1 
per acre will, after the second year, require hardly any expense in 
cultivation. As for harvesting, I collected 30 lbs. last January 
and er sedi by one oy: at 15 cents. a day, or say 23 cents. per Ib., 
e Pene value beiug about 80 cents. Supposing each tree gave 
verage yield of 1 lb. per annum, and allowing 30 cents. for 
Colinton and collecting, 50 cents. would remain as profit, or R50 
per acre. Itis well to have the plant in the island, but it is not 
likely to be largely planted so long as there are other produets 
that pay better, or that are better understood, but a time may come 
when it will kep a strait.” 
In his Report for 1890, Dr. Trimen states :—* Interest in Ceara 
rubber has of late years very much di led away, the yie of 
epor 
are, howeve er, considerable viande on some estates, and now 
that the trees are older it is found to be sirofllanis to harvest the 
produet. Several shipments have been made to London during 
the past year, and have realised very good prices. Of course the 
quantities have not Men large. One shipment of 4 cwt. fetched 
Is. 85d. to Is. 95d. per Ib. net, showing a profit here of about 
37 cents. (of a rupee) nee lb. A planter estimates the cost of col- 
lection at about 36 cents. per 1b., and reckons that trees of eight 
years old afford at least 3 OZS., whilst some - Lies old gave 
T 
way during the dry season, reis to ep After the outer 
flaky layers of bark have been peeled off, the inner bark is 
pricked copiously ; the tears of rubber which dinde: are allowed 
to dry on the tree, and are picked off, the resulting eai. y being 
quite like * Ceara scrap ' of commerce, but in small t M 
* The present opinion of planters seems to be that this kind of 
rubber pays to harvest, but not to cultivate, and they are pre- 
pared to destroy their trees to get the crop. But, even on such 
extensive areas o could surely be profitably oce pied 
with this tree, so grown as to provide a crop annually ready 
tapping. 
A review of the position in 1893 is given by the India-Rubber, 
Gutta Percha and Electrical Trades — - June 8 of that 
year :—* A few years ago great hopes ained in Ceylon 
as to rubber culture. We sii that ie ulcus efforts made by 
many planters have not hitherto been so —— as was 
expected. A fresh instance is just to hand, the Tropical 
Agriculturist for May, 1893, regrets to learn ina Mr. Vollar that 
his rubber cultivation in Dumbara is not like ely to be permanent. 
The Cearas were originally planted for shade trees for the cacao, 
but they have not proved very suitable € this purpose, and wil 
probably have to be cut down. Meantim s poranpa 5,000 Ibs. s 
rubber wili be collected on Pallakelle uis d eason ; a cooly 
beginning the tapping early in the morning, usually gets 3 Is. ot 
rubber in the liquid or soft state, which hardens and dries down 
to perhaps to half that alali bis There is no fortune to be made 
out of this (says our contemporary), considering how long the 
rubber trees have to grow before yielding an appreciable quantity 
of milk. Of course, it is the une of waiting, pre: vids so 
