43* 



elastica, which in this respect resembles the well-known Banyan 

 tree, and is one of the largest growing trees of the mixed forest 

 in Assam. It requires an exceedingly damp atmosphere to do 

 well, and therefore thrives best at the foot of the mountains, or on 

 the mountains themselves, up to an elevation of 2,000 feet. It is 

 met with also at a higher elevation, but there it is not so vigorous 

 and at 5,000 feet it is liable to be injured or killed by frost. 



7. Seedlings of Ficus elastica planted in the forks of trees in 

 the forest are very difficult to attend to, and they in consequence 

 often become dry about their roots, which retards their growth if it 

 does not kill them ; for these reasons, rubber trees planted on the 

 ground grow much better in the Assam plantations, and the latter 

 mode of planting has therefore been adopted almost exclusively. 

 They are not planted, however, on the ground in the common way, 

 but on small mounds 3 to 4 feet high of earth, and the cut wocd 

 and rubbish close at hand, which suits the epiphytal habit of 

 growth of this tree. 



8. This Rubber tree can also be readily propagated from cut- 

 tings, if only perfectly ripe young branches or shoots are used, but 

 young trees so raised are not so hardy as the seedlings, and do not 

 make equally good growth in the first five to ten years. 



9. To ensure the greatest possible amount of moisture in the 

 atmosphere, the plantations of fiicns elastica in Assam have been 

 made in the moist evergreen forests, near the foot of the hills, 

 through which lines 40 feet in width were cleared 100 feet apart 

 from centre to centre of the lines, thus leaving 60 feet of forest 

 standing between the line. On these cleared lines the mounds for 

 the planting of the seedlings or saplings are thrown up at dis- 

 tances of 25 feet apart. Care has to be taken afterwards to prevent 

 the forest trees left standing closing in above, over the lines and 

 the Rubber trees planted on them, which they have always a ten- 

 dency to do, and which, if not guarded against, is very detrimental 

 to the growth of the young Rubber trees. This is easily effected 

 by lopping the branches of the forest trees left standing. The 

 undergrowth which springs up on these lines, and as a rule, grows 

 most vigorously, has also to be cleared two or three times in the 

 year for the first four or five years to admit air for the young Rub- 

 ber trees; but beyond this, and the putting occasionally some more 

 earth on to the mounds on which the trees were planted, nothing 

 is necessary. 



10. The lines for the planting are cut in an east and west direc- 

 tion, so as to protect the young Rubber trees against the strong 

 sun in the middle of the day ; the atmosphere also keeps moister 

 in this case than if the lines were cut south and north. 



11. High ground is always best, and swampy ground, where 

 water lodges, should be avoided; but the tree grows very well on 

 alluvial flats, on the banks of rivers, even though the land be inun- 

 dated for a few days once or twice in the year. 



G. MANN, 

 Conservator of Forests, Assam 



