I 10 



generally free from branches to a height of some 30 or 40 feet 

 from the ground. The tree flowers in January; the seeds are ripe 

 and begin to fall in March in the case of old trees, and in May in 

 the case of young trees. The seeds are contained in a hard shell, 

 two, three or four in each shell, which hang by a short stalk from 

 the upper and outer branches. When ripe the shell explodes often 

 with quite a loud report, scattering the seeds to considerable dis- 

 tances. For this reason it is difficult to procure seeds. When col- 

 lected the seeds should be packed in powdered charcoal and sent to 

 their destination without delay. I am informed by a competent au- 

 thority that they are not, as a rule, fertile if kept for more than two 

 months aftei being collected. This fact would account for the 

 difficulty experienced in rearing this plant in Africa, Ceylon 

 and other parts, 



Setting aside scientific phraseology and distinctions there are, 

 for practical purposes, three distinct varieties of the "seringueira" 

 to be met with in the forest. These are locally known as the 

 seringueiras " casca vermelha" (red bark), "barriguda" (bellied),, 

 and " casca preta" (black bark). The first of these, the "casca 

 vermelha", grows in the higher parts of the forest which are sel- 

 dom or never flooded. The latex which it yields is scanty, thick, 

 and will not run. It is, therefore, of little value. 



The second of these, the "barriguda" so named, because the 

 trunk increases very rapidly in thickness towards the base, grows 

 in those parts which are almost constantly flooded, named "igapos". 

 It yields plentifully a thin watery latex which is of little value. 



The third variety, the " casca preta''', grows in those parts 

 where a certain amount of drainage exists, and which form an 

 intermediary zone between the permanently flooded parts and the 

 high land. It is this variety which yields latex from which the 

 rubber of commerce is manufactured. 



The "-latex", or as it is commonly known, the "milk" of the 

 tree, is a milky juice contained in special tubes running amongst 

 the other tissues of the plant. These tubes in the case of the 

 Hevea, are connected, forming what is known as the "laticiferous 

 system". The latex is quite different from what is called the 

 "sap", and probably does not play any part in the nutrition of the 

 tree. According to some authorities, it forms a reserve of water 

 to be drawn upon in cases of drought. The actual extraction of 

 latex cannot kill the tree, and the common statement that the trees 

 are "bled" to death is a mistake. As a matter of fact, though 

 trees exhausted, in as much as they will not yield any more latex, 

 are common, actually dead trees killed by overlapping are rarely 

 met with. The latex, as it exudes from the bark is of a dazzling 

 whiteness, resembling milk, which it also resembles in composition, 

 inasmuch as it consists of an emulsion in which " caoutchouc " 

 takes the place of the " butter" in ordinary milk. The fluid part 

 of the latex consists of water with very small quantities of albu- 

 minous matter, organic acids, and phosphates in solution. 



The extraction of the latex, or, as it usually called, the "tapping" 

 of the tree, is effected by making an incision in the bark of the 



