VITALITY OF PARA RUBBER. 



Mr. Le Doux of Nelson Rubber Estate Johor, writes " In our 

 tapping block (8 year-old trees) there is a tree in the middle of a 

 girth of 12 inches at three feet from the base. This tree has been 

 tapped on two sides. Its leaves are of the same colour and size as 

 its neighbours'. Four years ago this tree was completely ringed 4 

 inches from the base and the wood cut into all round for an inch 

 and a-half deep. With a moderate shove it would break off. The 

 thm bit of wood which connects the main trunk to the base is rotten 

 and black in colour. There is not a hair's breadth of bark between 

 the sections. Despite all this the tree has lived for four years looks 

 healthy and yields latex. " 



This is certainly curious, the water supply for the trunk must be 

 obtained through the small piece of remaining wood. One knows 

 here how in girdling a tree to kill it, it is necessary to cut well into 

 the wood, as merely removing a strip of bark is not necessarily fatal, 

 but one would hardly imagine that a tree cut as this one has been 



H. N. RIDLEY. 

 In a later letter M. Le Doux adds further details. The dia- 

 meter of the tree at 3 feet from the base is 1 inches at 6 inches, 

 17-2 inches and at 2 inches from base i6h inches. The bark curves 

 in slightly at the base of the upper section of the trunk and has a 

 IZ.W .u Ump ? there - The ^ee has 1 2 tapping cuts on one side 

 tarmin ^ These ar ^ being covered with new bark. Last 



vX ln u 0c L tober > 1906, and the cuts are healing. The bark 



that of m ° th Sections and appears as good and abundant as 

 R?rp ? Cr treCS 0f the sam e size. A photograph brought by Mr. 

 in endelr tree ha * been almost cut through. It was 



so™ t0 CUt * down and it was cut round all through when for 

 some r e he coo]y ^ ^ ^ ^ forgotten It is 



,y a most remarkable instance of the vitality of Para rubber. 



Malaya Still Leading. 

 Wednesday, ifah January. 

 yIat ^ mn V': CAthn toth e Press of Ceylon, Messrs. LEWIS and 



bruits and sheets compared ^ w?th" hat !t was P when the firm advised 



