\ 
100 
pound of seed, by sample post, and to enclose a brief account of t 
methods employed in cultivating this tree in Assam. I also pare 
copy of a letter addressed to the Secretary to the Chief ae 
small and 
light, so that probably a pound or two will be found sufficient instead of 
1 ewt. as now ordered 
have, &с. 
(Signed) Gustav Mann, 
Conservator of Forests, Assam. 
€ of LETTER No. Af. 73, dated Shillong, the 21st July 1890, from 
‚ the Conservator of Forests, Assam, to the Secretary to the ‘Chief 
үүнү фы оЁ Аззаш. 
I mave the honour to acknowledge receipt of your office Memo. 
No. 201/72, dated the 27th ultimo, forwardin ng to me a copy of the 
Government of India neal aes 494, and dated the 18th June 1890, and 
directing me to send to h s Excellency the Governor of Lagos, on the 
West Coast of Africa, 1 Pt of seed of Ficus elastica for cultivation in 
that Colony. 
2. With reference to these instruc tions, I beg to report that the seed 
of Ficus elastica ripens in February and March, and that I wil make 
the arrangements, if necessary, to have it collected of good quality = 
that season, but before doing so, I beg to point out that this see 
extremely small and light, so probably a much smaller soa will 
suffice to commence with, each of the figs contains about ` eed, and 
as 90 figs go to one tolah it will ы p number of seedsin one poun 
270 0,000, which ought to be sufficient to begin experimenting gee even 
though P should bé no skilled rei available for sowing i 
3 e obtained about 1 №. of seed from pp S hich I will 
send at once to his Excellency the rige of Lagos by post, and I 
shall write direct advising Boy despatch of the seed, and giving a brief 
account of the methods employed in е the Rubber tree here 
in Assam; the үре. incurred is so trifling (six annas), that it 
is not worth while recovering; the "postigo on two letters would 
ex 
4. I shall await further instructions before despatching more seed. 
Brier Account of how Rubber Trees (Ficus elastica) are k in 
Assam. 
The seed ripens from January to March, hes it is collected ms it 
falls off the trees, aud afterwards dried in t the 
It is, properly speaking, the fruit, and consists P small figs, the size 
ofa pea. These at the time of sowing are broken between the hands, 
and the seed thus mixed with the particles of the fruit is sown witbout 
any attempt to clean or separate the seed. 
2. Germination takes place sometimes only tires montas after the 
n sown, and аз it is very small it be sown on the 
surface of the soil only, but otherwise just like the seed of any other 
plants, it requires as much light as possible from order side shade is 
an advantage. The seed can be sown on beds, or n boxes or — 
pots, but it is most essential that the drainage of ‘the soil be perfect, and 
that the earth never becomes soaking wet, whilst on the ims hand it 
