May 190S-] 



413 



Saps and Exudations. 



high. Some of these young trees were 

 flowering and seeding at that age. 



"Our plantations are mostly formed 

 of young seedlings taken from the 

 forests, which contain vast numbers. 

 They are transplanted 1,000 to the acre, 

 and do not appear to be too crowded. 

 The transplantation causes no apparent 

 set-back, and the close planting has a 

 good effect in keepiug down the scrub 

 undergrowth. At three years old cul- 

 tivated trees of the two first mentioned 

 varieties have yielded 7 ounces of dry 

 rubber on the average." 



A further supply of " Manitoba seeds " 

 was received from Mr. H. Stevenson, 

 H. B. M,'s Acting Consul at Bahia, and 

 reached Ke w in March, 1907. 



These seeds, as well as plants raised 

 from the seeds sent by Mr. Rowe, have 

 been distributed to the botanical stations 

 and gardens of India and the Colonies. 



The following table shows the distri- 

 bution of the plants raised at Kew, and 

 sent out in Wardian cases on May 23rd, 



1907 :— 







No. of 

 Plants. 



Destination. 



Condition on 

 Arrival. 



200 



Calcutta ... 



" Good " 



100 



Ceylon 



"Excellent" 



100 



Singapore ... 



" Good " 



100 



Java ...) 





50 



Fiji ...[ 



No information 



50 



Brisbane ...J 





50 



Penang 



V Excellent, all 

 living " 



50 



Kuala Lum- 





50 



pur 

 Bangalore.../ 



" No comments" 



50 



Hongkong... 



" Splendid " 



Two plants were also sent to British 

 Central Africa, and one plant to N. W. 

 Rhodesia with other plants. In addition 

 to the plants, seeds, received from Mr. 

 Stevenson, were sent to Calcutta, Ceylon, 

 Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, and Brisbane. 



In consequence of this last consign- 

 ment of seeds a correspondence was 

 opened with Mr. O'Sullivau Beare, 

 H.B.M.'s Consul at Bahia, on the subject. 

 He has supplied much information which 

 is incorporated in the Diplomatic and 

 Consular Report on the trade of Bahia 

 for the years 1901-1906 issued in August, 

 1907. The following extract is taken 

 from this report ; — 



" The export of rubber from the State 

 of Bahia has increased more than ten- 

 fold within the past six years, having 

 risen from 100 tons in 1900 to over 1,100 

 tons in 190(5. 



" Of the total quantity of rubber ex- 

 ported annually from Bahia, the greater 

 proportion has hitherto been of low 

 grade, consisting mainly of a variety 

 known as 'Mangabeira' rubber, which 

 comes from the adjoining States of 

 Manas Geraes and Piauhy. But it has 

 lately been discovered that the State of 

 Bahia is very rich in a rubber-producing 

 tree, locally known as ' Jiquie Manitoba.' 

 The tree in question is a new and dis- 

 tinct species of Manihot, which appa- 

 rently is peculiar to the State of Bahia. 



"The discovery is a matter of much 

 importance not only for this State but 

 also for the rubber trade in general, in- 

 asmuch as the rubber obtainable from 

 the Jiquie Manicoba, when properly 

 prepared, would seem to be equal in 

 quality to the best product of the Para 

 region. 



" This matter of Jiquie rubber appears 

 to be of so much interest, and there 

 exists so much misunderstanding with 

 respect to it, that I may be excused for 

 giving here some particulars concerning 

 the tree from which the rubber in ques- 

 tion is derived. 



" The Manicoba of Bahia is a tree which 

 attains to a' height of 30 feet and up- 

 wards, with a diameter of some 2 feet, 

 when fully matured in suitable soil. 



" It belongs to the family of Euphorbia- 

 ceae as does also the Hevea brasiliensis 

 which produces Para rubber, yet it is 

 closely akin to Manihot, aipins or maca- 

 cheiras, mamomeiras, Seringueiras, etc. 

 Its zone, so far as is at present known, 

 extends from Maranhao to the Southern 

 borders of the State of Bahia. It flour- 

 ishes throughout the ' Sertao ' * within 

 the limits specified, but is found in 

 greatest abundance in the regions adjoin- 

 ing the town of Jiquie, whence its local 

 name. 



" The Jiquie Manicoba is undoubtedly a 

 new and distinct species of Manihot, 

 and it must not be confouuded with the 

 Manihot of Ceara {Manihot Glaziovii, 

 Muell. Arg.). The seeds of Jiquie Mani- 

 coba are much larger than those of the 

 Manicoba of Ceara. 



"The season for extracting the latex 

 from the Jiquie Manii-oba extends from 

 August to March. The latex possesses 

 the valuable property of coagulating 

 spontaneously when exposed to the air, 

 and it requires no acid or other artificial 

 coagulant of any kind. 



* " Sartao " a term applied to vast spaces in the 

 interior of Brazil, covered with brush wood and, 

 diversified by great tracts o£ forest. 



