RUBBER PLANTING 101 



twisted. The same area should not be used a second 

 time for a nursery unless it has been thoroughly dug 

 over with lime, in order to destroy any fungus and 

 insect pests which may have accumulated, and after- 

 wards allowed to lie fallow for some months. Thorough 

 fencing of the nursery is necessary in order to prevent 

 the depredations of larger animals. 



Seed Selection. 



In the early days of rubber planting, seed for nur- 

 series had to be taken where it could be got and 

 selection was out of the question ; but in the future 

 it ought to be possible to lay considerable stress on the 

 selection of seed. Among planters a marked predilec- 

 tion exists for the selection of seed from old trees. 

 Probably this preference rests upon some foundation 

 of fact, hence, other things being equal, seed should 

 be taken from old trees so long as these have not been 

 tapped too heavily. Much more important, however, 

 is the selection of seed from trees of known yield. We 

 have already had occasion to point out the marked 

 differences which exist between individual trees in the 

 matter of yield. It is of the utmost importance that 

 seed for future planting should be taken from the best 

 yielding trees. This is not such a simple matter as 

 might appear at first sight, on account of the scattering 

 of the ripe seeds which takes place when the fruits 

 burst. This phenomenon places a serious difficulty in 



