52 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
[June i, i88r, 
exaggerated, and it would be well if the public were 
disabused on this point. 
At an elevation of some 1,200 feet, with a high tem- 
perature and an annual rainfall of some 70 inches, I 
planted a seedling in good soil slightly manured. The 
plant grew most rapidly and well, attaining a height 
of some 25 feet in about 9 months. I planted another 
seedling in superior but uninanured soil, and in 4 
months it was over 6 feet in height and blossoming. 
In poorer soil I planted 3 wbicb in about 8 months 
had branched freely and were over 10 feet high In 
poor hard soil I planted 2 which, though healthy look- 
ing are now, at about 9 mouths old, only some 5 feet in 
height, while in very poor hard gravelly soil a plant 
<>f the samo age was only a little over 3 feet in height 
:ind was sickly looking besides. Mr. Cross eays: — " Dry 
hard gravelly wastes, if found to support any kind 
of bush, are also suitable sites." Again: — "On bare (!) 
or thinly covered portions of rock the cuttings might 
be laid down Mat and a little heap of stones or any 
kind of debris about the size of a mole hill piled 
• jver each." I was foolish enough to sacrifice a tree 
to try this. Need I say, that after over a month's 
hot wea her with some occasional good rains there 
are no signs whatever of a shoot, and the cutting 
seems to be perfectly dried up and lifeless. The ill 
success of this experiment did not encourage me to 
try the further recommendation of Mr. Cross, viz., that 
"holes might be made in stony land with an iron 
jumper, and a stout cutting put into each, and filled 
with pebbles." Such wild advice is almost enough 
to throw discredit upon Mr. Cross's other statements. 
As Mr. Cross, however, was only portions of two 
days in the Ceara rubber-growing distinct, the ad- 
vice he tenders must be at second-hand, only, as 
by his own accounts the natives generally seemed 
very ignorant, one would have expected more caution 
irom a scientific man. 
4. In the future cultivation of this tree, one great 
lifficulty and loss will arise from the ravages of 
wild pigs, M'hich will grub up even fair-sized trees 
to devour the tubers on the roots. Of the few 
trees I have growing on an estate not specially sub- 
ject to their attacks I have already lost two in 
different portions of the estate by their means, and 
one of the plants was over 10 feet high ; while tbe 
other trees have only been secured by building walls 
round them. On a large scale I have had to fence 
in a cardamom clearing of about 140 acres to pro- 
tect it from wild pigs, but India rubber hardly 
promises such returns as would justify so great an 
expenditure. Trusting that other rubber experi- 
mentalists will favor the public with their experi- 
ences. — I remain yours truly, 
A. G. K. Bokeon. 
In answer to Mr. Borron's first remark, we may say 
that the consumption of rubber in the United King- 
lom and Europe and North America has certainly 
increased very largely of recent years, but a still 
urther reduction in price was the condition men- 
tioned to us as preliminary to an almost unlimited 
demand. In 1874 the quantity imported into the 
l.'nited Kingdom was 129,163 cwt. worth £1,326,605, 
and in 1878 the import was equal to 149,724 cwt. 
valued at only £1,313,209. Moderate as the rate 
mow is in the planter's opinion, the raw material is 
•till too high it seems to admit of rubber being used 
ho universally as it would be if large quantities could 
be got at a price nearer Is than 2s per lb. This 
tact of lower prices being looked for, of course, 
'trengthens the case of our correspondents in reference 
0 tbe doubt cast on the question 'Will the culti- 
ation pay?' On the second of Mr. Borron's points 
we most fully agree in the special need of the 
Director of the Botanical Gardens following up his 
useful paper of practical instructions with further 
notes, the result of experience which, at present, 
he alone has within his reach. Four ounces per 
annum were mentioned to us by a merchant, on the 
authority of Mr. Forbes Laurie, we believe, as a prob- 
able yield in Ceylon; but this point has yet to be 
practically settled, and that there are very diverse 
opinions abroad among men who have given attention 
to the subject, may be judged from the following 
from one who has consulted home as well as local 
authorities : — 
*' I think 4 ounces of caoutchouc per tree is far 
too little to reckon on, but Dr. Trimen will settle 
this point very shortly. In the meantime I may men- 
tion that tbe ' Chavannesia esculenta' (a creeper in 
Burmah) gives 3| lb. of rubber the 7th year, and can 
be tapped annually afterwards with the same result. 
The creeper is, I believe, a quick-growing one, but 
cannot surely equal the Ceara the growth of which 
' passeth all understanding.' The trees at Peradeniya 
are planted close together and in very poor soil. If 
therefore the yield is less than some expect, the 
facts must be taken into consideration. Given a good 
soil, proper elevation, and so on, I believe the Ceara 
tree will yield from 1 lb. to 1£ lb. caoutchouc per 
annum after the 3rd year, but this is of course mere 
conjecture; the result has yet to be proved." 
We trust Dr. Trimen will lose no time in determining, 
so far as he can, the yield from the Ceara rubber 
trees. According to Cross, the trees need be only 
five inches in diameter to be ready to tap, and, 
surely, those in Peradeniya must now be much larger. 
If the yield is only equal to four ounces per annum, 
most people will consider that Ceara rubber is not 
worthy of attention from the Ceylon planter, more 
especially in view of the large additional area covered 
with indigenous trees reported from the East coast 
of Africa. When Dr. Trimen does fix a day to tap, 
he ought to invite representative planters to be 
present. 
THE AMERICAN APICULTUPJST AND HIS 
HUNT AFTER CEYLON BEES. 
Mr. F. Benton, our enterprising American visitor, 
carried away with him from the jungles of the 
Kurunegala district such a dose of malarial poison, as, 
we fear, must serve to remind him for a long time to come 
of the dangers attendant on tropical bee-hunting. 
Ignorant or sceptical of the risk of jungle fever. 
Mr. Benton walked long distances in out-of-the-way 
forests and villages ; he climbed trees after the 
"Bambara" bee nests, and exposed himself to heavy 
rain in his eagerness to secure colonies and speci- 
mens of bees, of combs, &c, during the few days 
at his disposal. It was no wonder, therefore, that 
he was at length prostrated with a severe attack of 
malarial fever. We wished Mr. Benton to visit 
Nuwara Eliya to recruit, and, if possible, to see 
somewhat of the bees in that elevated region referred 
to by Sir Samuel Baker. To give an idea of the 
enthusiasm of this Western visitor in the pursuit of 
his object, we may quote as follows : — 
" Kurunegala, April 16. 
"I did not, thing it advi?able to join you on your 
way to Nuwera Eliya. My thanks are, however. 
