155 



RUBBER NOTES. 



Angola. 



From the district of Loanda there has been exported during the 

 last 12 months for the first time one ton of plantation rubber. This 

 is the product of the common Ceara species introduced into Angola 

 some i8 years ago. The Panama and Para rubber trees planted 

 during recent years are making satisfactory progress. The Manicoba 

 Jequie have been cut for the first time in March last. The trees were 

 then 2 years old, full of fruit and yielded an average of 35 grammes 

 per tree. By many growers this species is considered inferior to the 

 Ceara Manicoba which grow like weeds in the Coffee belt and is 

 actually preferred to the Hevea Braziliensis which requires double 

 the time to develop. Owing to the introduction on the market of 

 a new knife for extracting the milk from the Manihot Glaziovii the 

 planters have recently become enthusiastic. 



The percentage of scrap rubber is greatly diminished as the milk 

 is diluted on the trunk with a simple alkaline solution which prevents 

 rapid coagulation and permits the preparation of rubber in the form 

 of transparent sheets having a high market value. 



AH the rubber cultivators are comparatively poor Europeans. 

 There are a few planters who established new plantations exclusively 

 of Ceara Manicoba. 



( Report for the year 1909: Trade of the province of Angola.) 



[Evidently Angola is suited well for the Ceara rubbers and from 

 what we know of the soil and climate this is what might be expected.} 



Uganda. 



The Para rubber trees in the Botanic Gardens continue to make 

 most satisfactory growth and tapping experiments show that the 

 prospect of Para rubber cultivation are most encouraging. The 

 growth of Funtumia elastica trees is slow compared with that of Para. 

 The results of an experimental tapping of a 6^ years old tree show 

 that they are not of a tappable size at this age. The Castilloa rubber 

 tree grows well but it is very subject to the attacks of a borer 

 (Inesida leprosa) which, does very great damage to the trees and 

 accordingly it must be considered to be of very little importance 

 to the Protectorate." 



The Manihots all seem to do well here. Total number of plants 

 distributed by the Botanic Gardens during the year was 160,679, 

 The demand for Cocoa and Para rubber seeds greatly exceeded the 

 supply, and in addition to the plants and seeds distributed by the 

 Botanic Gardens a large number of seeds w^ere distributed at Kampala 

 and on behalf of the planters. Large numbers of seeds chiefly of Para 

 rubber were imported by the planters. 



