June i, 1882.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
or, 
weeks on the journey, were all completely dead on their arrival at Levuka. I have therefore 
despatched a second instalment (on November 4th) containing 18 plants, representing 7 varieties, 
which have arrived at Sydney, en route for Fiji, "in perfectly good condition," which I trust they 
will maintain till they reach their destination.* With them were sent 11 plants of the"JBois 
Immortelle." 
Mr. Prestoe, of Trinidad, who selected and forwarded these varieties of cacao to Kew, has 
devoted a great deal of attention to the cultivation of this important product, and I may here 
refer with advantage to the valuable information on the subject contained in his report for 1880 
of the Trinidad Botanic Gardens. 
A considerable gratuitous distribution of seed from the gardens has been made, with the 
sanction of Government, to native cultivators. 
Cardamoms. — The demand for this profitable plant has necessitated the formation of an 
additional plantation. Both planters and natives however now cultivate this so largely that it 
will be unnecessary for the gardens to further increase the stock. Both plants and seeds have 
been sent to the Andaman Islands and to Jamaica. 
A singular variety has been twice sent to me, and is said to form a large proportion of 
certain plantations, in which the flowering branches, instead of as usual proceeding from the base of 
the leafy stems and trailing over the ground, are carried upwards and come off from the axils of the 
uppermost leaves, thus appearing terminal. This variety is called here (I know not on what 
grouuds) " Mysore Cardamom ;" it does not appear to differ in other respects from the typical 
Elettarla Cardamommn of Malabar. 
India- Rubber. — Much activity is being shown in the search for new rubber-yielding plants. 
As I have before observed, caoutchouc seems to be more or less produced by nearly all apocy- 
naceous plants, and a large number of artocarpaceous and euphorbiaceous ones also, but it is not 
in a state available for ready extraction or for commercial purposes in any very large number of 
them. Thus in our native species of Willugkbeia ( W. zeylanica) which I have had the opportunity — 
through the kindness of Mr. J. C. Roberts of Udugama— of experimenting with, and which gives 
plenty of milk, the caoutchouc, which is abundant, after first passing through a viscous sticky 
condition dries into a putty-like substance of no great tenacity and scarcely any elasticity, and 
this whether treated by heat, with alum, with alcohol, or simply allowed to dry. The plant is a 
climber, and the stems, which are said to attain over six inches in diameter, extend to an immense 
length. This result is disappointing, as a congener at Singapore (W. Burbidgei of the Kew 
Report for 1880, formerly referred to W. martabanica) affords a very fair rubber known as " Gutta 
Singgarip." Of this sort we have received a case of 50 plants (which was kindly broughi from 
Singapore by Mr. F. A. Fairlie) aud we previously had a few plants from Mr. Murton. This and 
other less-known species of Wdlughbcia also apparently afford some of the rubber of Borneo, 
called " Gutta Susu" in the market. 
But the most promising of the new rubber plants are the species of Landolph'ia. The 
African kinds of caoutchouc are mainly, and on the East coast wholly, supplied by these ; and, by the 
exertion of Sir J. Kirk chiefly, several have been now brought into cultivation. To him directly 
lam indebted for a consignment of seeds (in the fruit) of the narrow-leaved species called " Matere" 
or "M'tiri," which affords the best rubber of the Zanzibar coast, and which it is proposed to call 
L. Kirkii. Of this we previously possessed but a single plant at Henaratgoda, now over two years 
old and widely climbing over a wild nutmeg tree. Young plants of this have also been received 
from the Royal Gardens, Kew, during the year, as well as of three other species, for an account of 
which reference must be made to the Report of that establishment for 1SS0, pp. 38-43. Of two 
of these, L. Peterslana ( Wdlughbcia, Klotzch), and "No. 4." (I.e. p. 43), the broad-leaved species, we 
havesome is plants ;il I'eradeniya, and of the other, L. jtonda {" Mbun^u" of Zanzibar), a single 
fine specimen. These and several other allied and undetermined kinds (including two plants of 
a Madagascar rubber from the Ceylon Company, Limited, and the West African Apocvnaceoiis" 
rubber of Mr. T. Christy's " New C immercial Plauts," No. IV., p. 13) have been planted' out, some 
at the foot of old trees, others against large dead trunks and branches lixed in the ground. 
* I have tin' pleasure to uiM that these reached Fiji in excellent order, and the Colonial Secretary (Mr. Thurs- 
ton) writes : •' Ui two |. hints only have I anv doubt, aud fortunately they are Nos. 5 and 13 of which there arc 
tripiclateu." [Note added.] 
