frequently in town and country, and the soil is of deep- 

 chocolate colour. On some of the paddy fields were 

 swarms of coolies, the number being such as would be 

 required for ten times the same acreage under rubber. 



Experiments at Buitenzorg. 



I had the good fortune to meet Dr. Tromp de Haas, 

 the caoutchouc specialist, and Mr. J. Pit, whose tapping 

 experiments are known to most of us. The Para rubber 

 trees, though some of them were planted on the i6th 

 July, 1877, are not remarkable for their size, owing to the 

 trees having been grown on an old rice field and in asso- 

 ciation with other products. The eight-year-old trees 

 only measured 3 to 3 J feet in girth; much better growth 

 has been obtained on planted estates, and from figures 

 supplied I have reason to expect a very satisfactory re- 

 turn. The only Para trees owned by Government now 

 producing rubber in Java are to be found at Buitenzorg 

 and Tjipepir. I was agreeably surprised to learn that 

 the Buitenzorg department, not content with their own 

 work in Java, had started an experimental rubber station 

 near Deli, in Sumatra, from which planters in the latter 

 island may hope to reap much instruction and practical 

 help. 



Diseases are being closely studied, and so far the most 

 serious pest appears to be Corticium Javanicum, a fungus 

 found on nearly every other cultivated product in Java. 

 It is a troublesome fungus, but not dangerous, and can 

 be easily kept in check. 



Many tapping experiments are being made to deter- 

 mine the best frequency for tapping and intervals of rest. 

 Many of the trees have been tapped every alternate day 

 for nine months, the pricker immediately following the 

 parer on every occasion during that period. I was sorry 

 to observe that the whole of the bark between the paral- 

 lel tapping lines, originally twelve inches apart, had been 

 used up. The yield from the eight-year-old trees was 

 650 grams per tree per annum. This is quite satisfactory 

 when the tapping area each year is only over one-quarter 

 of the basal area. 



I was interested to learn, especially in view of the 

 results obtained at Henaratgoda and published a couple 



