PARA RUBBER. 35 



Para Rubber Land & Soils in the Federated Malay States. 



I am indebted to Mr. J. B. Carruthera for much information 

 regarding the land and soil in various parts of the Federated 

 Malay States. The rocks from which most of the non-alluvial 

 soils are formed are limestones, sandstones, laterites, and granites, 

 the disintegration products of red laterite being considered good. 

 The low-lying land at the foot of the mountain range is composed 

 of a deep alluvial deposit ; the subsoil in such areas is said to be 

 far below the water level, and for purposes of cultivation may 

 therefore be neglected. The majority of the alluvial land, 

 planted in Para rubber, is. if anything, too well supplied with 

 water, the latter being within 3 to -!• feet from the surface all the 

 year round; the water level all over the plains on the west of the 

 mountain range is, according to Carruthers, very near the surface, 

 often as near as 16 to 18 inches. 



Mr. M. Kelway Bamber, who recently toured through the Fede- 

 rated Malay States and visited several of the leading Para rubber 

 properties, is convinced of the richness of many of the soils and 

 the suitability of large areas for the cultivation of Hevea brasilien- 

 sis. The physical composition of the soils is often remarkably 

 good, and on Mr. Bamber's authority it can be stated that some 

 of the samples pass, almost entirely, through a sieve of 8,100 

 meshes to the inch. The organic matter frequently exceeds 30 per 

 cent, and the nitrogen is sometimes as high as ■ 9 per cent. These high 

 percentages are not, however, obtainable over all estates in the Fede- 

 rated Malay States. Many of the Ceylon soils are quite as good as, 

 and occasionally superior from a chemical standpoint to, those in 

 the Federated Malay States, but in only a few low-country soils in 

 Ceylon does the organic matter reach 20 per cent. In relation to 

 Ceylon soils the mineral contents of the Federated Malay States 

 soils are very often inferior, the chief deficiency being potash, 

 rather than phosphoric acid. 



Cabookv. Alluvial, and Swampy Soils in Ceylon. 



" Cahook. — The cabook soils are met with as local areas in many 

 districts. They are usually inferior from a chemical and physical 

 standpoint, though in many cases the growth of the rubber trees 

 appears to be satisfactory. Such soils usually show a small per- 

 centage of organic matter, potash, phosphoric acid, and lime. 



'• One analysis shows only 8 per cent, of organic matter and 

 combined water, 0085 per cent, of potash. 0010 per cent, of phos- 

 phoric acid, 0060 percent, of lime, and 0128 per cent, of nitrogen." 



"Alluvial soil. — In physical properties these soils are usually good, 

 and the amount of sediment periodically deposited during floods 

 adds considerablv to the chemical richness of the soil. 



