The idea to move the planting areas from South America to Asia wasn’t just occurred in the end of 19 Century which had caused the shortage of rubber crisis, but it had started since 180-1864 with the vitalization of Clements Markham, England’s Regent to India at that time.

During that period was after the discovery of rubber curing process for approx. 20-25 years, which was the same period to have started to plant forest rubber in the original decayed planting areas along Amazon river. The necessity to move planting sources to Asia was that, South America was too far from England which was the World’s rubber trading Centre, and also the traveling for trade was not so convenience, because the geographical location was full of dense forest.

But the true reason could be that, to work with the Natives in South America was much harder than the people in Asia. Out of the blue, the natives could simply to deny selling rubber to traders, and than it would be in bid trouble. Therefore, they had to find new planting areas as reserve for safety.
To move the rubber planting sources from South America to Asia wasn’t that easy, because of the distance apart. The seed species could have dried out several times before the rubber had arrived the planting areas. Therefore, the chance to cultivate and grow was harder, if we were to pluck the young stems, it would be even more difficult because it was hard to keep, occupied more space and easily be bruised. Harder to maintain and it could be bruised and withered along the way. Or assuming that, it’s able to transport to Asia or be able to cultivate the seed, it’s still had other problem to follow, because we did not know whether these rubber trees could adjust itself to the weather condition here, but with the cleverness and the hard working of the team, it had successfully moved the forest rubber planting sources as seen, Our country, Thailand our relatives and children all have received the benefit up till these days. There were only 4 of them called the 4 pioneered Musketeers.

First one was Clements Markham, the Regent of United Kingdom to India, as mentioned before. Second person was Joseph Hooker, Director of Kew Botanic Gardens in London, formally was the King’s garden, called Royal Botanical gardens, third person was Henry Ridley, the adopted son of Joseph Hooker, it could be said that he had grown up in Kew garden, so he had much experienced concerning trees. Later, he was the Director of Singapore Botanic Garden in Malaysia (at that time). He had left behind much achievement and to receive the reputation of “Forth person was Henry Wickham, he was the only Operation Officer who did not graduate in Botanic, he was Natural Scientist, but turned himself to be Rubber Trader.

He had technique to maintain the rubber seeds not to be dried out, he know the technique to pack the young rubber stems not to be bruised during transportation, it’s said that, if without him, and to accuse him of stealing the seeds species from Brazil. Actually he did not steal, 200 years ago, there wasn’t any restriction about bringing rubber seeds out of the country or where to ask for permission. From that achievement had made him to received the Noble Title “Sir” The ingenious in thinking of the working team was to use  Kew Botanic Garden in London to be the resting point for young rubber stems from South America before sending to Asia. If it were the seeds then cultivated into young stems first, and if it were young stems, then to recuperate for a while until the stems had become stronger.

As for the target countries to bring rubber trees to grow there, they would enter to build botanic gardens to keep the plant species from all over the world together and to do the growing experiment for the trees to adjust themselves to the weather condition before making real planting. India had built Calcutta Botanic Garden, Colombo garden in Sri Lanka, Singapore Garden in Malaysia (at that time) and Borkor Botanic Garden in Indonesia.

In 1860, Markham together with Spruce, the Botanist and Cross the Officer of Kew Botanic Garden had bought Quinine the Cinchona spp species from South America to make the growing experiment in India by ignoring the recuperation process in Kew garden in England. That result was not reported in details, but in view of the studied, it’s considered as valuable experiences to the working team.
In the past 10 years, Markham had received information that, in the # of forest rubbers obtained from South America, there’s Hevea species from Amazon, that had given best production yields. Therefore, in 1872, he had assigned James Collins to study the abilities in weather’s adjustment of various Hevea species in Kew garden in London to find the best species that could be adjusted to weather condition before sending to Asia.

From studied result, it’s found that, within various Hevea species, the Hevea brasilliensis has the ability to adjust itself better than others. Therefore, in 1873, Markham had decided to yuy the choice species “Hevea brasilliensis from Mr.Farris, which had collected from Canaeta near Para Town for 2,000 seeds to make the speies expansion in Kew garden. With James Collins, the same old man, to be in the operation section and Joseph Hooker, Director of Kew garden to be the owner of the facilities. Result had shown that, only 12 young stems had grown, within these 12 stems, there were only 6 stems to be raised for branch cutting in the Kew garden, and for another 6 stems were sent to Calcutta,  in India for growing experiment, but all had dried out.

Later in 1876, Markham had sent Henry Wickham to collect more species, they were Hevea Brasiliensis species. And again, they had obtained 70,000 seeds from Rio Tapa Joz region, which was in the upper part of Amazon River basin. He had returned to Kew Garden in June the same year, and had started to cultivate immediately, the result was, it had spout more than 2,700 stems, it’s good thing that they had cultivated sooner or else it would get lesser young stems. In early August 1876, Markham had brought 1,919 young stems out of 2,7000 stems to do the growing experiment in Asia again, but this time, he had taken to Colombo Garden instead and not to Calcutta garden, due to the submissive feeling that all stems had dried out every time.

The result was that, it has survived up to 1,727 stems or approx. 90% and this set of rubber had grown and spouted out into many places around the world at later time. At the end of August 1876, the 18 young stems from 781 stems of Wickham was sent from Kew garden in England to Borkor Botanic Gardens for planting experiment in Indonesia. It was found that, only 2 stems had survived and another 50 stems out of 763 stems had brought to experiment at Singapore Botanic Garden in Malaysia. The resulted was that, not a single stem had survived.

 With the worried that, the rest of young stems left in the Kew Garden would not be enough to send to try again in the countries that had failed before. Therefore, in November 1876. Markham had assigned Cross to collect more of Hevea Species seeds from Brazil again, but when he had arrived there, the seeds had all grown into young stems, so he had taken back the young stems instead. He had collected 1,080 stems and returned to Kew Garden at the end of November the same year and mostly with badly battered condition. 400 young stems were separated to nurse in the cultivating house in Kew garden and another 680 stems were planted in private cultivating house. The result was that, at Kew garden, only 12 stems had survived and at private garden, 14 stems had survived. This had shown that, to collect young stems was also difficult and risky too. Later in June 1877, all 22 young stems (did not mentioned whether its belonged to Cross or Wickham) were sent from Kew garden to replant in Singapore garden one more time. This time it had become very successful that all of 22 stems had grown well to blossom and yield seeds that had made Singapore to be the world important production source.

 In early September 1877, Cross’s 100 young stems had been sent from Kew garden to replant at Colombo Garden in Sri Lanka. There wasn’t any report on this lot, it’s believed that all did not survive.
 And later in 1883, Wickham’s 1,727 stems that had replanted at Colombo garden in Sri Lanka in August 1876, were able to successfully blossom and yield seeds. That had made Colombo garden to be the world’s first seeds production source.
 Even in Singapore, in later time, had to use the seeds from here as well. 

 The Secretariat of the International Rubber Study Group (IRSG) prepares current estimates and forecasts future trends, and techno-economic studies on specific aspects of the industry. In this connection the Secretariat prepares short-term, medium-term and long-term forecasts of rubber demand and supply. This can obviously only be done properly if forecasts of prices are included, as they are one of the determining factors explaining demand and supply. In recent years close cooperation has existed between the IRSG and the Economic and Social Institute (ESI) in Amsterdam, the former employer of the current Secretary General of the IRSG. The model developed at the ESI is now being utilized and enhanced at the IRSG secretariat.