254 



experiment. The trees are grown in a thick wood of lofty trees, on a 

 stiff and poor clay soil. They have cost nothing more than the mere put- 

 ing of the seedlings into the ground, except that when' they were redis- 

 covered some trees which were pressing against them were knocked down. 

 They are grown under absolutely natural conditions, j ust as one sees 

 them in photographs of the trees of the Amazons, and they are fully 

 twice as large as trees of the same age grown in the open with careful 

 and expensive felling and clearing and weeding, and are reproducing 

 themselves naturally, through the wood. 



The trees have been tapped, and gave good returns of rubber. 



These trees are still growing. The following are their measure- 

 ments for the past few years. 



Registered 

 No. of trees. 



Girth in 

 1904. 



Girth in 

 1905. 



Girth in 

 1906. 



Girth in 

 1907. 



Girth in 

 1908. 



Age 14 Yeaes. 





ins. 



ins. 



ins. 



ins. 



ins. 





1272 



38i 



4:0k 



42y 



44f 



48 



Slope. 



1273 



31 



32 



34f 



36f 



38 



Slope. 



1275 



24 



24| 



26 



27 



28 



Slope. 



1276 



53f 



57i 



58 



59i 



60 



Top of Hill. 



1277 



60i 



62| 



651 



681 



72 



100 feet tall. 



1278 



34 



35 



35f 



361 



38 



Slope. 



1279 



34| 



36j 



38 



40 



41 



Slope. 



1280 



33ir 



361 



41f 



42 



42i 



Slope. 



1281 



62f 



68| 



711 



75i 



79 



Top of Hill. 



Average growth in girth at three feet from the ground of big trees 

 in four years 2'06, 2*87, 4'06. The ordinary growth in girth of big 

 trees in general is about 2 inches a year. Younger trees seem to grow 

 faster. 



The second record tree in the gardens is one of those which was 

 among the lot first brought to Singapore No. 2. Its height is less 

 being 54 feet, its girth at three feet from the ground is 120 inches. 

 Mr. Herbert Wright who lately saw this tree and measured it affirms 

 that it is the biggest tree in girth recorded, wild or cultivated. Its age 

 is 30 years. 



The seven trees first received in 1877, were first planted in the 

 Botanic Gardens by Murton, and on the founding of the Economic 

 Gardens in 1880 by Mr. Cantley were transferred to their present 



