I calculate the number to be about 20,000.  There is no reason for supposing that they are not equally abundant throughout Noadwar, nor in fact on any line where toorai prevails between Goalpara and Bishnath; beyond this, however, the increase in latitude may occasion their decrease both in number and size.  On the southern side of the valley there is every reason to believe it to be equally common.  The general geographic range may hence be said to be in latitude 24 degrees, to 26.5 degrees in longitude.  It has been stated by Mr. Royle that it does not extend beyond Pundua, Jynteapoor, and Churra Punjee, but on no other authority than that it had not been found elsewhere.

Taking the number of trees at 20,000, and the produce of each from four bleedings at two maunds, the annual supply that may be obtained from Durrung may be estimated at 13,000 maunds of the caoutchouc itself, assuming Dr. Roxburgh’s proportion of one to three to be nearly correct.  Some idea may be formed of the extent to which it is procurable, when from the mere outskirts of the forest, 300 maunds of juice may be collected in one month.

On the excellence of the Assam product as compared with that of America, it does not become me to pronounce.  If strength, elasticity, clearness, and perfect freedom from viscidity, be tests of excellence, then this product may be considered as equal to any other.  It has been pronounced by persons in Calcutta to be excellent, but no details have been entered into except by Mr. Bell, who objects to its snapping:  if by this we are to understand snapping on being pulled too much, in contradistinction to breaking, it only proves its excellence.  It is declared to be inferior to the American by Mr. McCosh, evidently on examination of the worst possible specimens.

The size of the trees as they generally occur in the limits above alluded to, entirely precludes all idea of any great liability to be destroyed by the extraction of juice, the amount of which must be so minute, compared to that of the whole tree.  Still it may be considered desirable for the security of the tree to limit the bleedings to the cold months, and this is rendered more necessary by the inferiority of the juice during the season of active vegetation.  And if it be possible to limit the number of bleedings of each tree to four or five during the above period, I consider that the present 3,000 stock cannot fail to be kept up.  But to venture on still larger supplies, to meet the demand for this most useful article, a demand to which limits can scarcely be assigned, the formation of plantations should be encouraged, the sites chosen to be near the villages bordering on the line of the natural distribution of the tree.  Propagation by cuttings or layers cannot fail to be of easy and rapid application; and if we consider that the tree is the most valuable receptacle of the lac insect, there is every reason to suppose that the natives will readily enter into such views.