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AOmCULTUKAL BULLETIN 



5TRAIT5 



PEDERATED MALA/ 5TATE5. 



No. 2.] FEBRUARY, 1912. [Vol. 1 



VITALITY OF RUBBER SEEDS. 



By F. G. Spring, Superintendent, Government 

 Plantations, F.M.S. 



Seeds of Hevea braziliensis do not retain their vitality for a long 

 period and the consequent difficulty of forwarding them successfully 

 to distant comitries is well known. This year several hundred thou- 

 sand Para seeds from tapped trees were packed in Venesta chests 

 with charcoal and forwarded to Trinidad. The results obtained were 

 far from satisfactory although the seeds were most carefully selected 

 and packed. 



There is no doubt that seeds picked immediately on falling, and 

 carefully packed, give the best results. If they are allowed to be on 

 the ground, or if badly packed, a smaller percentage of germination 

 will be obtained. It must be borne in mind however, that no matter 

 how the packing has been done, the vitality of Para seeds cannot be 

 retained for any length of time if they are not gathered immedi- 

 ately. The seeds must not be packed too many in a box, otherwise 

 fermentation starts and the whole mass heats and loses its vitality; 

 the packing material must be just sufficiently moist to prevent the 

 seeds from drying out and not moist enough to encourage the growth 

 of moulds and bacteria. For the same reason the packing must be 

 fairly tight and yet not quite air-tight. Small boxes seem better 

 than larger cases. 



