Sept. 1906.] 



227 



Saps and Exudations. 



Mr. Wright —Seeds, from trees which show irregularity in quality or quan- 

 tity of latex, should perhaps not be used for planting. It is difficult to give advice 

 on the subject of selecting seed parents when all the trees are healthy. Personally, 

 I think I should select my seeds from the best developed trees on the estate, — those 

 which showed the best growth of foliage and girth and a corresponding laticiferous 

 system. It seems to me, though I may be quite wrong, rather dangerous to select 

 seeds from trees which have never been tapped, though many applicants for Hena. 

 ratgoda seeds specify such desires very frequently ; you may be selecting seeds from 

 trees which, had they been tapped, would have given you the minimum quantity of 

 latex, or perhaps none at all. Then where will you be? Provided the trees have 

 not been roughly handled in tapping operations, I do not really see that there 

 is any great mistake in selecting, as seed parents, those trees which are best deve- 

 loped and have given fair yields of latex. There is a theory abroad that you can 

 induce characteristics in the vegetative parts of plants which can be fixed and trans- 

 mitted from generation to generation, in which case the selection of seeds from the 

 best yielding trees might ultimately give very good types of rubber trees. But the 

 theory of transmission of characters acquired in successive generations is hotly 

 contested by many botanists, and it has not yet been proved that it occurs with the 

 latex tubes of Hevea brasiliensis. It is a complicated subject and one requiring 

 much experiment. Of course, in this, as in other matters I am expressing my own 

 private opinion, which may be quite wrong. The subject is very interesting, and it 

 is just as well that you raised it, but I have to impress upon you that it is only my 

 opinion and you should not accept it as gospel, without consulting others. 



THE LONDON RUBBER MARKET. 



London, July 20.— At the auctions to-day the following lots, comprising 

 about 2 tons of Ceylon and about (i tons Straits and Malay States were offered, 

 and Ceylon sold as follows : — 



MARK. 



Wiharagama 

 M in estate mark 



Waharaka 



Ballacadua 

 Dolahena 

 B iddegama 

 HL Kin estate mark 1 

 Langsland 



QUANTITY, DESCRIPTION AND PRICE PER LB. 



(5 cases Biscuits mixed colours very greasy surface at 5s. 9d. 



2 do Pine pale Ceara biscuits at 5s, 9^d. 



1 do Good Ceara scrap at 4s. 9d. 



1 do Biscuits mixed colours at 5s. 9d. 



2 do Fair scrap at 4s. 9d. 

 1 do Black heated chip crepe at 2s. 6d. 

 1 do Common scrap at 4s. 

 I bag do do at 4s. 



do do do at 4s. 

 5 cases Fine biscuits mixed colours at 5s, 9d. 

 1 do Good scrap at 4s. 9d. 



3 do Fine pale but mouldy biscuits at 5s. 9d. 



Cullodeu 



Para.— The market has been firm during the week and prices are rather 

 higher. Business has been done in Hard Fine at 5s. l^d. to 5s. 2 1, on tli3 spot and 

 at 5s. 2d. to 5s. 2id. for forward delivery. Soft fine 5s. hd. per lb. 



Plantation Para.— In better demand for sheets and biscuits at about id. 

 to Id. per lb., higher prices. Crepe slow at sale. Scrap in demand at 4*. 9d. for 

 fair. 203 packages offered and 75 sold. Biscuits and sheets 5s. 8d. to 5s. 9d. ; 

 2 cases very pale 5s. 9£d. Crepe all retired; scrap 4s. to 4s. 9d. according to 

 quality. 



Colonial Rubber. 

 N v ass aland. — 4 packages offered and sold. Good red ball 4s. Shd. per lb. 

 Assam.— 71 packages offered and 14 sold. Livery 3s. 4|d. per lb. 

 Penang.— 18 bags offered and 15 sold, reddish and white mixed ptrt stained 

 black 2s. ll£d. soft sticky Is. 4s. per lb. 



LEWIS AND PEAT, 



