520 



Cast/Una came from the Nilgiris and Zanzibar, the best from 

 Burliar in the former district, and valued at 3s 6d to 3s 8d, as 

 against hard Para at 5s id. The rubber in most cases was too 

 resinous, probably from the youth of the trees. 



Good Para rubber came from Kullar in the Nilgiris and was 

 valued at 5s 6d against Para biscuits at 5s 3d to 5s oA 



Funtumia elastica came in some quantity from different parts of 

 Africa. There seems to be some difficulty in preparing it as most of 

 the samples were reported rough. It was mostly valued at about a 

 shilling a pound less than Para. 



A number of other rubbers. Landolphia, Ficus Vogelii, e.i. Mascar- 

 enhaisia, Clitandra, Raphionacme ( a root rubber ) Vaheca came from 

 the African region and were mostly fair to good and Jamaica sent 

 Forsteronia rubber of fair value. Sapium Jenmani, from British 

 Guiana seems equal in value to fine hard Para or even better. Plants 

 of this rubber tree were recently received at the Botanic Gardens 

 Singapore. 



A number of oil seeds including those of Para rubber were 

 investigated, and seeds of " Crotalaria juncea " from the Federated 

 Malay States were under investigation at the end of the year. Is this 

 correctly identified? We have never seen a plant of this in the 

 peninsula, nor succeeded in growing it. 



It is rather interesting to find among the drugs examined, and 

 found to contain a minute quantity of a crystalline alkaloid " to 

 which the physiological activity of the drug is due ", that extremely 

 common hated of planters Ageratum conyzoides the white weed. It 

 would be very satisfactory to find it of some use, as no plant is a 

 more persistent weed here. 



The whole '.report is one of interest, and is a valuable record of 

 work done and of steady progress, while at the same time it gives an 

 idea of the vast resources of the British empire. — Ed. 



PARA RUBBER IN MADRAS. 



The total rainfall " in the Botanic Gardens during the year 

 amounted to 52.77 inches. Heavy rains fell on four days of 

 January 1909, amounting to nearly ten inches. These extraordinary 

 rains fell on the first four days of the month, After this practically 

 no rain fell for three months ". This is the report of the Curator of 

 the Ootacamund and other gardens in Madras, in the Annual 

 Administration report for 1908-1909, and one would hardly imagine 

 that with such a low rainfall as this not much more than half of 

 what falls in a year in the Malay Peninsula, Para rubber would be 

 likely to thrive, but at Burliar and Kullar this tree seems to be 

 doing well. Possibly the rainfall is somewhat heavier there, but the 

 Curator gives no information on this point. The oldest tree planted 



