3»? 



Since injuries inflicted on young trees influence the frrowtti of 

 their bark for many years, it is important that all unnecessary 

 wounding should be avoided. Coolies frequently tap young trees 

 with a sharp stone in order to see the milk flow, forming irregular 

 wounds which are quite sufficient to account for the appearances 

 described. 



" Times of Ceylon. " 



22-9-05, 



RUBBER IN AFRICA. 



Mr. JOHNSON, the Director of Agriculture on the Gold Coast 

 publishes a short, but interesting account of recent doings in 

 Rubber planting in the Gold Coast. Here Para rubber seems to do 

 well, ten year old trees giving an average of 1 lb. f oz. rubber per 

 tree, and the rubber is reported to be as good as that received 

 from Ceylon. The tree is a quicker grower than Funtumia and is 

 quite free from insect attacks ,( On the other hand " he says "that 

 Hevea is an exotic and Funtumia a native" but in spite of this 

 he considers there is every reason to anticipate that Hevea would be 

 as successful as other exotics like tea, coffee, etc., introduced into 

 that country. We merely quote this as there are a number of people 

 who think that because a plant is not indigenous to the Country it is 

 less likely to do well than an indigenous plant under cultivation. 

 The reverse is as a matter of fact the case. If an exotic plant can 

 get into a country in which the climate and soil suit it, it has 

 great advantages over indigenous plants. In the first place change 

 of locality seems always to benefit a plant, for what exact reason 

 is not clear, but the fact is well known to horticulturists. In the 

 second place, it is free from the insect and fungus pests which 

 attack a plant in its own home, while there are in its new home no 

 insects or fungi which at first at least can manage to feed on it. 

 In time a fungus or insect may adapt its habits of life so as to 

 attack the newcomer, and probably does so. A closely allied 

 plant may exist in the locality where the newcomer arrives and its 

 enemies may be able to attack at once, just as the Coffee beehawk 

 moth whose caterpillar feeds normally on Gardenia bushes, soon 

 transferred its attention to the allied Coffee bushes. But assuming 

 that climate suits an exotic it has a better chance of escaping 

 attacks by far than an indigenous plant w?hich has its enemies all 

 ready on the ground. Hevea has not any very near relations at 

 Asia or Africa, hence its comparative immunity from pests in 

 present. 



To revert to Mr. JOHNSON'S report he does not speak highly 

 of Funtumia. It is attacked by a caterpillar of the pestilential 

 genus Glyphodes (some of which here attack the Rambong) and 

 also by the fungus [Meliola). Its growth is slow and it cannot be 



