November, 1912.] 



383 



A NEW RUBBER-PRODUCING PLANT. 



The following are a few particulars by the Chief of the Botanic 

 Section of the " Secretaria del Formento" in Mexico, printed in the 

 Bulletin of Agricultural Intelligence and of Plant- Diseases for September, 

 1912, regarding a new rubber plant. This tree, unlike others, grows in 

 hilly country in dry and stony soils. It is called by the natives " Cacalo- 

 xoehitl" and belongs to the genus Plumeria of the family Apocynacece. 

 All the known species of this family in Madagascar produce a latex-like 

 juice ; but Plumeria rubra is the only one known up to now as a producer 

 of rubber in sufficient quantity to be worth extracting.* 



The trunk, from 6^-16 feet high, has a girth of from 8 to 24 inches ; 

 the bark is rough and of a light gray colour ; the leaves are opposite ; 

 the flowers are white and large and the root is used by the natives as a 

 purgative. Plumeria is common in many regions of Mexico and Central 

 America, it grows under the best conditions in sandy, stony and rocky 

 soils on the mountains at a height of 1,000 to 4,000 feet, in dry regions 

 where there is an average yearly rainfall between 30 and 50 inches. 



The following composition was found on analysing the coagulate of 

 the latex :— 



Resin ... ... 21-9% 



Moisture ... ... 15-7 % 



Rubber ... ... 25'5 % 



This tree is easily reproduced by slips, and in the Botanical Station 

 of Tezonapa, four weeks after a branch had been planted, new leaflets 

 were observed. This plant is capable of producing a good quality of 

 rubber. Investigations are being made and from the experiments carried 

 outatthe Botanical Station of Tezonapa indications are already avail- 

 able as to the best method of tapping. The ordinary system of incision 

 would not give good results. The young parts of the plant contain a 

 quantity of rubber in excess of that of the trunk, Lopping off the heads 

 of the plant is advisable and extraction must be made from branches thus 

 pruned ; this pruning improves the condition of the tree and increases 

 the growth of the branches. 



JUTE CROP OF BENGAL FOR 1912. 



The Director of Agriculture, Bengal, reports on 21st September, 1912, 

 that the final figures for acreage show an increase in Bengal of 202,250 

 acres. Bihar returns an increase of 40,222 acres, and Assam an increase 

 of 4,922. The grand total of increase for the three provinces is, 247,394 

 acres and the percentage of increase 7"9 per cent. 



Outturn. 



The final total outturn for Bengal only works out to 8,502,135 bales. 

 Bihar returns an increase of 87,412 bales and Assam a decrease of 12,930 

 bales. 



* Landolphia Kirlcii and other Landolphias, the sources of the principal African 

 rubber, as well as Funtumia elastica the Ugarda and West Coast rubber, and Mascaren- 

 hasia elastica the " Goa " rubber of theEist African Coait all belong to the natural 

 order Apocynaceaj. Neither Plumeria rubra nor Plumeria alba have in Ceylon been 

 found to yield rubber in paying quantities.— Editor T.A. 



