58 i 
attack of insects, fungi and bacteria, which find a congenial home 
in nearly all seeds. Most of the seeds, which do not grow, are 
found by their appearance and odour to have lost their vitality by 
the presence of foreign organisms. When the experiments, with 
regard to the seeds of Para rubber, tea and other Ceylon economic 
plants, have been concluded, the matter will be dealt with m one 
of the Circulars of the Royal Botanic Gardens. 
Planting Opinion, 
ist November , 1902. 
“PARA RUBBER” PROM CEYLON. 
Cevlon exported last year 7,392 pounds of ’rubber from cultivated 
plantations, stocked with the “ Para ” variety, which was sold in Lon- 
don at good prices, one lot bringing 4s. iW- per pound, against 35a 
old. paid for the “ best Para " during the same week. Doctor \\ iLLlb, . 
of the Royal Botanic Gardens in Ceylon, states m his annual report 
for igoi that " India rubber may now be regarded as established 
“as a minor product in the low country Extension of plant- 
“ ing continues in suitable districts, and probably 3,000 acres are 
now in rubber. ” L> ,, 
An English rubber manufacturer writes to I lie India Rubber 
World. “ We have made several experiments with Ceylon rubber 
“ which have turned out satisfactory. There is little or no difference 
“between it and the Para obtained from Brazil. What follows 
from the same letter, is not so clear, in view of the information 
already given in regard to prices realized or the Ceylon product. 
' ‘ The difference in price makes it a useful adjunct to the rubber 
“ manufacturer’s list of economical rubbers, but Ido not know 
“ whether this information will, in the near future^ render it less 
“ economical ; I hope pot. ” The India Rubber World. 
RUBBER AT THE HACIENDA AG-UNA. 
In the Journal d’Agriculture Tropicale for September 30th, 1902. 
Mr Rene Guerin gives some further notes from Dr. PREUSS as 
to the cultivation of Rubber (Castilloa) at Aguna in Guatemala. 
In this plantation the Castilloas are irregularly scattered among 
cacao trees, some of them having been wild there when the cacao 
was planted, others planted later. The Castilloas are found to be 
not at all suitable as shade for the cacao. The preparation of the 
rubber on this estate is effected in the following way. The latex is 
poured into a barrel with a tap at the lower part. It is stirred up 
with an excess of cold water and allowed to settle, the globules of 
rubber float and form a creamy layer at the top ; at the end of about 
18 to 20 hours, the tap is opened and the water mixed with serum 
runs out. This washing is repeated several times. It may be im- 
agined that on the care taken in these successive washings depends 
the quality of the rubber and this is certainly the case. If the 
