15 



Good results from manuring miglit be expected from the 

 following : poor, light, laterit« soils, soils deficient in one or more 

 essential plant food material, thinned out areas which are slow in 

 recovering from the effects of close planting and areas whicli have 

 been severely tapped in the past. 



As regards the method of application this will depend on the 

 age of the trees. With young rubber, I believe, the best value is 

 obtained by spreading the manures around each tree, tlie area 

 treated would naturally vary witli small and large trees and 

 increase as the rubber ages. The manures are best turned under 

 to a depth of two or three inches, sufficient to prevent loss by surface 

 wasli. With older rubber the manures may be broadcast all over 

 the land but more especially about the middle of the rows and then 

 turned under. I do not favour the placing of manures in trenches 

 around a tree as in this area the manures are too concentrated and for 

 a time limited to a small i^oot feeding area. 



I do not propose to deal with quantities of manures to l)e 

 applied, per acre, as this varies more or less with each fertilizer. 

 Information, however, can be obtained on application to the 

 Department of Agriculture. 



With regard to the kinds of manures I might mention that 

 a complete fertilizer consisting of sulphate of ammonia, double 

 superphosphate, sulphate of potash with the addition of lime gave 

 the best results in the Kuala Lumpur Gai-dens. Comparatively 

 good returns have also been objrained from Perlis guano, bone-meal 

 and basic slag. 



Lime and its Application. 



One of the chief effects of lime on a soil is to accelei'ate 

 nitrification and thus enable plants to draw upon the nitrogenous 

 and potash stores in the ground. It has a neutralizing action on 

 organic acids which helps to sweeten sour soils. Lime has a 

 beneficial action on clay soils by breaking them up, while sand}-^ or 

 light soils are improved by binding the particles together. In 

 orxler to obtain the full benefits of artificial fertilizers I think it 

 is e.ssential to apply a small dressing of lime beforehand, this should be 

 done several months previous to the spreading of the fertilizers on 

 the land. There are many soils in Malaya which would, I feel sure, 

 i-espond well to lime treatment. Quick lime is the best form of 

 application, the lumps being distributed throughout the field and 

 allowed to slake naturally. One night's I'ain is sufficient for this 

 decomposition to take place but in dry Aveatlier it may take sevei'al 

 daj'-s. The result is a fine dry powder which is found easy to 

 distribute equally over the land. Slaking lime in this country in a 

 large lieap and adding water does not appear to give such a fine dry 

 powder as the natural process and the cost of distribution is higher'. 



Before closing this address I would like to refer briefly to costs. 



