390 



Par St. Valeria. 



2748 17-20 env. in kil. Ceylon, Biscuits (Yataderiya), ass. epais, en partie 



de forme carree, en major, clairs, de belle qualite, partiell. 

 un peu blanchatres inter. 



2749 17*30 122 ,, Ceylon Biscuits, env. 47 k. (Gikiyanakanda), pp. clairs, 



minces, de belle qualite, (dont env. 6 k. plus fonces), env. 

 75 k. (Rayigam) id., mais un peu plus fonces. 

 2 75° 17*00 „ 73 „ Ceylon, Biscuits (Galboda), tres clairs, mais non- 

 transparents. 



A kilogramme is equal to 2l lbs. ; and consequently the valua- 

 tions (" taxes ") for plantation Hevea rubber work out at over 7s. 

 per lb. There are no other quotations in the catalogue within four 

 francs of the Ceylon prices ; the general valuations would average 

 10 francs per kilogramme. And the rubber from the East fetched 

 — as we interpret our special telegram — 33 centimes per kilogramme, 

 or about 1 £d. per lb. more than the above valuations. 



Out of small events great ones grow ; and as Antwerp is such a 

 central point, as any one can see who consults a map of Europe, it 

 should be the largest Continental rubber market — except, possibly, 

 Bordeaux — when Ceylon and the Malay States are supplying an 

 important proportion of the world's demands. As our supply grows 

 it will be both impossible and undesirable to send nine-tenths of 

 our output to London ; and direct trading is to be one of the chief 

 features of future commerce. 



On the Introduction of Para Rubber 

 to the Straits. 



In the Tropical Agriculturist of September, the Editor continues 

 his account of the history of Rubber Cultivation in Ceylon. With 

 respect to the history of the relations between the Straits and 

 Ceylon, he writes — 



" In 1877 rooted cuttings were sent to the Straits to Mr. Low 

 for the Experimental Garden at Perak. As previously stated the 

 plants produced flowers and fruits before the parent trees in Ceylon 

 and in 1882 a consignment of seed was received from Mr. LOW 

 but they were found to be dead on arrival. In 1886, nearly one- 

 third and in 1888 more than half the total crop of seeds were sent to 

 Singapore and other parts of the Straits. Seeds were subsequently 

 sent but it is probably correct to assume that much of the rubber 

 now in the Straits has been obtained from the original cuttings sent 

 in 1877. It should be mentioned, however, that in 1876 plants were 

 sent direct from Kew to Singapore. " 



The history of the introduction of Hevea into the Straits Settle- 

 ments and Perak has been already described in the Bulletin and 

 it is not quite the same as that of the Editor of the Tropical Agricul- 

 turist. It is pretty clear that the first Para rubber trees planted in 

 Perak were those taken by MURTON from the Botanic Gardens, 

 Singapore, and were some of the plants originally sent from Kew. 



