Jan. 1, 1901.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTUEIST. 
451 
RUBBER TRADE IN BRITISH GUIANA. 
With reference to the report on the rubber- 
trees of the colony, Mv. Quelcli said he tound 
on enquiry that a report corresponding in detail 
to what the Society wanted, was being prepared 
by Mr. Jennian for the Government, and as it 
would be possible to secure copies of this report, 
all he had judged it desirable to do was to pre- 
pare a short report merely, which might be 
distributed in the meantime to ihose enquiring 
about rubber-trees. He then read the following 
report, tor which a vote of thanks was passed :— 
The rubber trees of the colony may be classed 
under t^vo heads, namely, those that yield india- 
rubber proper or caoutchouc, and those that yield 
balata or gmtapercha. In all cases, the product 
consists of the dried milky juice yielded by the 
trees when the bark is cut. Technically and eco- 
nomically, the differences between ti.e two pro- 
duces are very marked, and even in the rough 
state they are readily distinguished by the charac- 
ter that at ordinary temperatures india-rubher is 
always highly elastic, while balata is compara- 
tively inelastic. For the collection of both balata 
and india-rubber in the colony, licences .are re- 
quired to be taken out, and a royalty is charged 
on the amount collected. 
Balata is obtained from the well-known bullet 
tree (Minmsops balata), which occurs wiilely 
distributed in the lewlying lands of the colony, 
more especially in the Berbiee, Canje, Maliaicony 
and Pomeroon districts. The trees reach a lieight 
of about lOU feet, and a diameter ol from three 
to four teet, yielding a hard, heavy and durable 
wood. In general appearance, size for size, they 
are not unlike the sapodilia trees, to which they 
are closely related. 
To obtain the milk, a series of oblique right 
and left cuts along the trunk, leading to a central 
perpendicular channel, is made, to the bottom of 
which a small clay cup or tin is fastened to 
catch the milk as it runs. The cuts should be 
carefully made so as not to damage the tree, and 
if properly done, they heal up within the space 
of about four years when the tree may again be 
tapped As the milk runs but for a short time, 
the quantity obtained at such bleedings is coiu- 
pariiively small, and it has recently been pro- 
posed that the edges of the gashes should be sliced 
off daily for a few days, by which larger supplies 
are obtained, care being taken not unduly to 
drain the tree so as to cause its death. Experi- 
ments in Penang on Para rubber trees have 
shown that by this metns larger and larger 
quantities of milk are obtained for several days, 
and it is likely that this method is applicable in 
all cases of lubber ])roduction. 
The separation of the rubber from the watery 
milk is practised in mary different ways : as for 
instance by drying in the sun, by artificial heat, 
by chemical precipitation, and latterly, it has 
been proposed, by centrifugal machines. It is 
claimed that the purest result is obtained by 
the last method ; but hitherto artificial heat has 
been chiefly in vogue, and has generally been 
productive of the most satisfactory results. The 
balata industry in the colony has been greatly 
extended recently, more than 330,000 lbs. having 
been exported last year, though the amount 
fluctuates considerably from year to year. 
©f the native trees yielding india-rubber pro- 
per, but little is really known. It is certain 
that several trees are to be found over the 
colony generally, of many different species, that 
J ield rubber — presumably of commercial impor- 
tance — but up to the present, little has been 
done to exploit this probable source of wealth. 
From the reports published by Mr. G. S. Jenman, 
Superintendent, Botanic Gaidens, we know three 
of these rubber-plants from which small quantities 
of rubber liave been obtained and examined, but 
larger quantities are needed before, from a com- 
mercial standpoint, they can be compaied with 
the different kinds in the market. These three 
plants pass under the common ra.nes of " Hatie," 
" Touchpong,'" and " Macwariieballi." 
The "Hatie" (ficvea sprmcann.) is closely allied 
to the Para rubber-tree (Hevea biasiliensis), and 
grows in the colony in corresponding situations 
to its southeru representative ; that is, in 
alluvial lands more or less swamped and inun- 
dated at high watei'. The tree grows to a iieiffht 
of from 40 to GO ft., with a diameter of about 
twenty inches, straight of trunk among other 
trees of the forest, but spreading and branching 
by the waterside where it is exposed. "The 
leaves are trifoliate, on long stalks crowded 
together towards the ends of the branches from 
between which the flower opens. Tlie leaflets 
are entire, oblanceolate in shape, acute, polished 
green above and bluish green beneath. The 
fruit is a three-cornered capsule with seed of 
the size of a small nutmeg." The Hatie is 
(ommon in the upper estuaries of the great 
rivers and in the various creeks leading therein, 
but the trees are always more or less scattered, 
though an abundance of young i)lants can be 
obtained in their neighbourhood. 
Tlie Tonchpong (Snpiuni hlglandidosum) 
appears to be a common tree both on the high 
lands of the interior and on the lowlands of the 
coast. Examples are met with in many parts 
of G^igetown \\here they aie known by the 
common name of gum-tree. It is closely related 
to the Jamaica inilk-wood or gum tree, and 
grows to a larger size even than the bullet-tree. 
It will readily be recognised by its broadly 
lanceolate, entire leaves, of from 5 to 9 inches 
in length, with two glandular spots, on one each 
side of the short stalk at the base. 
The Macwariieballi (Fovstcronia qracilisj \a 
one of the bush-ropes of the interior, where it 
appears to thrive in the more rocky and gravelly 
places. Mr. Jenman found it on tlie high ground 
near the Great Falls, Demerara River. It is closely 
allied to the milk-withe of Jpmaica, and like that 
plant appears to produce excellent rubber. Being 
of comparatively small size, about 4 inches in 
diameter, the stem yields only a small amount of 
milk, but the milk is extremely abundant in re- 
lation to the size of plant. 
Besides these three species, others such as the 
kumakaballi and the cow-tree are also known to 
be rubber-yielding, and in fact experiments are in 
course of completion at the Botanic Gardens for 
the identification of other species and their estab- 
lishment in cultivation. 
That foreign species of rubber trees can easily 
be established in the colony, is evident from 
experiments in plantations in Ceylon, Penang, 
and other parts of the world ; but seeing that one 
of our native forms is so closely allied to the 
Brazilian plant that is noted for the production of 
the best rubber, it would seem to be worthy of 
enquiry whether our own species is not equally 
valuable. The subject certainly deserves serioug 
consideration,— Ji)?ie7i2'i, 
