109 
There is little to guide one on the subject, but from 15 to 20 
feet apart would appear to be about the correct spacing. At 20 
feet it might be necessary to plant something in between them to 
at 15 feet. In Lar at Kampong DON they are being 
planted ai 10 feet b 10 ‘feet, that i = - per ac It is very close 
but it is the intention, I am informed by Mr. ‘Waddell Boyd, the 
manager, to thin them out lator on pu 20 feet by 20 feet or 108 per 
acre, tapping the intermediate trees—that is, those which are 
ultimately to be thinned out—as early as possible and as severely 
as they will stand, while the others are allowed to grow to a large 
size before tapping. 
With a view to giving some data respecting the growth of the 
trees, I have measured thirteen of those in the Museum grounds. 
These trees, it is to be remembered, are ten years old, and are 
planted on mined land of the poorest quality. For these 13 trees 
ground is 4 feet 2 inches. This s a mean annual growth in 
height of 7 feet 3 inches, in A rE of 5 inches, and in 
diameter of 1:6 inch. 
The trees are very prolific seed bearers. Those in the Museum 
grounds have this year yielded nearly 14,000 seeds—or, to speak 
r hav 
trees are planted by the side of a large ditch, and all the seeds 
which fall into it are at once carried away, as they are very light 
and float on the water. The seeds have beeu distributed, 3,000 
going to the Jebong Estate, and 11,000 to the Sam Sing Estate 
At 15 feet by 15 feet "pei seeds would be enough to plant 
724 acres of land. Whefe the land is ready it is certainly an 
advantage to plant the ee t Stake, but where this cannot be 
done not much loss would follow planting in nurseries and then 
transplanting. The thing to avoid in this method is the production 
of double stems near the ground, caused by the original shoot dying 
out or being broken off. 
It has recently been proved by Messrs. Curtis, Derry and others 
that these trees will yield at least one pound per tree per year of 
clean rubber. Taking the value of the rubber at 2s. per pound 
only, we get i is acre of land planted at 20 feet by 20 feet, an 
annual crop worth £10 16s., and if wed at 15 bossa 2 = Aie 
worth £19 6s. "This sho uld begin, as far as is 
about the sixth or seventh year, and dy the 12th veut api dem 
increased a double the amounts giv 
A sample of rubber obtained ran a tree cultivated in the 
Botanic Barden, Penang, and recently forwarded to Kew by 
Mr. C. Curtis, has been submitted to Messrs. Hecht, Pavia & Kahn, 
21, Mincing Lane, E.C., who report upon it as follow 
di oe md (31/8/98) 3s. 3d. per lb. ; beautiful ae very 
well c 
It may get mentioned that Fine Para rubber is now selling at 
about 4s. 4d. per pound. It would be interesting to learn why 
this " beautiful rubber” from Penang should be valued at more 
than a shilling per pound less than Amazonian rubber. One 
explanation is that Hevea rubber cured in any other way than by 
