520 
Castilloa came from the Nilgiris and Zanzibar, the best from 
Burliar in the former district, and valued at 3 s 6d to 3s 8d, as 
against hard Para at 5s id. The rubber in most cases was too 
resinous, probably from the youth of the trees. 
Good Para rubber came from Kullar in the Nilgiris and was 
valued at 5s 6d against Para biscuits at 5s 3d to 5s 9d. 
Funtumia elastica came in some quantity from different parts of 
Africa. There seems to be some difficulty in preparing it as most of 
the samples were reported rough. It was mostly valued at about a 
shilling a pound less than Para. 
A number of other rubbers. Landolphia , Ficus V ogelii, e.l Mascar- 
enhaisia , Clitandra, Raphionacme {a root rubber ) Vaheca came from 
the African region and were mostly fair to good and Jamaica sent 
Forsteronia rubber of fair value. Sapium Jenmani , from British 
Guiana seems equal in value to fine hard Para or even better. Plants 
of this rubber tree were recently teceived at the Botanic Gardens 
Singapore. 
A number of oil seeds including those of Para rubber were 
investigated, and seeds of " Crotalaria juncea ” from the Federated 
Malay States were under investigation at the end of the year. Is this 
correctly identified? We have never seen a plant of this in the 
peninsula, nor succeeded in growing it. 
It is rather interesting to find among the drugs examined, and 
found to contain a minute quantity of a crystalline alkaloid “to 
which the physiological activity of the drug is due ”, that extremely 
common hated of planters Ageratum conyzoides the white weed. It 
would be very satisfactory to find it of some use, as no plant is a 
more persistent weed here. 
The whole report is one of interest, and is a valuable record of 
work done and of steady progress, while at the same time it gives an 
idea of the vast resources of the British empire.— ED. 
PARA RUBBER IN MADRAS. 
The total rainfall “ in the Botanic Gardens during the year 
amounted to 52.77 inches. Heavy rains fell on four days of 
January 1909, amounting to nearly ten inches. These extraordinary 
rains fell on the first four days of the month, After this practically 
no rain fell for three months ” This is the report of the Curator of 
the Ootacamund and other gardens in Madras, in the Annual 
Administration report for 1908-1909, and one would hardly imagine 
that with such a low rainfall as this not much more than half of 
what falls in a year in the Malay Peninsula, Para rubber would be 
likely to thrive, but at Burliar and Kullar this tree seems to be 
doing well. Possibly the rainfall is somewhat heavier there, but the 
Curator gives no information on this point. The oldest tree planted 
