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observation, in various districts extends, if coffee does well under 

 young shade of any species, the older that shade becomes the 

 better will the coffee look, provided, of course, the height and 

 density of the former be properly regulated. It is quite true that 

 the same shade does not suit all districts or even all parts of a 

 district, and there are few things more remarkable in planting 

 than the opposite effects produced by the same tree under different 

 conditions, so that it is possible that here and there planters may 

 find the one or the other of these rubbers unsuitable for shade 

 purposes. I can only say, so far, that after seeing a large quantity 

 of coffee interplanted with them in three different districts, I do 

 not hesitate to continue doing so myself. 



A well-known Ceylon planter tells me that tea certainly will not 

 grow under rubber (in Ceylon) ; but it has always seemed to me 

 that any shade checks the growth of leaf either in tea or coffee, 

 and, as tea is grown for its leaf production, no shade is really 

 suitable to it. Nor does it seem likely that Mysore, Coorg, and 

 Wynaad, where shade has to be fairly dense to keep down borer, 

 could easily replace their present trees with rubber, however 

 desirable this may be. The young rubbers would grow up very 

 whippy under such conditions, and naturally take a long time to 

 be of value, whilst the original shade would require much careful 

 and constant regulation lest the coffee should suffer. Still in these 

 districts, abandoned fields of coffee and new clearings could be 

 planted with rubber, which would probably become the leading 

 product after some years, whilst on the Nilgiris, Shevaroys, Pul- 

 neys, Anamalais and Travancore hills, whole estates could be 

 under rubber shade. As to whether such shade may prove injurious 

 by introducing any enemies of the coffee trees so far the answer 

 must be in the negative. Where rubber is planted in new clearings 

 the example of some parts of Ceylon might be followed and catch- 

 crops be utilised such as cotton, ground-nuts, cassava, chillies, 

 lemon-grass, etc., all of which are reported to do well and keep 

 down weeds. It is true that Mr. F. Lewis, Assistant Conservator 

 of Forests, Ceylon, states his opinion very clearly that Ceylon soil 

 cannot stand interplanting, at any rate so as to give a good yield 

 from each product, and it will certainly be well to try such an ex- 

 periment with great care ; but I may mention that I have seen 

 coffee in Southern India interplanted with tobacco — a very ex- 

 hausting crop — yet neither seemed to suffer. 



AVAILABLE RUBBER LAND. 



Having seen that growth is good, the yield promising, and that 

 South India has great advantages in its rich soil, suitable climate, 

 and cheap labour, we next ask what land is available. The Para 

 has been proved to be a hardy plant, and the Castilloa was con- 

 sidered to have a yet larger range, but there are some limitations 

 which must be observed. For practical purposes it seems as if, 

 for the present, we should confine ourselves to a zone between 500 

 and 4,000 feet, with a rainfall averaging not under 45 inches, and 

 up to possibly 150 or more. The soil should not be a stiff clay, 



