174 



RUBBER NOTES. 



Diplodia rapax, Massee. A description of this, with a tigurc, is 

 given in the Kew Bulletin, No. I 1910, by Mr. Massee, who writes : — 

 " This fungus appears to be a true parasite on Para rubber trees. A 

 curious and unexplained point is that specimens were received at 

 Kew for determination almost at the same date from Singapore and 

 the Gold Coast. It is just possible that the fungus has been conveyed 

 along with the seed as it is difficult to realise that the same species 

 of fungus can have adapted itself to rubber trees in two distant 

 countries within so short a time." It is, 1 think, more likely t,o have 

 been conveyed by stumps, It does not seem to occur in Singapore 

 itself, at least, I have never seen it here. It has only been seen in 

 Perak and Selangor as yet. 



RUBBER IN DOMINICA. 



In the Annual Report of the Botanic Station of Dominica for 

 1908 — 1909 is given an account of the attempts to grow Para and 

 other rubbers in that island. At present the stock there is small, 

 only fifty-two Para rubber trees planted out of which only three are 

 big enough to tap. It is proposed to take the buds off so as to cause 

 the trees to branch and make short bushy trees, apparently on 

 account of wind. Rubber was obtained from three of the oldest 

 trees and sent to the Rubber Exhibition and Imperial Institute in the 

 form of amber biscuits and valued at 4s. 3d. per lb., as compared 

 with Plantation Para at 4s. 4d. to 4s. lid. 



Castilloa seems to do as well and biscuits valued at 3s. 6d. were 

 sent home, the percentages of proteids and resin was rather high, 

 caoutchouc 85.5, resin 9*4 proteids 3*8 per cent. 



Funtumia elastica give its usual unsatisfactory result. 



Ceara rubber yields pooily and suffers from the wind as the 

 branches are very brittle. 



Ficus elastica does well, but is rare in Dominica. Rubber 

 was prepared as " very clean light reddish biscuits, clear and trans- 

 j)arent, extremely well cured." The form and condition was 

 recommended highly and it was valued at 3s. 9d. per lb. 



It appears likely that Dominica may turn out rubl:)er of good 

 iiuality from any of the three trees. 



RUBBER BOXES. 



In the Tropica] Agriculturist, Dr. Willis notes that in a visit to 

 the Rubber Works in Hanover, Dr. Prinzhorn pointed out the 

 importance of having smooth clean boxes for rubber packing. In 

 many of the rough boxes, when opened, it was found that there were 

 chips of wood, sawdust and other debris left in the boxes and 

 adhering to the rubber requiring to be removed by the washing 

 machine. 



