Gums, Resins, 



514 



[December, 1908. 



gutta-percha, which is india-rubber and 

 other things combined, is in many ways 

 superior to leather. A leather belting 

 is, owing to the limited length of hides, 

 made in several sections, whereas gutta- 

 percha belting can be made to any 

 desired length in one section, and, 

 therefore, it runs truer than one made 

 of leather. 



Imitation marble or granite mosaic 

 floors are also made of india-rubber, 

 and the designs are in colours extending 

 throughout the thickness of the material. 



" If rubber sank in price to 2s. a 

 pound," observed a prominent exhibitor, 

 "its scope might be further extended by 

 using it to pave the streets of London." 



A Noiseless London. 

 This remark conjures up visions of a 

 silent London. With streets paved 

 with rubber instead ofjwith wood blocks, 

 or macadam, or stone setts, and with 

 smooth-working motor-omnibus engines, 

 traffic would be carried on under condi- 

 tions of almost perfect quiet. 



The only obstacle is the initial outlay. 



At Buston Station, London, there is 

 a rubber road, laid down, twenty-five 

 years ago, and despite exceedingly heavy 

 traffic it is to-day in a splendid state of 

 preservation. 



The courtyard of the Savoy Hotel, 

 London, is rubber-paved, while banks, 

 hospitals, and public institutions, as 

 well as many private houses have 

 rubber floors, which not only deaden 

 the noise, but are cleaner and more 

 economical in every respect. 



RUBBER IN SOUTH INDIA. 



Cultivation Extending— Satisfactory 

 Government Result— Promising 

 Outlook for Para. 



In the Administration Report of the 

 Government Botanic Gardens and Parks, 

 the Nilgiris, for the year 1907-08, various 

 interesting notes about Rubber trees 

 appeart There is said to be practically 

 no demand for Castilloa seed, and very 

 little for Ceara, but Para seed is in 

 great request. Mr. Proudlock remarks 

 that "everything now points to the 

 fact that the cultivation of rubber is 

 extending, and that it is promising to 

 become a very large and important 

 industry in South-Western India in the 

 near future- At Benhops Castilloa, Para, 

 and Funtumia elastica are all growing 

 well. Of Burliar it is reported:— 



During the year Para, Ceara, and 

 Castilloa rubber trees were tapped, and 

 fair yields of rubber were obtained. 

 The Castilloa trees planted in September, 

 1898, are growing well. The best tree, 

 No. 1 in the plantation, when measured 

 on the 24th April, 1908, was 40 ft. 3 in. 

 in height, 10 in. in girth at 1 foot from 

 the ground, and 3 ft. 2£ in. at 4 feet 

 from the ground . The Para trees plant- 

 ed in November, 1898, are also growing 

 fast. The best tree was found to be, 

 on the 24th April, 1908, 55 ft. 3 in. in 

 height, 3 ft. 1 in. girth at 1 foot from 

 the ground, and 2 ft. 4J in. at 4 feet 

 from the ground. Para tree No. 14 at 

 the bottom of the garden promises, 

 however, to be the best tree in the 

 plantation. It was 3 ft. 2 in, iu girth 

 at 1 foot from the ground and 2 ft. 

 5 in. in girth at 4 feet from the 

 ground on the 24th April, 1908. The 

 best tree of Funtuma, Africana, Stapf., 

 when measured on the 24th April, 1908, 

 was found to be 57 ft. 8 in. in height, 

 2 ft. 8 in. in girth at 1 foot from the 

 ground, and 2 ft, 7 in. at 4 feet from 

 the ground. 



Funtumia Elastica is also growing 

 well. Still, the measurements of the 

 various rubber trees given in the report 

 show that in girth the trees at Burliar 

 do not, as a rule, compare favourably 

 with those in Travancore and Cochin, 

 of which Mr. J. A, Richardson gave 

 some particulars at the last meeting 

 of the U.P.A.S.I. Some Kullar figures 

 are more encouraging. There is a notice- 

 able diversity of measurements, but 

 there can be no doubt that "the trees 

 at Kullar are making splendid growth." 



Of the Forest Department Rubber 

 Plantation the report says : — 



"The Para plants are doing well. 

 There were, however, several failures 

 on account of the dry season, and for 

 want of water to water the young plants 

 with. The failures were replaced- The 

 ' Musa textilis,' which were planted 

 among the rubber trees, are growing 

 well. The weeds were kept down, and 

 the grass among the rubber trees has 

 grown well. In fact, the ' Guinea grass' 

 has spread so rapidly and grows so I 

 luxuriantly that it threatens to exter- 

 minate all the other species of indigenous 

 grasses named in paragraph 62 of last 

 year's report, . , , This small rubber 

 plantation has already amply demon- 

 strated the object that a large supply 

 of grass can be grown for fodder and 

 for grazing purposes in a Government 

 rubber plantation during the early years 

 of its existence, till the trees grow up." 

 —Ceylon Independent, 6th October, 1908, I 



J 



