201 



Ramie. 



An attempt was made more than a year ago by some few who are 

 interested in the McDonald Boyle Ramie Machine, to induce farmers to 

 form a company to grow the plant and prepare filasse, but the time was 

 not opportune tor the investment of capital. A considerable amount 

 of interest is, however, still taktn in the subject, and planting is still 

 going on : 39,200 roots were distributed during the year under review. 



Rubber. 



The Central American Rubber tree (Castilloa spp.) appears to be 

 the best suited for growth in Jamaica. A small plantation of this tree 

 has been made at Hope, a few trees have been planted at Bath, and 

 others have been put out in the woods in order that they may propa- 

 gate themselves by natural means. 



Seeds from Rubber trees in the Gardens have been sown, as well 

 as some received from the Botanic Gardens of British Guiana and 

 British Honduras ; and numerous plants have been raised and distri- 

 buted throughout the island. 



Mr. S. T. 8charschmidt writes that Ceara Rubber trees (Manihot 

 Glaziovii), received from the Department in May 1887, and planted at 

 Hanbury (elevation 1,550 feet, and rainfall 99 inches), began to yield 

 rubber when 11^ years old.* 



Hon. Dr. Johnston, in his travels through Africa, met with a rub- 

 ber plant, the swollen underground stem of which yielded rubber of 

 good quality. This plant is doubtless one that been lately determined 

 by botanists to be a species of Carpodinus. It is probable that this 

 plant ma} be grown in large numbers to the acre, and yield rubber in 

 far less time than trees, thus opening up the industry to planters and 

 small cultivators. 



Mr. R. H. Biffen, a Cambridge botanist, who travelled lately in 

 America, investigating the subject of rubber, has invented a machine, 

 in principle somewhat like a centrifugal cream separator, by which the 

 rubber is separated at once from the milky juice free from all impurities 

 and its value raised 25 per cent. This machine is likely to revolu- 

 tionise the rubber industry. 



Sugar Cane. 



Distribution. — The number of cane tops distributed during the year 

 was 17,500. There has been great demand for the seedling canes, and 

 especially for that named " D. No. 95." The demand on the part of 

 some planters was much more than could be supplied with the resources 

 even of a large experiment station, devoted to cane alone as in Barbados, 

 but we have endeavoured to satisfy to some extent all who have applied. 

 It would greatly facilitate the work of distribution, if planters would 

 state a year beforehand the number and kind that they wish for. So 

 far as land and money allow at Hope, as many as possible are grown 

 and distributed, and planters then experiment with different varieties 

 and make choice of the most suitable. 



* Bulletin, February, 1898, page 37. 



