74 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



^Iakch 



1908. 



RUBBER PLANTING WITH INTERCROPS 

 AND CATCH CROPS. 



The progress of the rubber industry in its various 

 phases during 1!)07, is discussed at considerable length 

 in a special article in the India Rubber Journal of 

 January 27 last. The writer is of opinion that the 

 recent fall in the price of rubber will have a wholesome 

 effect in stimulating production, since manufacturers 

 complain that excessive prices prohibit the use of 

 rubber to anything like the e.xtent in which it would 

 be employed if the cost we're somewhat lower. Even 

 ■with considerably reduced prices, it is anticipated that 

 Par,! (Hecea braslllensi/i) and Castilloa {C'a-<<tUlo<i 

 dastlca) rubber cultivation would still return hand- 

 some profits. 



Questions relating to methods of cultivation are 

 discussed, and the following paragraphs relating to 

 distances in planting, and the use of intercrops and 

 catch crops, may bo quoted from the article: — 



The method of cultivating rubber trees may appear very 

 simple, and as one unlikely to show many cliange.s during 

 a year. Planters are, however, gaining more opportunitie.s of 

 judging the recpiirenients of Para rubber trees at different 

 ages, and the past year lias seen changes in two directions in 

 the planting progrannne of new concerns. 



In the first place the distance adopted in planting has 

 been increased ; instead of planting the trees 10, 12, or 

 1.5 feet apart as in previous years, a minimum distance of 

 1.5 X 20, or 20 x 20 feet has more often than not 

 been adopted. Following on this change it is obvious 

 that a much larger area of i'^oil is exiiosed to sun and 

 rain, and the necessity for weeding therefore has been propor- 

 tionately increased ; in order to meet these objections the use 

 of temporary catch crops, to last six to eighteen months, 

 or even as long as three years, and of more or less perma- 

 nent intercrops, to last twenty years or more, has been 

 extended. 



The advisability or otherwise of devoting all efforts to 

 the cultivation of rubber-yielding plants alone, on a rubber 

 estate, has frequently been discusseil. In the wild state 

 most varieties of rubber-yielding trees grow naturally 

 mixed with other forest trees. Some of the rubber 

 trees ofi'er, l)y means of their liranchcs and foliage, an 

 ailc(]uate .shade for other plants, whilst othcr.« again appear 

 tliciiiselves to reipiire the shade of more gigantic forest forms. 

 I'ndcr rultivation, this natural cnndition is being entirely 

 overlooked, ndibor trees- more often than not — being grown 

 alone; but we have no iMr.of that such a state will be 

 the best in the long run. It has been shown that, on 

 young plantations wliere the soil is packed with decaying 

 roots of old and large trees, the cultivation of bananas and 

 other raiiidlygrowing |)lants is .sometimes beneficial, in .so 

 far as these |ilants assist in the more ra|)id decomposition of tree 

 root structures, which, if allowed their own time, might serve 

 as the basis for the origin of diseases injurious to Para rubber 

 plants. In this respect we need only refer to root fungi and 

 white auts to emjihasi/.e tlu' ini[Kirlauce of using other crops 

 on the .sanu' land. 



We are fully aware that, at the best, the cultivation of 

 catch crops does not give the same freedom to the roots of 

 a rubber tree as does the exclusive cultivation of ridibcr 

 plants, but we are inclined to think that though the growth 

 of the rubber trees may be a little retarded, the investment is 

 a .safer or more permanent one. We still think that it would 



be a great advantage to adopt a distance in j)lanting which 

 would allow of the permanent cultivation of other intercrops ; 

 we regard the combination of cacao and rubber, or even 

 coffee and tea in conjunction with rubber, as a very siutable 

 method of developing a tropical plantation. The life of such 

 intercrops is mainly determined by the distance apart the 

 rubber trees are jdanted, and we hope before long to see 

 rubber plaiders taking a greater interest in the growing of 

 intercrops on their rubber plantations. 



COFFEE PRODUCTION IN BRAZIL. 



The effect of itnproNed cultural methods upon coffee 

 production in Brazil is evident from a consideration of 

 the latest report of the U.S. Consul-General at Rio de 

 Janeiro, from whleh the accompanying interesting 

 extract has beenjnade ■ — 



While undue con.sideration of the possible size of future 

 coffee crops in Brazil is more or less speculative, there are one 

 or two facts which should be taken into consideration by 

 coffee men the world over as having a permanent bearing 

 upon the coffee supply of the world. After the experience, 

 following the previo.vis record crop of 1901-2, Brazilian 

 governmental authorities considered that there was an over- 

 production of the berry, and lu-oposed to prevent such over- 

 production by means of legislation prohibiting the jilaiuing 

 of more coffee trees and the extension of coffee acreage 

 generally. While this legislation was not as general and as 

 effective as it was planned, there was enough done in this 

 direction to prevent the further extension of coffee estates 

 in the chief coffee-producing centres of the country. 



The result was tjiat, instead of extending their estates, 

 the coffee planters threw the energy which they would have 

 expended in such extensions, into the improvement of the 

 coffee areas already *planted. Old and broken trees were 

 grubbed (>ut, and young and vigorous trees were i)lanted in 

 their stead. What before had been more or less ineiTecti-\e 

 culture became intensive culture — in some places intensive 

 culture of the most pronounced sort. 



The result is that the production of coffee has been 

 increased more generally, more uniformly, and probably 

 more regularly from year to year than it would have Vieen 

 had estates been extended and cultivation continued under 

 old methods. Trees planted to take the places of the 

 discarded ones are now coming into full bearing. lmj)roved 

 methods of culture have produced more coffee, and generally 

 fietter coffee from the .same trees. 



DEPARTMENT NEWS. 



The Imperial Commissioner of Agriciiltiii'e left 

 Barbados on Wednesilay, March 4, by the C.LS. 

 'Dahome' on an official visit to St. Lucia. Sir Daniel 

 Morris may possibly return to B.irbados by the inter- 

 colonial mail steamer on the 10th instant. 



Mr. H. A. H.illou, M.Sc, Entomologist on the .staff 

 of the Imperial 1 K'pal'tment of Agriculture, returned to 

 Barbados on February 2.5, anif left again for Antigua 

 by the U M.S. ' Ivleii ' on March 3, in order to continue 

 his investigations of the insect pests affecting cotton in 

 that Presidcncv. 



