Gums, Resins, 



[July, 1909, 



show that Para rubber cultivation in 

 Ceylon might be looked upon as a 

 reasonably profitable industry. Planting 

 made such rapid strides that, at the 

 present time, there are in the colony 

 some 180,000 acres under rubber crops. 

 Definite evidence of the progress of the 

 industry is afforded by the increase in 

 amount and value of the exports of 

 rubber from Ceylon during the past 

 seven years, Whereas, in 1900, the 

 quantity of rubber exported from the 

 colony was but 8,223 lbs. of £859 in value, 

 by 1908 it had increased to upwards of 

 three-quarters of a million pounds, and 

 was valued at £195,475. 



It was thought at first that Para rub- 

 ber would not succeed in Ceylon at eleva- 

 tions greater than about 500 feet, but 

 the tree has since proved to do well at 

 heights even exceeding 2,000, and pro- 

 bably 3,000 feet should be regarded as 

 the limiting altitude in the colony. The 

 tree will grow at much higher elevations, 

 but would not be likely to prove profit- 

 able. 



The history of Hevea cultivation in 

 Ceylon affords an excellent example of 

 the usefulness of Botanic Gardens 

 equipped with proper facilities for the 

 carrying out of experimental work. If 

 the Ceylon Gardens had done nothing 

 else during their history than established 

 this industry, they would have more than 

 justified their existence. But, in addi- 

 tion, they were, as is well-known, the 

 means of introducing coffee, tea, and 

 cinchona, to take only the more strik- 

 ing instances, [all of which plants have 

 played important parts in the economic 

 history of Ceylon. 



Ceara rubber \{Manihot Glaziovii), 

 another South American tree, was intro- 

 duced into Ceylon by Kew in 1877, the 

 supplies of seeds and plants having been 

 obtained by Mr. Cross. By 1883 as 

 many as 977 acres were reported as 

 being under this plant. The yield of 

 rubber, however, was very disappoint- 

 ing, and, with the rapid development of 

 the tea industry about this period, the 

 cultivation of the Ceara-rubber tree fell 

 into neglect. The Para rubber tree 

 afterwards gave more promising results 

 and interest was transferred to it. 

 Recently, however, it has been shown 

 that rubber of very high value can be 

 prepared in Ceylon from the Manihot, 

 and it is not improbable that, in the 

 future, it will be grown in places too 

 high or too arid for the Para rubber tree 

 but well suited to the more drought- 

 loving Ceara plant. 



Central American rubber (Castilloa 

 elastica), known to the Spaniards as the 

 Ule, was introduced into.Ceylon with the 



Para rubber plants in 1876. It was 

 grown like the Para rubber at Pera- 

 deniya and Henaratgoda. Trees are now 

 distributed about the Island, but they 

 have not been cultivated in an extensive 

 scale, and comparatively little is known 

 as to the yields obtainable from this 

 species in the island, although experi- 

 mental tappings have yielded rubber 

 of high value. 



Amongst other rubber trees intro- 

 duced into Ceylon are the Assam rub- 

 ber tree (Ficus elastica), the familiar 

 India-Rubber plant of this country. 

 The avenue of this handsome tree lead- 

 ing into the Peradeniya Gardens is well- 

 known to visitors to Ceylon, the curious 

 buttress-roots being very characteristic. 

 No serious use has ever been made in the 

 island of Ficus elastica as a rubber-pro- 

 ducing tree. 



From Africa there have also been 

 introduced the Lagos silk rubber tree 

 (Funtumia elastica), which has not prov- 

 ed successful owing to the young plants 

 being very liable to defoliation by the 

 attacks of a caterpillar, and the various 

 rubber vines (Landolphia spp.) which, 

 from their climbing habit, are not well 

 adapted for estate cultivation. 



RUBBER PROSPECTS IN BRAZIL. 



(Prom the Tropical Life, Vol. V., No. 4, 

 April, 1906.) 

 One of the leading South American 

 houses interested in rubber sent us the 

 following letter under date February 

 2nd:— "We should be much obliged if 

 you would kindly let us know if there is 

 any literature existing relating to the 

 prospects of the natural rubber produc- 

 ed in South America, in view of the 

 increased cultivation in the East. A 

 client of ours in South America, who is 

 much interested in the development of 

 the rubber industry, has asked us for 

 information on this point, and as it 

 opens up a somewhat complicated 

 problem, we think it probable that the 

 question has been dealt with." In 

 answer to this we sent some articles on 

 the subject, including a copy of Tropical 

 Life for March last, with our leading 

 article on " The Fall in the Price of 

 Hard Para," together with the following 

 letter : "In answer to yours of February 

 2nd, the only trustworthy matter 

 printed re the prospects of rubber will 

 be found in current tropical literature. 

 In face ot the present prices being paid 

 for rubber, one can only feel that, for 

 the present at any rate, the demand 

 exceeds the supply, although at the 

 moment trade is not good, at least it is 



