213 



From this letter it will be seen that Sir Hugh Low was not the 

 introducer of the Para Rubber plant to Perak, but that the plants 

 were brought to Perak by Mr. Murton. This has been proved by 

 other letters in an earlier number of the Bulletin, but the error still 

 frequently appears in various publications. It was probably started 

 by a rather misleading statement in Mr. Wray's memorandum 

 published in 1897 which begins : "The first seed of the Para rubber 

 {Hevea Braziliensis) was introduced into Perak in the year 1882 b\ 

 Sir Hugh Low, the then British Resident. It was sent to me to plant 

 but did not germinate having been kept too long after picking. A 

 second lot was received a short time after and was planted at Kuala 

 Kangsar." These seeds were from the Botanic Gardens, Singapore, 

 where the trees began to fruit in 1882. — Ed. 



CHRONOLOeiCAL TABLE OF THE PARA RUBBER 

 INDUSTRY FROM 1873 TO 1899. 



1873 Seeds received at Kew from Mr, Collins. 



1876 Seeds received from Mr. Wickham 



First plants arrived in Ceylon. 



1877 June. First plants received alive at Singapore. 

 Oct. Mr. Murton plants the first tree in Perak. 



1881 Trees first fruited in Singapore. 



1882 Seeds sent to Kuala Kangsar, and planted by 



Mr. Wray. First seed also sent to Sarawak from 

 Singapore. 



1884 Dr. Trimen commences to tap the trees in Ceylon. 



1885 { circ ) First fruiting of Ceylon trees. 



1889 Trees first tapped in Singapore, tins used for 



catching latex. 



1890 First biscuits exhibited at a Horticultural Show 



Singapore. 



1 89 1 Rubber sent to Messrs. Silver from Singapore 



Gardens pronounced of very good quality. 



1892 Dr. Trimen sends to Kew 2lbs. of Rubber grown at 



Heneratgoda. 



1893 Rubber plants and seeds distributed to all District 



Officers and Residents in the Federated Malay 

 States to plant near their houses from Botanic 

 Gardens, Singapore. (Plants had been distributed 

 to planters for some years previously). 



