Gums, Resins, 



366 



end, having a thick, tough wall, and in most plants dead and containing nothifeg 

 in the cell cavity. In the Castilloa the microscope shows that the bast fibres 

 have a larger cell cavity than in most plants. It is reasonable to suppose that 

 they are in such cases alive and contain something. I have seen no other tissues in 

 the Castilloa bark which could contain the latex, and therefore believe that these 

 bast fibres do.* The bast fibres are arranged vertically, and are probably only a 

 few inches long. Those I have examined in temporary branches were from one 

 to three inches, but they are probably longer in older parts of the trees.t The 

 fibres are probably connected to each other by pits, but I have not been able to 

 locate these connections. These pits would not alloAV solid substances to pass 

 from one fibre to another, but would allow water and watery solutions. The 

 rubber being in solid globules is probably formed right in the fibre itself. The 

 fibres are not arranged in regular joints, as was the opinion of Carlos Berger, 

 but are irregularly arranged, the tapering end of one fibre fitting between 

 other fibres.j 



When the fibres are cut across by a tapping instrument their contents are 

 ejected by bark pressure. § Such a cut will take latex from the tree only for a 

 distance of three or four inches above and below the cut. If no more cuts are 

 made, the latex will not be renewed in the cut fibre for some time (not entirely 

 for about three months), although the surrounding fibres are full of latex. This 

 shows that all the latex from the tree cannot be taken from one cut. The distance 

 apart that cuts should be made around the tree is a disputed subject, and depends 

 not only on the length of the bast fibres and the way to get the most yield, but 

 also on the amount of injury done to the tree. If yield were the only consideration, 

 one foot would be a- good distance, and would give, I believe, the maximum yield. 

 Eighteen inches will give close to the maximum, giving a sufficiently greater 

 quantity of latex from each cut to make up for the fewer cuts. Both of these 

 distances are, however, objectionable, because a larger number of cuts appears 

 to detract from the healing powers of the tree, and the more cuts the greater 

 the chances of the trees being injured by the borer. 



(To be continued.) 



THE LONDON RUBBER MARKET. 

 London, April 20th, 1906.— At to-day's auction, 242 packages of Ceylon and 

 Straits Settlements Plantation-grown rubber were under offer, of which all except 

 about 15 were sold. The total weight amounted to nearly 12 tons, Ceylon contri- 

 buting 3 and Straits Settlements 8|. The market opened after the holidays with 

 good competition for all grades, though in some cases scrap was inclined to be less 

 firm. The highest price realised was 6s. 3d. for two small parcels of fine biscuits, the 

 prices generally paid for fine quality sheet and biscuits being 6s. 2%d. to 6s. 2|d. 

 There were some large invoices from the Straits included in the offerings, and a not- 

 able parcel was that consisting of 33 cases of fine washed sheet from Vallambrosa 

 whicli realised 6s. 2fd. This invoice also contained 13 cases of other grades, the 

 total weight amounting to nearly 2| tons. Of the Ceylons, a small invoice from the 

 Syston estate had some exceptionally fine pale transparent biscuits which realised 

 6s. 3d. Quotations.— Fine sheet 6s. 2|d.; Fine pale washed crepe, 6s. 2fcZ.; Fine pale 

 washed crepe, darker, 6s. to 6s. Id.; Fine pale washed crepe, dark, 4s. 6|ot. to 5s. 8d. 

 Fine biscuits, 6s. 2\d. to 6s. 3d.; Rough biscuits and rejections, 5s. 9d. to 6s. 2d. 



* The latex is not carried in the "bast fibres," but in elongated and sometimes thick- 

 Walled elements which roughly resemble fibres in transverse section. 



t Some of these tubes are continuous throughout the whole extent of the tree. 



J A confusion between the prosenchymatous elements and the lactiferous tubes is 

 here apparent. The lactiferous tubes do not taper in this way. 



§ " Bark-pressure ' : may be partially responsible for this, but it is mainly owing to the 

 high osmatic pressure within the lactiferous elements. 



