and Magazine of the Ceylon Agricultural Society. 



567 



than the guayule. Mexicc is the home of the 

 euphorbia, and one variety, known locally as 

 palo amarillo, occurs in large quantities. It 

 yields a rubber of inferior quality, is difficult to 

 tap, and only produces about an ounceof rubber 

 from each tree per annum. Dr Softer has paid 

 great attention to the varieties of plumeria. 

 These plumerias occur over considerable areas 

 in many parts of Central and Southern Mexico. 

 The latex is white and creamy, and flows plenti- 

 fully in November, December, and January. 

 The amount of rubber in the latex varies, but 

 runs as high as 24 per cent., and as much as lib. 

 3 oz. of rubber has been obtained from a single 

 tree by the ordinary method of tapping. 



Another rubber-bearing plant, a euphorbia' 

 called locally Vara Leche, contains latex of a 

 rubbery nature; but it is doubtful whether it is 

 of any commercial value. The shrub known as 

 chupire, a species of euphorbia, also produces a 

 very white latex, which flows freely and contains 

 about 21 per cent, of rubber. Another rubber 

 plant found on the hillsides of Mexico, called 

 the jatropha urens, has the local name of Mala 

 Mujoi, As its name (the " bad woman") sug- 

 gests, it is a particularly disagreeable shrub 

 The young branches are, however, full of latex, 

 and chemists who have analysed the product are 

 of opinion that it is a pseudo rubber, having 

 many points of resemblance with rubber and 

 gutta or balata. The shrub is found in groat 

 quantities over large portions of Southern Mex- 

 ico. It is so common that it is possible it may 

 one day assume some commercial importance. 



Dr. Olsson Softer also discovered a new jatro- 

 pha of the curcas group, which gives a latex 

 containing a good grade of rubber. Two more 

 species, one called ''cordoban '' and the other a 

 plumeria, were also found to be rubber-bearing, 

 but they are probably of small commercial value. 

 Tho researches made by Dr. Seffer are interes- 

 ting, as they show that we are in no danger of 

 exhausting our rabber supplies, but that, on the 

 contrary, each year brings forth some new 

 cource of supply. — H. & C. Mail, Nov. 5. 



NEW ROOT RUBBER. 



We publish in our daily and T. A particulars 

 from the Keio Bulletin of Ecanda rubber, a com- 

 paratively new source of production of raw rubber 

 found in Angola at an elevation of 5,000 feet. A 

 concession has already been given lor the whole 

 plateau where it grows, and we do not txjioctthat 

 it is to be found in many parts of Africa, Nor do 

 we anticipate that its cultivation will be taken up 

 m other parts of the tropical world, moro 

 especially as the seed is so hard to get, the cost 

 of collection amounting in fact to £4 sterling 

 per ounce. There is a certain amount of oare 

 shown by the natives and conservation of what 

 was grown, only the large tubers weighing from 

 four to five pounds being retained to get the 

 rubber from, and the smaller ones being re- 

 planted. The particulars are of interest, though, 

 as wo have said, we do not expect any practical 

 extension of the cultivation to take place. 



"MANIHOT DICHOTOMA" RUBBER. 



We see that enquiry has been made as to why 

 Manihot Dichotoma seeds, though quite fresh , fail 

 to germinate. Onelotgot out from London gave 

 only 3 percent., and another lot obtained locally — 

 though tested and found to be quite fresh before 

 planting — gave no more than 10 per cent. The 

 Yatiyantota planter who received them dug out 

 some from the beds of the second lot (laid down 

 three weeks ago) and on examination found 

 most to be fresh, but noticed a sort of white 

 fungus developed round the radical end of the 

 seed. He asks a contemporary if this has any- 

 thing to do with the bad results obtained. We 

 learn on enquiry, on good authority, that the 

 conditions for cvrmi nation may be at fault.. It 

 would be advisable to have all the seeds, which 

 show no sign of germinating, removed from the 

 soil, and soaked in hot (almost boiling) water for 

 a few hours. They should then be sown in light 

 sandy soil that is free from manure and rotting 

 mould, this being kept moist and shaded. Mani- 

 hot dichotoma seeds become hardened with age, 

 when, like those of Ceara-rubber, they should De 

 filed at one or both ends before being sown. 

 Otherwise their germination may be consider- 

 ably retarded. When these seeds are fresh, and 

 their vitality is unimpaired, they should germi- 

 nate within three weeks from date of sowing. 



BANANA RUBBER. 



(To the Editor, India Rubber Journal.) 



Sir, -With regard to the remarks on banana 

 rubber which appeared in your journal of the 

 6th September, it is necessary to point out that 

 it is an admixable rubber, and that when com- 

 pounded with another rubber adds to the weight 

 of that rubber, without deteriorating. This 

 appears from our many experiments to be the 

 effect and as this fact when known may benefit 

 the farmers of the West Indies as well as other 

 localities, it is certainly worth publicity in your 

 journal. The quantity of rubber from each 

 banana tree, after the bunch of bananas is 

 gathered, is generally highly satisfactory. — I 

 am. Sir, yours respectfully, 



George C. Benson. 



5i, Main St., Georgetown, Deraerara, W.I. 



— India Rubber Journal, Nov. 1. 



RUBBER TAPPING. 



A N«w Industry Created. 

 Now that 30 many estates are either in bea- 

 ring or coming into bearing, the demand for 

 tapping cups is increasing very rapidly, and new 

 varieties are being put on the market. Earthen- 

 ware cups have tor some time been coming into 

 favour, and now there is a considerable demand 

 tor glass and porcelain vessels. The earthen- 

 ware cups have hitherto been mostly of local 

 make, but are now being exported in consider- 

 able numbers from England, where they are 

 manufactured with a finer finish than in Malaya 

 The porcelain cups come from England and 

 Austria, while those made of glass are nianu- 



