75 



form of a flat circular disc about a quarter of an inch across at first 

 greenish but eventually as it dies and reproduces its little pink young 

 ones it becomes silvery and is quite a pretty object. It does not seem 

 to be very injurious though like all scale insects it lives by sucking 

 the juice of the leaves. I have, however, found it usually attacking 

 v;eak plants of nutmegs, and it may be taken as a sign that the plant 

 it attacks is weak in health and requires manuring. It is easiest 

 removed by hand. — Ed. 



RUBBER NOTES. 



In the Gold Coast. 



Extract from the Annual Blue Book of Gold Coast for the year igog. 



"The quantity of rubber exported during 1909 was 2,764,190 lbs. 

 &3 compared with 1,773,248 lbs. in the previous year. The systematic 

 cultivation of this product is now rapidly extending, but the whole of 

 the output is still obtained from trees and vines (Funtumia and 

 Landolphia) in the vast undeveloped forests of the interior." 



In Nyasa-Land. 



Extract from the Annual Report of Nyasaland for igog-io. 



" It has been conclusively proved that the Shire Highlands are 

 not suitable for the cultivation of Para rubber, in fact, the only 

 locality within the Protectorate where this variety has proved success- 

 ful is in the West Nyasa District, where 600 acres of Para are doing 

 well. 



The rubber of Nyasaland is Ceara, and the area under this has 

 risen steadily to 4.403 acres. The quality of the rubber is satisfactor}^ 

 two experimertal packets having realised 8s. lod. per lb. in London. 

 The export, including wild rubber, amounted to 27.144 lbs., being an 

 increase of about 11,000 lbs. on the preceding year. 



It should, however, be stated that at present the available data 

 regarding the length of life of Ceara trees and their recuperetive 

 capacity under tapping are insufficient to justify any confident predic- 

 tion as to whether it would be safe for planters to enter into this 

 cultivation on a large scale. So far as local experiments have been 

 carried, at present they go to prov-e that Ceara trees are successful 

 V/hen planted in suitable soil and properly tended, but the idea, 

 prevalent a few years ago, that Ceara will grow anywhere is quite 

 erroneous. It is worth nothing that rubber seed has been distributed 

 during the year to a number of natives in West Nyasa, and has been 

 planted in the environs of 66 villiages in that district." 



Rubber in the Caucasus. 



The Hamburger Fremdenblatt states that tea, coffee and cocoa 

 have been proved to be successful in the regions of the Black Sea and 

 that a botanist. Dr. Smolsky, has been to study the cultivation of 

 rubber in South China, and after visiting the different rubber planta- 



