form of a flat circular disc about a quarter of an inch across at first 
greenish but eventually as it dies and reproduces its little pink young 
ones it becomes silvery and is quite a pretty object. It does not seem 
to be very injurious though like all scale insects it lives by sucking 
the juice of the leaves. I have, however, found it usually attacking 
weak plants of nutmegs, and it may be taken as a sign that the plant 
it attacks is weak in health and requires manuring. It is easiest 
removed by hand. — E d. 
RUB8ER NOTES. 
in the Gold Coast. 
Extract from the Annual Blue Book of Gold Coast for the" year 1909 . 
“The quantity of rubber exported during 1909 was 2,764,190 lbs. 
as compared with 1,773,248 lbs. in the previous year. The systematic 
cultivation of this product is now rapidly extending, but the whole of 
the output is still obtained from trees and vines ( Funtumia and 
Landolphia) in the vast undeveloped forests of the interior.” 
In Nyasa-Land. 
Extract from the Annual Report of Nyasaland for 1909-10. 
“ It has been conclusively proved that the Shire Highlands are 
not suitable for the cultivation of Para rubber, in fact, the only 
locality within the Protectorate where this variety has proved success- 
ful is in the West Nyasa District, where 600 acres of Para are doing 
well. 
The rubber of Nyasaland is Ceara, and the area under this has 
risen steadily to 4-403 acres. The quality of the rubber is satisfactory, 
two experimental packets having realised 8s. lod. per lb, in London. 
The export, including wild rubber, amounted to 27.144 lbs., being an 
increase of about 11,000 lbs. on the preceding year. 
It should, however, be stated that at present the available data 
regarding the length of life of Ceara trees and their recnperetive 
capacity under tapping are insufficient to justify any confident predic- 
tion as to whether it would be safe for planters to enter into this 
cultivation on a large scale. So far as local experiments have been 
carried, at present they go to prove that Ceara trees are successful 
when planted in suitable soil and properly tended, but the idea, 
prevalent a few years ago, that Ceara will grow anywhere is quite 
erroneous. It is worth nothing that rubber seed has been distributed 
during the year to a number of natives in West Nyasa, and has been 
planted in the environs of 66 villiages in that district.” 
Rubber in the Caucasus. 
The Hamburger Fremdenblatt states that tea, coffee and cocoa 
have been proved to be successful in the regions of the Black Sea and 
that a botanist, Dr. Smolsky, has been to study the cultivation of 
rubber ih South China, and after visiting the different rubber planta- 
