254 
experiment. The trees are grown in a thick wood of lofty trees, on a 
stiff and poor clay soil. They have cost nothing more than the mere put- 
ing of the seedlings into the ground, except that when’ they were redis- 
covered some trees which were pressing against them were knocked down. 
They are grown under absolutely natural conditions, just as one sees 
them in photographs of the trees of the Amazons, and they are fully 
twice as large as trees of the same age grown in the open with careful 
and expensive felling and clearing and weeding, and are reproducing 
themselves naturally, through the wood. 
The trees have been tapped, and gave good returns of rubber. 
These trees are still growing. The following are their measure- 
ments for the past few years. 
Registered 
No. of trees. 
■ Girth in 
{ 1904. 
| Girth in 
| 1905- 
i 
| Girth in 
1906. 
| 
Girth in 
1907. 
Girth in 
1908. 
Age 14 Years. 
1272 
ins. 
381 
ins. 
401 
ins. 
42# 
ins. 
44# 
ins. 
48 
Slope. 
1273 
31 
32 
34f 
36# 
• 
38 
Slope. 
1275 
24 
241 
26 
27 
28 
Slope. 
1276 
53f 
571 
58 
591 
60 
Top of Hill. 
1277 
601 
621 
65| 
681 
72 
,, 100 feet tall. 
1278 
34 
35 
351 
361 
38 
Slope. 
1279 
341 
361 
38 
40 
41 
Slope. 
1280 
331 
361 
41f 
42 
421 
Slope. 
1281 
62f 
681 
71f 
751 
79 
Top of Bill. 
Average growth in girth at three feet from the ground of big trees 
in four years 2'06, 2’87, 4'06. The ordinary growth in girth of big 
trees in general is about 2 inches a year. Younger trees seem to grow 
faster. 
The second record tree in the gardens is one of those which was 
among the lot first brought to Singapore No. 2. Its height is less 
being 54 feet, its girth at three feet from the ground is 120 inches. 
Mr. Herbert Wright who lately saw this tree and measured it affirms 
that it is the biggest tree in girth recorded, wild or cultivated. Its age 
is 30 years. 
The seven trees first received in 1877, were first planted in the 
Botanic Gardens by Murton, and on the founding of the Economic 
Gardens in 1880 by Mr. Cantley were transferred to their present 
