580 
sibility however, that with the total exhaustion of Caucho on the 
Upper Amazon — say within the next ten years — the Peruvians 
might turn their attention to gathering fine rubber, and thus replace 
in a measure the Caucho trade. 
In regard to cable communication between Para and Manaos, 
Mr. WiTT said that great inconvenience to trade resulted at the 
latter place from tfie frequent interruptions. With the constant 
fluctuations in exchange, there was constant risk in business trans- 
actions conducted up the river without- a knowledge of conditions 
at Para and in rubber markets elsewhere. With adequate cable 
facilities, he thought that Manaos would become an even more im- 
portant centre of the rubber trade. In such an event, all the rubber 
from the Upper Amazon and its tributaries would naturally find its 
way to Manaos, even without the aid of such a law as has been put 
in force for this purpose in the state of Amazonas. It is believed 
now, however, that the English Company owning the cable is mak- 
ing some improvements, and it is possible that such a course will 
give a much more efficient service. — The India Rubber PTor/d, 
CASTILLOA RUBBER SEED AND ITS VITALITY. 
The period during which the seeds of various economic plants 
retain their vitality is being investigated at the Royal Botanic Gar- 
dens, Peradeniya; but the following figures, supplied to the Ceylon 
Observer by Mr. CARRUTHERS, may be of interest to any who may 
wish to send the seeds of Castilloa to a distant place. 
Two thousand seeds were sent off from garis to Peradeniya, 
packed in leaf mould in four small-tin-boxes, each containing 500 
seeds. Upon being opened at Peradeniya on September 26th, six 
weeks after packing, the seeds were found to be as follows : — 
Box 
Fully germinated 
Split and beginning to germinate 
Good hard seeds unsplit 
Bad seed-destroyed by bacteria, etc. 
: I. 
O 
3 * 
4 - 
Total. 
96 
128 
67 
96 
3^7 
30 
55 
20 
63 
168 
14 
12 
68 
75 
169 
350 
300 
333 
26 0 
1,248 
This gives a percentage of 37 good seeds (20 per cent, fully ger- 
minated, 8 per cent, starting germination, and 9 per cent, good 
seeds unsplit), and 63 per cent, destroyed by bacteria or otherwise 
killed. The packing in leaf mould which usually contain numerous 
bacteria, fungi and insects, is not to be recommended. Probably if 
sterilised sand had been used, the proportion of good hard seeds 
would have been very much greater. 
This seed is an especially unsuitable one for travelling, as it 
possesses no protective coat which prevents the inroads of insects 
or bacteria. 
The short time that various economic seeds are credited with 
retaining their germinating power is, undoubtedly, in many cases, 
due to the fact that no special precautions are taken to prevent the 
