as 
  an 
  isolated 
  example 
  of 
  what 
  is 
  being 
  

   accomplished 
  in 
  Commercial 
  Botany, 
  but 
  as 
  a 
  fair 
  illustration 
  

   of 
  the 
  thoroughness 
  with 
  which 
  the 
  problems 
  are 
  being 
  at- 
  

   tacked. 
  It 
  should 
  be 
  further 
  stated 
  that 
  at 
  the 
  Garden 
  in 
  

   question 
  assiduous 
  students 
  of 
  the 
  subject 
  are 
  eagerly 
  wel- 
  

   comed 
  and 
  are 
  provided 
  with 
  all 
  needed 
  appliances 
  for 
  carry- 
  

   ing 
  on 
  technical, 
  chemical 
  and 
  pharmaceutical 
  investigations. 
  

   Therefore 
  I 
  am 
  justified 
  in 
  saying 
  that 
  there 
  is 
  every 
  reason 
  

   for 
  believing 
  that 
  in 
  the 
  very 
  near 
  future 
  new 
  sources 
  of 
  our 
  

   most 
  important 
  products 
  will 
  be 
  opened 
  up, 
  and 
  new 
  areas 
  

   placed 
  under 
  successful 
  cultivation. 
  

  

  At 
  this 
  point, 
  attention 
  must 
  be 
  called 
  to 
  a 
  very 
  modest 
  and 
  

   convenient 
  handbook 
  on 
  the 
  Commercial 
  Botany 
  of 
  the 
  Nine- 
  

  

  