6? 
TO WHAT ALTITUDE CAN PARA RUBBER 
BE GROWN. 
A planter in the Madras Mail writes “ Our ideas as to the height 
at which it (Para rubber) can be grown have steadily enlarged. In 
South India l have given measurements of growth at 3,500 feet, and 
I may mention that I have plants 6 feet high from seed planted at 
stake among coffee, in 1904. ” Mr. WICKHAM saw m the Amazons 
trees growing at certainly over 4,000 feet, and all he saw being 
tapped were at over 2,000 feet above the sea. The general opinion 
however was that it does not pay to tap trees at over 3,000 feet. 
He suggests that this means that the trees would be smaller, and 
thus compared with the big trees lower down would not be con- 
sidered worth tapping. However it is stated by some persons that 
at that altitude, the trees actually do not produce the latex required. 
Much more information is wanted in this subject. 
If the Hevea grew in the hills of the Malay Peninsula at 4,700 
feet anything like it does even in poor soil in the plains, it would be 
truly astonishing. At very little over 2,500 feet altitude the whole of 
our flora alters. At 4,000 we get a stunted class of trees small gnarled 
of slow growth, none of which can be successfully grown in the bw 
country. But there is certainly a great, difference in the gravy th of 
plants at high altitudes in different parts of the World. This de- 
pends to a certain extent on latitude, but also it may be noted that 
a flora changes less from the plains upwards if the high Hinterland 
is very extensive and very high. 
The changes in the flora of the hills at even so low an altitude as 
2, ^ OO feet, as on Penang Hill, show that there is a distinct altera- 
tion in the growth and life of the plants from that of the lower 
slopes. Experiments on Heveas planted high up in the hills would* be 
very interesting. Some trees were planted we believe, on Gunong 
Angsi at different heights and it would be worth trying at Gunong 
Hijau on the Perak hills. 
Failures to grow here at such altitudes would not necessarily 
imply that Heveas would fail at similar altitudes everywhere, but 
the growth and yield of latex at such altitudes might throw some 
light on physiological problems of the plant. It is hardly likely 
that any plantations will be started at great altitudes here. The 
steep slopes of the hills, the comparatively inferior soil and the 
lower temperature would all be against the plant, besides which 
the greater part of the accessible hills are required for forestry and 
as water sources. 
From South India we have had very bad reports of the growth of 
Para rubber, the planter quoted seems to have a higher opinion of 
its potentiality, though it must be said that the only measurement 
he gives, 6 feet in two years, is decidedly poor growth. 
iki 
