101 



GUMS, RESINS, SAPS AND EXUDATIONS. 



The World's Rubber. 



CEARA RUBBER (MANIHOT GLAZIOVII) IN CEYLON. 



A few words in season respecting Ceara rubber which is gradually grow 

 ing in favour in South India and Ceylon. A great many of this variety of 

 rubber tree were abandoned in the island owing to unsatisfactory prices secured 

 for rubber some years ago, but now that the market has considerably changed 

 for the better, these abandoned trees are being tapped with the following 

 result, viz. :— Sold as Ceylon Plantation Rubber, Ceara is realising the same 

 price as Para if properly cured. 



It would be, of course, ridiculous to plant up Ceara at elevations where 

 Para rubber would grow, and give latex freely, but at medium elevations it 

 would do well and is worth experimenting with in various parts of the island. 

 This is being done to a certain extent. I have sold seed and stumps to be 

 planted from 2,000 ft. to 4,000 ft. elevation, but whether the latex collected at 

 the latter elevation will bring in a profit remains to be proved; but from 2,000 ft. 

 to 3,000 ft. (even if the prices drop to is. per lb.) it should leave a fair margin 

 of profit. Of course, it would be absurd to plant this rubber in poor abandoned 

 soil in which even m ana grass will not grow satisfactorily. But there are large 

 acreages in Ceylon at the elevation given, of fairly good soil, that if planted in 

 tea would not give a profit at present prices ruling, and yet would in Ceara; 

 and those who wish to cut down expenditure to bring the trees into bearing 

 {i.e., six years or under) could weed 3 ft. only round the trees planted, say 20 ft. 

 by 20 ft. 



The outlay for cost of seed or stumps and opening up any abandoned 

 land would be less than if planted in Para. The difficulty of germination of 

 the seed has been overcome by filing the exterior which will assist germina- 

 tion, otherwise seed may remain dormant in the nurseries for months. An 

 even simpler method is to place the seed in boding water, and let the water 

 boil for five or ten minutes or allow the same to cool and then remove the 

 seed. The seed afterwards should be covered with a dressing of horse dung, 

 which will accelerate germination in the nursery. Of course, by purchasing 

 stumps anyone is practically one year ahead of his neighbours, which is a 

 distinct advantage, supposing the rubber market does fall slightly. 



A few words re tapping and curing may not be out of place. One must 

 not be too drastic with tapping, otherwise he is liable to kill the tree or leave 

 bare patches. If the following plan is adopted it will prevent this:— Remove 

 only 2 feet of the outer bark for the first tapping all round the tree and cut 

 only 4 (four) V-shaped cuts in one day, two incisions in the morning above ; ditto 

 two below in the evening five inches apart, commencing in the middle of the tree. 

 Continue this all round the tree until you reach the lateral branches above 

 and the roots beneath. After this is finished, then scrape only the newly-formed 

 bark off with a piece of barrel hoop iron, and then cut an intervening incision. 

 One must be careful not to cut down into the cambium or wood, or portions 

 (with the help of white ants and insects) will die back. Do not clean out the 

 latex collected in the incisions for scrap rubber because it acts as a balm to 

 heal up the wound, besides keeping off white ants, etc. The price realised for 

 rubber which contains bits of bark, etc., is very small sold as balls. 



