116 THE PARA RUBBER TREE 



Weeding and Catch Crops. — After the trees have be- 

 come established the only work required on the plantation 

 for the first thi'ee or four years, unless catch crops are 

 to be grown, is to keep the weeds under control and to 

 prevent them from interfering with the growth of the 

 trees. The method of clean weeding has been generally 

 adopted on rubber estates, and notwithstanding alterna- 

 tive proposals which have been advocated, it is still the 

 system most in favour with planters. Clean weeding 

 involves considerable expense in many cases and has the 

 disadvantage of impoverishing the soil by exposing it 

 to the action of tropical sun and rain, but these drawbacks 

 are compensated for by a more rapid growth of the young 

 rubber trees than is obtained under other conditions. 



One of the principal alternatives to clean weeding is 

 the cultivation of catch crops between the rubber trees 

 during the first few years. This plan serves to protect 

 the soil and to reduce the cost of weeding, whilst it also 

 gives some return from the land until the rubber trees 

 come into bearing. It is, however, open to the objection 

 that the cultivation of the catch crop may retard the 

 growth of the Hevea trees and defer the commencement 

 of tapping for a year. In view of this possibility and of 

 the short period during which catch crops can be raised, 

 it is a question for the consideration of the planter whether 

 the cultivation of such crops is likely to prove advan- 

 tageous in any particular case. The crops which have 

 been most commonly used for this piu-pose are cassava, 

 groundnuts, sesame seed, chillies, lemongrass, citronella 

 grass, and tobacco. Cocoa and coffee have also been 

 extensively interplanted with Para trees, but these pro- 

 ducts are generally regarded as a more permanent crop, and 

 when they are to be grown it is usual to plant the rubber 

 trees sufficiently widely to allow room for both crops. 



Another suggested plan for replacing the system of 

 clean weeding is to grow certain leguminous plants which 

 form a thick cover-crop and thereby check the develop- 

 ment of weeds. These plants can be cut periodically to 

 furnish a green manure, and thus they not only serve 

 as a protection to the soil but also enrich it in nitrogen 

 and humus. Species of Crotalaria, Mimosa, Dosmodium, 

 Tephrosia, Phaseolus, etc., belonging to the Leguminoseae 

 have been recommended for use in this way, and in the 



