174 
This was valued locally at Rs. 97 a maund, and allowing for some 
' further "ts g and a fair rate for et the net value may be t 
at Rs. 80 (a little over 1s. per pou 
e rubber was sent to Dr. Watt with a view to his obtaining an 
"independent valuation in Calcutta. The result of this valuation is 
Rs. 105 to Rs. 108, Rs. 100 to Rs. 105, Rs. 110 to Rs. 115, Rs. 110 
to 112 respectively, per P ser fmaund landed in Caleutta (equivalent to 
an average price of 1s. 6d. p r ib. 
- One man taps three Mas in a | day or rni the doped from two 
trees, so that 15 men would tap and colleet the rubber from an acre 
. containing 18 trees. Allowing a margin, the asitastión tibai be done 
for Rs. 10 a maund. The yield varies with the spread of the crowns 
and the more or less openness of the situation. The smallest yield was 
obtained from an enclosed tree in the middle of the compartment : 
largest from a tree open on two sides situated on the bank of tlie 
aon trees wot which alone yield is rubber freely. 
I think the yield obtained from these few trees justifies the assumption 
that 20 seers (11 lbs.) could even now be obtained from an acre, an 
that it is reasonable to suppose a maund will be readily obtained at or 
before the age of 50 years, and that Rs. 16 per acre per annum can be 
counted upon. 
Extension of Conan work indt these views are accepted, there 
would seem to be a g e for extending the plantation by 250 acres 
a year, at a cost of Rs. 10,000, for the next 12 years at least. By this 
time it will cover an area of 5000 acres, the riae nee pd yield of which 
would be, even nieas to Mr. McKee’s estima 000 maunds of 
rubber per ann risen Se a iens income of at ‘ean Rs. 80,000 to the 
forest revenues oft the provin 
Cost to Government and " ipon ste: y of increasing the duty.—As 
aad shown, Government is only required to forego 25 per cent. of 
the revenue * is now dung me the extermination of the natural 
rubber tr 
Con, sideri ing that men are ready to pay up to Rs.38 a maund for 
rubber collected from the forests in the Tezpur distriet, with a guaranteed 
yield of 168 maunds from one of the two mahals eastern) into which 
the district eM been eiie iod EY be desirable to raise the royalty 
from R Ps o Rs. 20 a This would still leave an ample 
iage varies fr 
Rs. 16-8 i in the Garo Hills to Rs. 30 paid by mahaldars, 
DXXX. GERMAN COLONIES IN TROPICAL AFRICA 
AND THE PACIFIC. 
Some pa geld Renag the development of agriculture in German ` 
Tropical Africa were given in the Kew Bulletin, 1894, (pp. 410-412). 
ce has now published a further report (Miscellaneous 
Series, Ne. 402) on the “German Colonies in Africa and the South 
es B Berlin." by Mr. Martin Le M. Gosselin, C.B., H.M. Chargé d'Affaires 
