Since injuries inflicted on young trees influence the growth of 
their bark for many years, it is important that all unnecessary 
wounding should be avoided. Coolies frequently tap young trees 
with a sharp stone in order to see the milk flow, forming irregular 
wounds which are quite sufficient te account for the appearances 
described. 
. “ Times of Ceylon. " 
22-9-05. 
RUBBER IN AFRICA. 
Mr. JOHNSON, the Director of Agriculture on the Gold Coast 
publishes a short, but interesting account of recent doings in 
Rubber planting in the Gold Coast. Here Para rubber seems to do 
well, ten year old trees giving an average of 1 lb. f oz. rubber per 
tree, and the rubber is reported -'to be as good as that received 
from Ceylon. The tree is a quicker grower than Funtumia and is 
quite free from insect attacks ,e On the other hand." he says “that 
Hevea is an exotic and Funtumia a native ” but in spite of this 
he considers there is every reason to anticipate that Hevea would be 
as successful as other exotics like tea, coffee, etc., introduced into 
that country. We merely quote this as there are a number of people 
who think that because a plant is not indigenous to the Country it is 
less likely to do well than an indigenous plant under cultivation. 
The reverse is as a matter of fact, the case. If an exotic plant can 
get into a country in which the climate and soil suit it, it has 
great advantages over indigenous plants. In the first place change 
of locality seems always to benefit a plant, for what exact reason 
is not clear, but the fact js well known to horticulturists. In the 
second place, it is free* from the insect and fungus pests which 
attack a plant in its own home, while there are in its new home no 
insects or fungi which at first at least can manage to feed on it. 
In time a fungus or insect may adapt its habits of life so as to 
attack the newcomer, and probably does so. A closely allied 
plant may exist in the locality where the newcomer arrives and its 
enemies may be able to attack at once, just as the Coffee beehawk 
moth whose caterpillar feeds normally on Gardenia bushes, soon 
transferred its attention to the allied Coffee bushes. But assuming 
that climate suits an exotic it has a better chance of escaping 
attacks by far than an Indigenous plant wihich has its enemies all 
ready on the ground. Hevea has not any very near relations at 
Asia or Africa, hence its comparative immunity from pests in 
present. 
To revert to Mr. JOHNSON’S report he does not speak highly 
of Funtumia. It is attacked by a caterpillar of the pestilential 
genus Glyphodes (some of which here attack the Rambong) and 
also by the fungus ( Meliola ). Its growth is slow and it cannot be 
