India Rubber and Gutta Percha. 65 
generally arid and dry in character, and is at times sub- 
ject to long periods of drought which produces famine — 
a year sometimes passing without rain. This tree attains 
a height of fifty or sixty feet, with a stem about twelve or 
fifteen inches in diameter. Like its close ally the cassava, 
it is most easily propagated and may be raised either 
from seed or cuttings of the branches. This latter is the 
most expeditious method, as the hard seed, unless artifi- 
cially prepared, either by soaking in warm water, or by 
careful incision or removal of a small portion of the coat 
takes many months to germinate. The Indians have 
noted this difficulty in the case of cassava seed, and 
mention a tradition that the great blessing of cassava 
would have been lost to the race immediately after it was 
given, as the seed would not grow, but for the accidental 
discovery that pieces of the stem reproduced the plant. 
There is no doubt that the Ceara rubber tree would thrive 
well on the light soil of the sand ridges and rocky places 
below about 2000 feet altitude in this colony. These 
situations are especially well suited for its favourable 
development, and the growth is so rapid that the labour 
demanded for its cultivation would be much less, even at 
first, than a provision field requires. This and the two 
immediately preceding belong to the family Euphor- 
biacea;, the first to Artocarpeos. 
Urceola elastica of the family Apocyneoe, is a large 
climber, with a stem as stout as a man's body. It is found 
in Borneo, Sumatra and Singapore. Little is known of 
the other members of the natural order which yield in- 
dia-rubber. Some considerable material has however 
been gathered toward the elucidation of the matter, 
l 
