13 
The smaller trees 31 o/o were those either choked (planted too 
closely 300 to the acre) by more vi^mrous neighbours or growing 
in the shade of cinnairion, sangdragon and other trees of a 
neighbouring estate. 
This estate was not clean weeded but the soil was for the 
past two or three years kept under cover of velvet beans which 
kept down the weeds a good deal and the trees after that time 
produced enough shade to continue their good growth without 
sharinor their food too much with the weeds. No manure of 
o 
any sort was given to the trees which are planted 10/10 feet 
and 12/12 feet. In the rocky and poor sods of this colony it is 
better to plant at these short distancsts in order to thin out the 
badly tapped and backward trees as time goes on. 
Much has been said lately about the unsuitability of 
Seychelles as a rubber growing country. This is not true be¬ 
cause many trees have reached 3 feet in girth within 8 years 
when grown under proper conditions. A few plantations were 
made on old “cassava” land where no food is left for rubber 
and these plantations are very slow but it should be borne in 
mind that slow growing trees are more resistant to fungus 
diseases and that the texture of their bark leads to a better 
renewal. It should be added that for the years 1905-1911 
during which nearly all the rubber plantations were started, the 
rainfall was defficient but on the estate next to the Botanic 
Station the following rate of growth of tapped trees during the 
year 1912 which was a wet year may serve to show by the 
annual increase of girth to what extent the climate and soil of 
this colony is suitable for rubber trees. I do not think that 
most Ceylon trees make better growth except in alluvial flats 
which do not exist in Seychelles. 
Mode of tapping. 
Girth of trees 
18th December 
1911. 
in. 
Girth of trees 
20th March 
1913. 
in. 
Number 
of 
trees tapped. 
Full spiral 
22 
27 
58 
Half spiral ... 
20 
24 
53 
Quarter spiral.. 
21 
26 
75 
The above remarks are made to show that a small place 
should be given to rubber in Seychelles, and that soils worn out 
by cassava should be avoided for planting rubber, the nature of 
the ground being easily ascertained by the subspontaneous 
vegetation of the jungle. 
With regard to substitutes or overproduction, the best 
authorities think that the consumption and the production are 
both increasing simultaneously and that if in 1917 the produc¬ 
tion of plantation rubber amounts to the present consumption 
(100,000 tons) the consumption six years hence will reach 
184,000 tons showing that the struggle between plantation and 
wild rubber does not appear to be imminent. The same may be 
said of substitutes although important discoveries were made du¬ 
ring the year for a cheaper preparation of synthetic or rubber 
from starch. But the planting of rubber must be carried out in the 
same scientific spirit as the preparation of synthetic rubber and 
as a possible parallel it may be mentioned that the fate of syn¬ 
thetic rubber will perhaps be the fate of synthetic indigo which 
is beginning to be driven from the market by natural indigo 
prepared imder modern principles. 
