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INFLUENCE OF MATURITY OF SEEDS. 



If seeds are taken from fruits which are not matured and do 

 not have the clear colour of the flesh they will most likely either 

 fail to germinate, or produce inferior seedlings. Experience has 

 shown in regard to most cultivated plants that the maturity of the 

 seed has a considerable influence on the offspring. Immature 

 seeds lessen the vitality of the subsequent seedlings and trees. 



I have noticed that seeds from young plants are fuller and 

 more rounded than those from older trees. The seedling from 

 such a seed has smoother and bigger leaves than those developing 

 from seeds with a loose seed coats and ribs on their surface. 



The root development is much stronger in a seedling from seed 

 taken from a younger tree, and this is another reason why careful 

 attention should be paid to the age of the parent tree. 



There can be no doubt but that planters who are careless and 

 do not select their seed, make a grave error which they will find 

 out to their regret. Thousands of dollars have been wasted by 

 ignorance or neglect in this respect. If a mistake is made in 

 selecting or non-selecting of seeds it will not be realised before 

 the lapse of at least a number of years, when it probably will be 

 impossible to correct the blunder, and make the plantation not 

 as productive as it otherwise would have been. 



METHODS OF SELECTION. 



The process of selection should commence, as I have pointed 

 out above, with the seeds. Whatever method of planting is 

 adopted the most important time for selection is when the seedling 

 has appeared and grown to a size which permits the distinguish- 

 ing of its main features. In order to be able to exercise necessary 

 judgment in this selection the planter should be thoroughly 

 acquainted with the development of the plant in its various stages. 



I have previously stated that a great variation exists between 

 individual plants. This variability is evidenced in a large 

 proportion of the trees producing a small quantity only and often 

 an inferior quality of latex. Such a lack of uniformity necessitates 

 a subsequent sorting and grading of the latex if a good result is 

 to be obtained. If latex from all kinds of trees is indiscriminately 

 mixed together the resuh will be a lowering of the standard. 

 From a planter's view-point uniformity of stand is desired, and to 

 attain such a result systematic seedling selection is a necessity. 



It has been demonstrated by recent experiments that it is 

 possible to secure by selection a great improvement in the 

 uniformity of the rubber stand. It is equally possible to obtain a 

 considerable increase in yield, and the planter should give the 

 closest attention to these and other points which can be controlled 

 by careful selection. The planter should first decide upon the type 

 of tree he desires and when he has formed a clear conception of 

 this in his mind he should go through the rubber forest, carefully 

 observing the trees and selecting the number of trees he needs for 

 the production of his seeds. When these seeds have been 

 collected and treated in the best possible way, they should be 

 further selected by the screen and the common specific gravity 



