32 REPORT ON THE CAOUTCHOUC OE COMMERCE. 
to that $f collecting, and, even on moral grounds alone, such a life 
is anything but humanising. Frequently, too, such operations are 
interrupted by the caprice of some petty ruler, who requires their 
services in warfare. This is the • case everywhere. Then, often, 
from causes- other than natural, the trees yielding the wished-for 
product are so far apart as to necessitate a vast extent of ground 
to be gone over before any quantity can be collected, which greatly 
adds to the cost, and in many cases precludes the possibility of 
collection at all. The transport, too, is difficult, confined very often 
to human or animal porterage, which will not allow of bulky 
articles being collected. Many valuable woods labour under this 
disadvantage, and unless they are on the margin of navigable rivers, 
and can be thus floated down, they are lost to man’s use. Now, 
the great object of cultivation and acclimatisation is to centralise 
and concentrate in a manageable space. The modes of collection 
adopted afford many reasons why, in the case of all necessary 
products, cultivation and conservancy should be resorted to. The 
native modes of collection are, to say the least, very destructive, 
and entail a great loss of material, for often, were cheap means of 
transit available, other parts now wasted could be; utilised. 
1. THE CULTIVATION OF FICUS ELASTICA AND THE 
IMPEOVEMENT OF ITS CAOUTCHOUC. 
The condition of Caoutchouc industry in Assam at the present 
time is very far from favourable. Mr. Gustav Mann remarks 
(Eeport) on the condition of these trees as follows : — - 
Cf The privilege was sold (in the Durrung district) for 
“ 1,012 rupees to kyahs, in. the Mungledye Bazaar, who purchased 
“ 2,500 maunds, but had not the slightest control over the tapping 
“ of the trees by those to whom they sub-let their right, and 
“ encouraged the latter as much as was in their power to obtain 
“ the largest possible quantity during the short time they held the 
“ monopoly of buying it, as consistent with their interest, without 
“ any regard, however, for future supplies, which was of most 
“ disastrous consequence, in as far as it induced the men who 
“ tapped and collected the rubber to indulge in the most outrageous 
“ wholesale destruction of these valuable trees, by either felling 
<e them with axes, or, if this was too troublesome, to collect fire- 
“ wood and burn them down, so as to render the operation of 
