210 



On September 15th 1877, ^ further consignment of 24 planst, 

 was transmitted to Dr. Thwaites in charge of Mr. Morris. A few 

 plants have also been sent to Mauritius and Singapore. The 

 propagation of this species will for the present be continued at Kew, 

 and during the ensuing summer a further small consignment will 

 be sent to Ceylon. Cuttings do not strike so readily as those of the 

 Hevea, and the multiplication of plants is therefore necessarily 

 slower. 



3. Manihot Glaziovii — Ceara rubber. Mr. Cross brought to Kew, 

 on November 2lst 1876, seeds and cutting of this plant from which 

 a stock of 55 individuals was eventually obtained. 



On June Iith of last year, four plants were sent to Singapore and 

 on September 15th, at which date our stock had increased to 300 

 plants of all sizes, 50 were sent to Dr. King at Calcutta, and 50 to 

 Dr. Thwaites in Ceylon, both in charge of Mr. Morris. All the stems 

 collected by Mr. Cross were divided between these two recipients. At 

 the end of the year our stock amounted to about 450 plants. 



There will be no difficulty therefore in sending a supply of plants 

 of this species to the Conservator of Forests in Madras in accordance 

 with the wish of the Government of India. It will, however, probably 

 be most convenient to treat Calcutta as the depot for the Ceara 

 rubber plants, as Ceylon must be for Heveas and Castilloas. 



With respect to plants of the Copaiba Balsam, nothing can be 

 done. From the five (5) seeds brought to Kew by Mr. Cross, November 

 2 1 St 1876, only two plants have been raised, and these grow with 

 excessive slowness. Nothing can therefore be done at present in 

 propagating them. 



Recapitulating, 1 have therefore to state that Sir Joseph Hooker 

 is of opinion : — 



( 1 ) That it is unnecessary to transmit any more Hevea plants 



to India, and that application should be made for them 

 to Ceylon when required for experimental cultivation. 



(2) That as the stock of Castilloas at Kew increases, further 



consignments should continue for the present to be made 

 to Ceylon. 



( 3 ) That plants of the Ceara rubber may with advantage be 



forwarded to Madras, but that the principal stock of 

 young plants should be sent to Calcutta from which they 

 can be distributed. 



( 4 ) That for the present nothing can be done, as far as Kew is 



concerned, with the balsam of Copaiba. 



I have, etc., 

 (Sd.) W. T. Thiselton Dyer. 



The Under Secretary of State for India. 



