50 



1. The upkeep of the gardens cannot be so well 

 controlled with due regularity and it is difficult to 

 ensure that all noxious weeds are really taken away. 



2. It is much dearer than absolute clearance. 



3. A Catch crop can only be planted between Hevea 

 with difficulty or not at all ; certainly not, when a 

 climbing plant is used for a covering. 



3. DIRTY GARDENS. 



The system of working with dirty gardens now remains 

 to be discussed. It is not to be understood thereby, that 

 the Hevea is planted and then left to take its chance. 

 In such a case lalang would quickly predominate and 

 with lalang no Hevea can grow (see fig. 21). 



The unhealthy looking yellowish stunted trees, which 

 are here and there to be met with in the lalang soils of 

 the Malay Peninsula give quickly the conviction that 

 proper upkeep is the most important requirement and that 

 it is better not to plant at all, if absolute certainty cannot 

 be felt that it will be subsequently maintained. It is 

 sometimes forgotten that it is easier to exploit and plant 

 a large Estate than to keep it up for a few years. 

 The maintenance should be started from the moment that 

 the forest is cut off and burnt and when the soil is open, 

 otherwise it costs ten times more money and brainwork 

 to get clean gardens. 



On some estates, I saw the method adopted of keep- 

 ing only the rows of Hevea clean for a few feet in width, 

 whereas, in rows between, lalang had grown high and 

 only just round the tree, a space of a few feet was kept 

 clean. This method is certainly not advisable. The under- 



