5«o 



sibility however, that with the total exhaustion of Caucho on the 

 Upper Amazon — say within the next ten years — the Peruvians 

 might turn their attention to gathering fine rubber, and thus replace 

 in a measure the Caucho trade. 



In regard to cable communication between Para and Manaos, 

 Mr. WlTT said that great inconvenience to trade resulted at the 

 latter place from the frequent interruptions. With the constant 

 fluctuations in exchange there was constant risk in business trans- 

 actions conducted up the river without a knowledge of conditions 

 at Para and in rubber markets elsewhere. With adequate cable 

 facilities, he thought that Manaos would become an even more im- 

 portant centre of the rubber trade. In such an event, all the rubber 

 from the Upper Amazon and its tributaries would naturally find its 

 way to Manaos, even without the aid of such a law as has been put 

 in force for this purpose in the state of Amazonas. It is believed 

 now, however, that the English Company owning the cable is mak- 

 ing some improvements, and it is possible that such a course will 

 give a much more efficient service. — The India Rubber World. 



CASTILLOA RUBBER SEED AND ITS VITALITY. 



The period during which the seeds of various economic plants 

 retain their vitality is being investigated at the Royal Botanic Gar- 

 dens, Peradeniya ; but the following figures, supplied to the Ceylon 

 Observer by Mr. CARRUTHERS, may be of interest to any who may 

 wish to send the seeds of Castilloa to a distant place. 



Two thousand seeds were sent off from Paris to Peradeniya, 

 packed in leaf mould in four small-tin-boxes, each containing 500 

 seeds. Upon being opened at Peradeniya on September 26th, six 

 weeks after packing, the seeds were found to be as follows : — 



Box 1. 2. 3. 4. Total. 



Fully germinated ... 96 128 67 96 387 



Split and beginning to germinate 30 55 20 63 168 

 Good hard seeds unsplit 14 12 68 75 169 



Bad seed-destroyed by bacteria, etc. 350 30O 338 260 1,248 



This gives a percentage of 37 good seeds (20 per cent, fully ger- 

 minated, 8 per cent, starting germination, and 9 per cent, good 

 seeds unsplit), and 63 per cent, destroyed by bacteria or otherwise 

 killed. The packing in leaf mould which usually contain numerous 

 bacteria, fungi and insects, is not to be recommended. Probably if 

 sterilised sand had been used, the proportion of good hard seeds 

 would have been very much greater. 



This seed is an especially unsuitable one for travelling, as it 

 possesses no protective coat which prevents the inroads of insects 

 or bacteria. 



The short time that various economic seeds are credited with 

 retaining their germinating power is, undoubtedly, in many cases, 

 due to the fact that no special precautions are taken to prevent the 



