and Magazine of the Ceylon Agricultural Society. 



199 



THE BIG RUBBER TREES. 



IN THE SINGAPORE GARDENS. 



In the year 1894, the Forest Inspector J Good- 

 enough planted some rubber seedlings in a wood 

 behind his house in the Botanic Gardens. This 

 wood is on the slope of a hill running down to 

 the main road and rather steep. It had been 

 planted up by Mr Cantley about 1884 with 

 Aibizzia mohiccana, Eugenia grandis and Pseudn- 

 subtilis and other trees and had additions in 

 the form of various trees of the character of 

 Belukar jungle. The wood was very thick as 

 there was a good deal of under-growth too. The 

 soil is a stiff clay. The rubber trees were quite 

 forgotten for about ten years, aud when found 

 were crowded up with other trees, but had made 

 surprisingly rapid growth. Three were on the 

 top of the hill where it was a little flatter and at 

 a distance of 8ft., and 18ft. respectively apart. 

 The tallest No. 1277 was measured a few days 

 ago. It had grown considerably higher than 

 the surrounding trees and was conspicuous from 

 afar. Its height was found to be no less than 100ft. , 

 while in girth at 3ft. from the ground it mea- 

 sured 72ins. The stem is smooth and straight 

 without a branch for a considerable height. The 

 other two were less tall, one having lost a por- 

 tion of the top (No. 1276). It measured at 3ft. 

 from the ground 60ins. The third gave a mea- 

 surement of 79ins. 



On the slope the trees lessen in girth in pro- 

 portion to the steepness of the hill, the slopes 

 of which show signs of a strong rush of water 

 during rains. The whole wood is full of seed- 

 ings from these trees, though for some years past 

 it has been the custom for the seed collectors 

 to gather up the fallen seeds. 



The usual height given for a full grown Para 

 rubber tree is 70ft. and the tall tree (No. 

 1277) is certainly the record in height, and yet 

 it is but 14 years of age. This is a most instruc- 

 tive 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 putting of the seedlings into the ground 

 except that when they were rediscovered some 

 trees which were pressing against them were 

 knocked down. They are grown under abso- 

 lutely natural conditions, just 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 expen- 

 sive felling and clearing and weeding, and are 

 reproducing themselves naturally, through the 

 wood. 



The trees have been tapped, and gave good 

 returns of rubber. 



Average growth in girth at 3 ft. from the 



f round of big trees in four years 2 - 06, 2 '87, 4 '06. 

 he ordinary growth in girth of big trees in 

 general is about 2ins. 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 

 54ft., its girth at 3 ft. from the ground is 120 



ins. Mr Herbert Wright who lately saw this 

 tree and measured it affirms that it is the biggest 

 tree in girth recovered, wild or cultivated. Its 

 age is 30 years. 



The seven trees first received in 1877, were 

 hrsfc planted in the Botanic Gardens by Murton, 

 and on the founding of the Economic Gardens 

 in 1880 by Mr (Jantley were transferred to their 

 present position. This tree was evidently tapped 

 at about 4 ft, from the ground and threw out 

 three branches, which are now to great size. It 

 is grown in the open in low swampy soil. It 

 gave 14lb. of rubber on being tapped by the 

 spiral system and would probably have given 

 more under any other system of tapping. — H. 

 N. R. iu the Strait Agrcultural Bulletin. 



INDIA RUBBER, GUTTA PERCHA, AND 

 TELEGRAPH WORKS COMPANY. 



Lower Rubber Prices Promise Well ! 



Presiding at the half-yearly general meeting 

 held yesterday at the oliices, Cannon-street, 

 Major Darwin said that the board had no hesi- 

 tation in making a recommendation for the dis- 

 tribution of an interim dividend of 2£ per cent. 

 The high prices of raw material hail shown 

 decided symptoms of a permanent lowering, al- 

 though since the beginning of their financial 

 year there had been ups and downs, .and even 

 at the present moment a slight stiffening had 

 taken place. This increase might be due to the 

 present cheapness of money, which certainly 

 enable dealers to hold larger stocks at less cost 

 than was the case a year ago. But it was quite 

 certain that, at least so far as indiarubber was 

 concerned, high prices could not be maintained 

 without quite abnormal effort. The increasing- 

 quantities of rubber from the plantations which 

 had been springing into existence during the 

 last eight or nine years must eventually tell 

 their tale, and have their influence on the raw 

 rubbor market. He moved a resolution ap- 

 proving the dividend recommended. The mo- 

 tion was passed. At an extraordinary general 

 meeting which followed, a resolution was passed 

 under which the Directors were empowered to 

 issue fresh capital. — London Times, July 1. 



NEW RUBBER CO. FOR BRITISH 

 GUIANA. 



Garnetx's Baiata Co., Ltd. (98,377). Re- 

 gistered June 16th, with capital £30,000 in 

 £1 shares (10,000 preference), to examine, ex- 

 plore, clear, re-timber, plant, cultivate, work 

 and turn to account any forests, woods, rub- 

 ber, coconut, pepper, cotton and other trees, 

 mines, mineral and dredging rights in British 

 Guiana or elsewhere, to adopt an agreement 

 with M. Garnett and G. Garnett, etc. No 

 initial public issue. The first Directors are 

 M. Garnett (Chairman) and G. Garnet (both 

 permanent ; special qualification 5,000 shares 

 each) and F Grant. Qualification of ordinary 

 Directors £100. Remuneration £100 each per 

 annum (Chairman £150). Registered by Lawr- 

 ence, Webster, Messer and Gaylor, 14, Old Jewry 

 Chambers, E.C. — Investors' Guardian, Juno 27. 



