That from the old trees was good rubber and possessed all the 
requisite qualities. It contained 81.9 Caoutchouc, and only 15.8 
Kesin. The age of the old trees is not stated, but it is certainly 
clear that Castilloa trees cannot be tapped to any good purpose as 
young as four years and probably not tor a good many years after 
that. It is pointed out that even in the old trees the amount of 
resin is far too high and much more than is permissible. Of the 
Funtumias, the samples were sent from F. africana and F. elastica 
for comparison. Reports from West Africa have stated that the 
former is inferior to the latter and this is confirmed by the analysis 
F. africana giving only 39-3 Caoutchouc to 6o - oo Resin while F . 
elastica gave 60-4 Caoutchouc and 1 5*3 Resin. 
Samples of Castilloa rubber and Funtumia elastica . of different 
ages were compared. The analyses show that while Funtumia 
for dry rubber at 4^ years 85-3-86-9 per cent. Caoutchouc and 
1 12 and io'O Resin. Castilloa *} f the same age gave 41- 3 1044-4 
Caoutchouc, and 49-3 to 56' 2 Resin, so that Funtumia may be said 
to come into bearing much earlier than Castilloa. Castilloa trees 
12 years old and over gave from 82-7 to 91*2 Caoutchouc, and 8’3 
to 13-8 Resin. 
The author of the report, however, points out that WEBER, in 
trees on the Isthmus of Columbia, of the ages of 4 and 5 years, 
found 26-47 and i8'i8 per cent, resin, which is about half the 
amount in the Trinidad rubber. 
The Funtumia and the Castilloa rubber from bile older trees were 
valued at 2s. 2 d. to 2s. 6 d. per lb. for Funtumia and 2S.^d. to 2S.gd, 
for Castilloa. 
Some Castilloa rubber prepared bv Dr. Weber's process of add- 
ing Formaldehyde to the creamed latex, was found to have only 
8’ 2 per cent. Resin and 91-2 Caoutchouc, and was a very satisfac- 
tory sample, but very similar to the best sample prepared by 
creaming and adding alcohol in the ordinary way, and was valued 
at the same price, viz. 2s. 9 d. per lb. — {Extracted from Bulletin 
Imperial Institute.) 
THE FUTURE OF RUBBER IN CEYLON. 
Prices now and hereafter. 
Although considerable activity is being shown in the planting ol 
rubber in suitable districts in the island, the question of future 
prices introduces an element of uncertainty which hitherto, however, 
has not exercised a very restraining influence upon developments. 
It is well, however, to be prepared for all eventualities. To those 
of us who went through the hot fit of the cinchona craze, when 
acres of that product seemed more valuable to our dazzled eyes 
than the Witwatersrand, a modest estimate of future prices is po- 
pular, and acceptable. That those who have rubber trees capable 
