509 



Perhaps it was, but when they proceeded to say that, all they 

 need in order to beat the flax spinner in his own field is that I 

 should produce them filasse at one third the price which the latter 

 pays to the Irish farmer for the produce of his retting pit, I am 

 constrained to think that my spinning friend hardly admires his 

 piece of linen as much as he would have me do. 



We are told that with an increased supply will come an increased 

 demand. At present the manufacture is in an experimental stage, 

 so far as the United Kingdom is concerned, and China supplies a 

 sufficiency of hand treated grass for experimental purposes. This 

 being so it is passing strange that nearly every article written about 

 ramie urges planters to cultivate it. What we require are a few 

 practised spinners who are willing to buy it. 



CYRIL E. S. BAXENDALE. 



Jugra Estate, Selangor* 



RUBBER IN MADRAS. 



The following notes are taken from the Government Botanic 

 Gardens Annual Administration report for the Nilgiris 1901-1902, 

 of Para rubber planted November, 1898, the best tree measured on 

 March 22, 1901, and again March 6, 1902, gave a height of 18 feet 

 8, and 21 feet 9 inches, and girth at four feet from the ground on 

 the second occasion 8 J inch. The tallest tree in the plantation 

 of the same age was 29 feet, with a girth of 6J at four feet height. 

 These trees gave a good quality of rubber though too young to be 

 tapped profitably. 



Castilloa raised from seed collected in April, 1897, planted out 

 September, 1898, flowered March, 1902. But they only give at 

 present a gummy substance destitute of the properties of true 

 rubber. The best measured in March 22, 190 1, gave a height of 

 12 feet, and on March 6, 1902, 18 feet 10 with a girth of 1 foot 

 5! inches at four feet from the ground. 



A Castilloa in Wynaad girthing 3 feet 3 inches at 2\ feet from 

 the ground yielded 14 ounces dry rubber at one tapping. 



A Mr. PARSONS of South Coorg writes to the Curator of the 

 Gardens stating that he possesses a Ceara rubber tree 20 years 

 old that gives 10 lbs. rubber a year, but he has no other trees 

 which give nearly as much and some give next to no latex. 



BRAZILIAN RUBBER TRADE. 



The following is from the "Brazilian Review": — In his report 

 of Junuary 13, the U. S. Consul at Para says, with regard to 

 Rubber shipments from the Amazon valley for 190 1 shows a 

 steady increase over the business of 1900, the total gain 

 being 3,255 tons, of which the increase to Europe was 500 tons 

 and to the United wStates 2,755 tons. In other words Europe took 



