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the rows. As regaitls depth of tillage this will, of course, depend 

 on the nature of the soil, but generally speaking, tlie heavier the soil 

 the greater the depth required. 



Cultivators and harrows are moi-e economical l)ut, unfortunately, 

 they can only be used in certain eases. On Castleton Estate, Telok 

 Anson, harrows hare been in operation for some considerable time, 

 wliere they have done good work at a small cost. The cost of tillage 

 of the first one or two applications is comparatively high but 

 decreases as tlie tilth improves. 



With regard to drainage of flat land it is well known that this 

 is of the utmost importance. Should a soil be water-logged, or the 

 water level near the surface, it is impossible to have a good tap root 

 developed, the absence of one being often evident by loss of trees 

 during Avind and rain storms. Cultivation and manures will not 

 effect a remedy, in fact it is waste of money to adopt either until 

 drainage conditions are first improved. 



Thei*e is some difference of opinion as to when tillage should be 

 done. Personally. I think tlie best results are likely to be obtained 

 when done toward.s the end of the wet season in order to conserve 

 the then abundant water for tlie dry period. 



Soils which are moi'e or less baked on the surface have lost, and 

 continue to lose, a good deal of water by soil evaporation. In some 

 instances the surface is like a brick and should this condition be 

 present on a slope the majority of rain water merely runs off the 

 land. It is obvious that to cultivate a soil during a dry season is 

 expensive but in addition to this you effect a remed}' after consider- 

 able damage has already been done in loss of soil water. To 

 cultivate at the close of a wet period bears out the old saying : 

 " Prevention is better than cure.'" Tillage to a depth of two or three 

 incbes will greatly assist iu the conservation of water. 



With regai'd to the cultivation of old clearings the soil of which 

 has not been previously turned over to any depth, one must use a 

 good deal of discretion. It could not be recommended to till this 

 soil in such a way as to destroy surface roots, both large and small, 

 in a drastic fashion. Light changkolliug, in the first instance, should 

 be cai'efully done and all large roots avoided. I do not think much 

 harm is done in cutting numbers of small surface x'oots, as a better 

 root system is, by cultivation, encouraged at a greater depth in the 

 soil. The depth of tillage may be gradually increased as time goes 

 on. There is little doubt that the best root .sj'^stem is developed when 

 tillage is commenced while the trees are quite young, one must 

 devote attention to soil cultivation, at some time or other, if 

 maximum yields of rubber, good bark I'enewal and healthy trees are 

 to be maintained. 



Dynamite ha.s been considered, for some time past, in connection 

 with rubber growing, and may possibly prove a valuable method of 



