214 
certain amount of prejudice existing against Hevea rubber in any 
other form than that in which it has always been received in this 
In any case it is desirable to institute a comparative 
pyi investigation of the value of Brazilian rubber as against 
that obtained from cultivated trees. So far it would appear that 
no Hevea rubber obtained from cultivated trees has reached the 
highest prices attained by Amazon rubber 
Tu utu 
In the *Shamba," the Journal of Agriculture for Zanzibar 
(October, 1897, p. 2), hene by Mr. R. N. Lyne, F.L.S., the Director 
of EIE, the following interesting Ms RRRS, HPeecHng 
a fine tree Hevea brasiliensis growing at Mbw 
originally atten from Kew, was planted i in Re Botanical DERE 
established by Sir John Kirk when he was Consul-Genera 
Zanzibar (see por HH Tul. p. 80-86) :— 
“The cultivation of ru Pointing to occupy attention 
here now. At weni, Saal is a Para rubber tree 50 feet in 
height and over 6 feet in girth. It is a beautiful tree, clean and 
straight in the trunk, with not a branch to interrupt its tapering 
symmetry till the crown is reached. It is now flowering. We 
believe that this tree has not been tapped, but a casual stab in 
ened induced a flow of milk which suggested a good reserve. 
This tree is growing in a spot which by no means corresponds to 
the conditions of its natural habitat in Brazil which are low and 
alluvial. At Mbweni, the Para rubber tree is found on a porous 
sandy ridge within 100 yards or so of the sea cliff. And yet it 
has grown on this nprascntly uncongenial locality with the 
greatest vigour. In the richer and damper soils, it ought to thrive 
as in its native country.” 
sig RDR 
In the Pius on the trade — East Africa for the 
year 1889 (F.O. Annual Sate. "1890, . 742), forwarded by Sir 
aap ohnston, Mr. Vice- onsul Be at Quilimane records the 
existence of trees of Hevea brasiliensis as follows (p. 10) :—“ In a 
private garden on the bank of the Chinde River, I was shown 
half-a-dozen very healthy Para rubber trees a year old, and some 
15 feet high. "They had fruited well, and the owner had sown in 
the neighbourhood most of the seeds they had borne.” 
WEST AFRICA. 
Gambia.—In the report on the Botanic Station at the Gambia 
for 1897, the grew reported (Kew Bulletin, 1898, p. 41) : *afew 
plants of this are at the Station, but the ed do not appear to be 
growing well, mri to the long dry seaso 
Sierra ‘Leone.—In the First Annual pa on the Botanic 
Station at Freetown, Mr. Willey, the late Curator, states: “Some 
plants of the Para rubber, the premier rubber of the world, are 
growing here, but they are too small yet to express an phon as 
to their-ultimate success. They will be reported on late 
Gold Coast.—In the Report on the Botanic Station p Aburi 
for 1894 the Curator states, “rubber plants, pain a: Para 
rubber, are making good progress. Some of the only 
18 months growth are 10 feet high and Bc stems 3n Mica in 
diameter. 
