'35 



It is certainly quite possible to collect capsules of rubber seed 

 quite ripe and either to crack them or allow them to explode of 

 themselves in a closed space. One year we collected the greater 

 part of the crop in this manner, the capsules were pulled off the 

 trees with a sharp edged iron hook on a long stick and the capsules 

 were then cracked frequently they exploded when touched and often 

 in falling or when they reached the ground. The important thing is 

 of course that the coolies should only pull the ripe fruit ready to " 

 explode. When the capsule is ripe the green husk turns blackish 

 and begins to wrinkle, then splits and retracts exposing the white 

 husk after a little supervision the coolies soon learn to make no 

 mistakes in pulling the fruit after the husk has begun to shrink. It 

 would probably be best to allow the seed to explode of themselves 

 in a closed space so that any that were not quite ready would dry a 



H. X. R. 



ON A SYSTEM OP LAYING OUT ESTATES 

 IN 10-ACRE BLOCK. 



In compliance with the terms of a certain Government Grant I 

 had once to submit to the tiresome task of planting a considerable 

 area of Rubber in jungle without previously clearing it. By mere 

 chance I decided on running long parallel rentices through the whole 

 b 'ock, 33 feet, viz. \ chain apart; for the sake of better intercom- 

 munication I can crossrentices through them at right angles, the 

 lat ter io chains apart. This led to the land being practically cut 

 U P into io-Acre blocks. For the sake of uniformity I continued 

 Jnis on some adjoining land which was opened up in the orthodox 

 tashion, felled, burned and cleared. I have since done the same on 

 j>ew land and gradually improving in details I have found this sys- 



e ™ l 9 be so suitable and show such a number of feature which 

 make it superior to any other I have heard of that I may be allowed 



publish my experience for the information of fellow planters. 

 d0 so all the more readily because I have never heard of anyone 

 opening land in this way, neither here nor in Ceylon; in the latter 



place I I"-.- J ' , . \„~a „~ 



50-Acre 



far the more useful. 



I shall explain in which way I have lately opened up new blocks 

 th JU k alier >ated from Government. Assume the land to have 



e b hap per gketch bdow containing approximately 500 

 run ' he P rin cipal thing is to find or make a base-line; any line, 



nning more or less at a tangent to the block, is suitable; it need 



others the block > but Jt must not cross < int0 V an ^ - part ,° f 

 differ * Com P li cations will arise with regard to the naming of the 

 rent fi elds. In this country our new blocks are mostly such 



