PARA RUBBER. 159 



Wakdian Cases. 

 The principle of the foregoing methods, it will be seen, is to re- 

 tard the effort of the seed to germinate and remove conditions 

 which induce germination; that of the Wardian case is to 

 encourage germination; for the seeds being sown, not "packed," 

 are at once encouraged to germinate and grow into plants. The 

 initial cost in this instance is greater, but the saving in the long run 

 is evident. If good seeds are sown they will germinate in about ten 

 or twelve days, and the percentage of failures would be nil ; the 

 seedlings may then be tended in the cases as if they were in a nur- 

 sery bed, and an opportunity of shipping may be awaited without 

 risk or anxiety. Thus on arrival at destination instead of receiving 

 aeed with a doubtful percentage of germinating power you should 

 have good-sized plants or •.stumps." The principle of the Wardian 

 case consists of filling the body of the latter to a depth of five inches 

 with a light porous compost (say two parts leaf -mould to one of de- 

 cayed coconut dust, with a sprinkling of charcoal) ; upon this 

 is placed a layer of about 1,500 seeds ( or if necessary two layers 

 of 1,000 each with compost between), finishing with a covering of 

 about an inch of compost. The whole is then thoroughly watered, 

 after which small bamboo twigs are placed thinly and longitudi- 

 nally on top; across these are placed narrow battens three 

 inches apart, these being kept in place by a longitudinal 

 strip nailed along both insides of the case. The latter is then 

 raised on four bricks to allow the escape of water as well as to pre- 

 vent attack by white ants. The contents mast be kept moist by 

 watering them each day if the weather he dry. It is best to allow 

 the seeds to germinate before despatching. The two glazed top 

 sides are left off to the last. These when screwed on admit the 

 necessary light, whilst fresh air is provided by a ventilator in each 

 end covered with fine gauze with a box nailed on to the inside for 

 preventing sea spray reaching the plants. The advantage of thus 

 having plants instead of sseds at destination, which may mean a 

 year gained in planting, only costs about Rs. 5 per thousand more 

 than the price actually paid for seeds that have been packed and 

 despatched in the dry method — that is allowing 'forJ50 percent, of 

 these to (terminate and the cost of the Wardian case to be Rs. 15. 



