AGRICULTURAL BULLETIN 



OF THE 



STRAITS 



AND 



FEDERATED MALAY STATES. 



No. 3.] MARCH, 1908. [Vol. VII. 



A NEW RUBBER TREE IN TONKIN. 



Rubber-vines (apocynaceous) have been hitherto the only known 

 wild rubber-producing plants in Tonkin, and are not a success 

 culturally. Hevea, Ceara rubber and Ficus elastica have been tried. 

 The first is encouraging but it is too soon to speak of its success, 

 the other two practically failures so the discovery of a new rubber 

 tree indigenous to the country is hailed with joy in Tonkin. It is a 

 species of Bleekrodia, one of the Urticaceae. The latex contains a 

 high proportion of rubber probably better than Hevea. The rubber 

 is extremely full of nerve, and resistant, and very adhesive and 

 according to specialists cannot be distinguished from the best 

 classes of Para Rubber. 



The tree exists in great quantities, as much as 40 per cent of the 

 trees in some parts of the forests, in Backau, Baolac, and Caobang. 



This information is published in "le Caoutchouc and la Gutta 

 Percha, " January 15, 1908, on the authority of M. MARCEL DuBARD. . 



H. N. R. 



TWO RUBBER PESTS. 



In the Journal of the Federated Malay States Museums, 

 Mr. L. Wray records two insects attacking Para Rubber, one a 

 caterpillar and the other the troublesome beetle Astychus 

 chrysochloris, formerly known as an enemy to Liberian Coffee of 

 which it devoured the leaves. 



The caterpillar is described thus : — " General colour above black, 

 minutely spotted and lined with white, sides with a bright yellow 

 waved line starting from just behind the third pair of legs and 

 continuing to the tail. There are some conspicuous white spots on 

 the shoulders and on the last segment but one of the body. Head 

 and legs bright reddish brown, prolegs black largely spotted with 



