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Extract from Kew Bulletin. 



Lagos Rubber, (Ficus Vogelii, Miq.) 



The investigation of plants likely to yield the caoutchouc of commerce is being carried out in West 

 Tropical Africa by numerous correspondents of Kew. Possibly in no other part of the world is there 

 such a wide field for investigation of this kind, and in recent years a considerable trade in india-rubber 

 has arisen through the exertions of officiala and traders who have given attention to the subject. 



A useful summary of information respecting West African rubbers is given by Captain Moloney in 

 the Forestry of Wed Africa, pp. 78-95. At pro.-ent the chief rubber-yielding plants on the west coast 

 appear to belong to species of Landolphia. These are climbing shrubs with stems 4 to 6 incheu in diame- 

 ter near the ground, but dividing above into numerous branches which support themselves on the neigh- 

 bouring trees. The rubber of the Geld Coast, known in commerce aa Accra rubber. i.j the produce of 

 Landolphia oicariensis, Beauv. This io probably the best rubber phut in West Africa. The rubber is 

 obtained by cutting off portions of the bark in strips varying in length from 3 to 10 inches. The cuts are 

 made sufficiently deep to reach ths latex canals, and soon the crude juice atarts out in drops and gathers 

 on the newly-cut surface. The rubber of the Landolphia coagulates on exposure to the air and requires 

 no preparation other than rolling it up into ball. " A quantity of milk is first dabbed on the fore arm of 

 * the operator, and being peeled crY forma a nusleus of the balls. This nucleus is applied to one after 

 " another cf the fresh cats, and being turned with a rotary motion the coagulated milk is wound off like 

 " silk from a cocoon. The coagulation takes place so rapidly on exposure to the air that not only iu every 

 " particle cleanly removed from the cuttings, but also a large quantity of semi-coagulated milk is drawn 

 " out from beneath the uncut bark, and during the process a break in the thread rarely occurs." [Kew 

 Report, 1880, p. 40.] 



Another method of collecting Went African rubber is dascribed as follows : The blacks wipe off the 

 milk with their fingers and sm«ar it on their arms, shoulders, and breasts, until a thick covering of rubber 

 is forced. This ia peeled off their bodies and out into small squares, ".vhich are then 6aid to be boiled in 

 water. In European markets such rubber appears in rnoi'e or leas agglutinated masses of small cubes. 

 Specircenj of such rubber r.ro shown in the-Kew Museums under the name of Thimble rubber [ib., p. 39]. 



The quantity of rubber exported annually from Wect Africa from Britiah and other possessions is 

 about 30,000 cwt. The value in 1835 was 265,017/. 



It appears that in some districts, r.uch as the Gaboon, owing to the reckless destruction of rubber 

 vineo the trade is becoming leas and less every year. In the other districts the trade is gradually increas- 

 ing. Attention has been specially directed to rubber plants in the colonies of Gold Coast andLagcs, and 

 owing in a great measure to Che interest taken in the subject by Captain Moloney, the exports from these 

 Britith possessions have risen from nothing in the year 1882 to a value in 1885 of 69,911/. 



There are doubtless other plants in West Africa from which commercial rubber might be obtained. 

 The Mbungu rubber plant is Landolphia florida, Bth. This is distributed over the whole of Central Tro- 

 pical Afrisa. There are also ceveral species cf jFicus, the original genus yielding commercial rubber, which 

 deserve to be investigated. 



We are glad to find that following the erterprisiug example of the Governor of the Colony of Lngos, 

 Captain A. C. Moloney, C.M.G., I£r. Alvan Millson, Commissioner of the Western District residing at 

 Btd&gry, hae recently given attention to the "preparation of commercial rubbers from the latex of the trees 

 generally known there ao "Abba" trees. Mr. Millson previous to taking up his duties at Lagos had served 

 in British Honduras, where ho had become acquainted wit.h the preparation of what is known in commerce 

 as Nicaragua or Central American rubber, the prcduceof Castilloa elastica. A contribution on this latter 

 subject from Mr. Millaon will be found in the Keic Bulletin for the month of December 1887, p. 14. 



The investigations undertaken by Mr. Millson in the West Africa are described in the following notes 

 which have been communicated to this establishment by the Secretary of State for the Colonies : — 



Badagry, 15th April, 1888. 



In nearly all the native villager, in the western district of the colony of Lagos, and, I believe, through- 

 out the colony and interior, are to be found large spreading trees, which have been planted for shade in 

 the market places, streets, and compounds. These trees ure of the fig family, and are called by the natives 

 Abba. 



I have measured a tree of this species ox the age of 13 years, and found it3 girth, at 3 feet from the 

 ground, to be 3 foet 4 inches, and ?ta height to the branches 12 feet, while its total height could not be 

 less than 50 or 60 feet, and its foliage area a quarter of an acre. A tree of this size ought to give largt 

 quantities of milk if tapped at the right time of the year. Although it was in fruit when I tapped it, and 

 the season being very dry, wa3 in every respect unsuitable, yet the milk exuded in large drops, and flowed 

 for a considerable distance down the trunk. Three quarts of milk were extracted from this tree with- 

 out injuring it in any way, and I have little doubt that at any time batween the months of July and Feb- 

 uary from four to five gallons could have been obtained with but little trouble. The trees, however, 

 should only be tapped on alternate years, so r.3 to lcive time for fresh growth of bark to replace that which 

 is removed. It ia difficult to form an accurate estimate of the per centage of dry rubber that would be 

 yielded by a gallon of milk, but I have reason to believe from previous experiments on Central American 

 rubber tre<is ( Castilloa elastica) of similar richness of milk, that each gillon should give about three pounds 

 of india-rubber. The valuo of the rubber produced depends largely upon the care with which it is pre- 

 pared, and I have reason to believe that the milk of this species, at least, of the " Abba" tree, can be mad* 

 to give an excellent sample. 



Should the above facts be established, it becomes evident that plantations of the " Abba" tree would 

 be a highly profitable investment. It is planted by the simple method of cutting off a branch and push- 

 ing it into the ground, and on account of the facility and rapidity with which it is raised, the natives used 



