f rubber trees grow from the seeds which nature scatters in the
jungle," said Wickham to himself, "why should they not grow from
seeds put into the ground by hand?"

"If rubber trees could be raised from seed, they could be planted
in the open in rows where they could easily be tended and tapped,
and the rubber gathered quickly and safely. Instead of having to
brave the dangerous jungles, men could plant and cultivate rubber
in spots of their own choosing so long as they chose places where
the climate was right."

For many years people only laughed at Wickham's great idea, but
like Goodyear he had faith enough to persevere. While in Brazil he
planted some rubber seeds to see what would happen. The seeds DID
grow, and the book which Wickham wrote about his idea and his
experiments finally came into the hands of Sir Joseph Hooker, the
Director of the Botanical Gardens in Kew, near London. So
interested did he become that he called Wickham's plan to the
attention of the Government of India, and finally Wickham was
commissioned to take a cargo of rubber seeds to England, so that
his idea might be tried out.

This commission was more difficult than one might think, and all
of Wickham's faith and perseverance were needed to carry it out.
Indeed for a time it seemed hopeless, principally because the
seeds so quickly dry up and lose their vitality that they must be
planted very soon after being gathered.

But Wickham watched his opportunity, and finally he was able to
charter a ship in the name of the Indian Government. About a third
of the way up the Amazon River he placed in her hold several
thousand carefully packed seeds of the Hevea Braziliensis, or
rubber tree. Let Wickham, himself, tell how he surmounted the next
difficulty:

"We were bound to call in at the city of Para as the port of
entry, in order to obtain clearance papers for the ship before we
could go to sea. Any delay would have rendered my precious freight
quite valueless and useless. But again fortune favored. I had a
'friend at court' in the person of Consul Green, who went himself
with me to call on the proper official, and supported me as I
presented to His Excellency 'my difficulty and anxiety, being in
charge of, and having on board a ship anchored out in the stream,
exceedingly delicate botanical specimens, especially designated
for delivery to Her Britannic Majesty's own Royal Garden of Kew.
Even while doing myself the honor of thus calling on H