June 1907.] 



345 



Saps and Exudations. 



Madeira by M. Bonueehanx. On the contrary, they differ from the drawing 

 Hemsley lias given of the fruit of Hevea discolor. At least in the apex which is 

 rather rounded instead of conical."' 



He adds that at Manaos Hevea discolor always grows in the alluvial soil 

 of slowly flowing rivers, and their seeds falling in great numbers into the water 

 are often collected to serve as bait for the fishermen of Rio-Negro and Solimoes. 

 " I have collected a large number of these seeds to plant in the rubber gardens of 

 Manaos ; but my attempts remain unsuccessful in spite of care taken in selecting 

 the best seeds. Those I sent to the Natural History Museum in Paris, gathered 

 from the tree before the bursting of the fruit, have not given better results." 



Mr. J. Huber, the eminent authority on the genus Hevea, botanist at the 

 Goeldi Museum at Para, is also inclined to the belief that Hevea discolor does not 

 produce rubber. 



RUBBER CULTIVATION IN BURMA. 



The cultivation of rubber in Burma has been in progiess for some years 

 past. Not only have the Government, with most commendable zeal for the cause, 

 long since led in this very desirable direction, but private companies and even 

 individuals, have recently gone in for rubber-planting on a large scale. Besides the 

 fifty-seven acres of mature rubber (Hevea) only forming the plantation known as 

 the Mergui Experimental Plantation, now more than 30 years old, the Government 

 of Burma have a large and annually increasing area of plantations of rubber on the 

 island of Mergui. These plantations, which vary in age from one to seven years, 

 are situated in the reserve forest that skirts the feet of the hills of the Sandawut 

 Range. Although an extensive area had also been reserved for rubber planting on 

 the great alluvial flat to the foot of the Kappatoung rauge on King Island, and a 

 portion been casually planed out at the time, nothing now remains of the experiment. 

 This is a matter for regret, because nowhere in the Oriental tropics are the physical 

 conditions ordinarily speaking more favourable for the cultivation of the Hevea 

 brasiliensis than on King Island and its vicinity- 



The new plantations on Mergui, considering that work on them was begun 

 more than seven years ago, and that a sum of nearly Rs. 3 lakhs has been spent upon 

 them in that time, are in an unsatisfactory state. Indeed, their present condition 

 is such as will not admit of their public exhibition for the purpose of the demon- 

 stration of Hevea cultivation. And yet this was one of the chief objects aimed at 

 by the Government in their formation. It is asserted that about 3,000,000 plant s 

 have been put out on these estates, but, excepting the comparatively limited number 

 of well-grown saplings that follow the courses of the streams which intersect the 

 areas, few are worthy of much account. Future work, particularly if conducted on 

 careful, sytematic and scientific lines, might do much to improve their health and 

 vigour. Fungoid diseases, browsing by deer, and climatic conditions of exceptional 

 inclemency,— these are among the adverse causes which are alleged to have prevent- 

 ed better results being obtained. In the first of these allegations there appears 

 to be some truth, a species of blister, like Peridermium, being known to be des- 

 tructive both to the nurseries and older crops ; but that browsing by animals such 

 as deer should have been found effective enough to be made to answer for the 

 generality of the failures that have supervened, is matter for some surprise when 

 it is known that hosts of coolies, bauds of shikaris, guns, tom-toms, fences, lights, 

 pitfalls, snares and traps of sorts, have been and continue to be employed for the 

 express purpose of their destruction. The plea of climate would appear to argue 

 that a distinct change for the worse has come over the physical conditions obtaining 

 in the Mergui Archipelago ; but whether so remarkable a variation occured in the 



