5i 



\()oi there were about 3 millions of Para rubber trees planted in 

 the Malay Peninsula, and calculates that the number of trees being 

 exploited in Amazonas would be about 7,500,000 and while those 

 of the Malay Peninsula cover an area of 7,000 hectares those of 

 Amazonas are spread over 750,000 and draws attention to the ad- 

 vantages possessed by the British Colony in the far greater accessi- 

 bility of the estates, the sufficiency of labour, the lowness of export 

 du»y as compared with those of the South American continent. The 

 rapid growth of the trees in the Peninsula as compared with that of 

 other places especially Sou h America attracts his attention. 

 The average girth of 4 year old trees at Batnapura is 55 centime- 

 tres, those of Cevlon 38 to 40, measured a -metre from the ground. 

 Those of the Malay Peninsula average 40 to 45 centimetres at from 

 3 to 3.I years of age, and 52 to 60 centimetres at 5 years, and quotes 

 M. ClBOT (Journal d'Agriculture Tropicale) who says that in Ama- 

 zonas we do not believe that a tree can attain a diameter of 20 cen- 

 timetres in less than 1 5 years. So that the growth is twice as rapid in 

 the Malay Peninsula as in the native country of the plant. After an 

 account of the methods of raising young plants he proceeds to a 

 discussion as to the distances of planting out, and gives some in- 

 structive measurements. A group of trees planted 24 feet by 24, i.e. 

 225 trees to the hectare gave in circumference a total of 124 m. 22 ; 

 or about 55 centimetres a tree. A group of the same age planted 14 

 by 14, 560 trees to the hectare, gave a total of 264 m. 90, per hectare, 

 or about 84 centimetres per tree. Thus though the difference of 

 dimensions of the trees is not great, the closely planted trees give 

 an area of exploitable bark of nearly double the amount, which is 

 strongly in favour of close planting. The tapping of the trees forms 

 the next subject of discussion and the details and calculations are 

 mostly based on the experiments made in the Botanic Gardens, 

 Singapore, by Mr. MACHADO and myself and those of Mr. AkDEN, 

 and of Mr. Willis in Ceylon. 



Para Rubber collecting at Soebang, Java. 



By H. C. Dinet. 



A resume of Mr. DlNET'S paper on this plantation which appeared 

 in Teysmannia 1903, No. 8, published in the Revue des Cultures 

 Coloniales 1903. p. 30S, from which I take the following notes, as it 

 is interesting to compare the results of tapping in Java with those 

 of the Malay Peninsula. At Soebang there are 147 trees which were 

 ; planted in 1 889-1 890, as shade trees for Coffee. The trees are finer 

 than at Buitenzorg, and are at an elevation of 500 feet above sea 

 level. They are tapped in the beginning of April when the weather 

 is successively rainy and fine and the latex flows better than in the 

 dry season. i'he author notes that the flow is most abundant in 

 the early morning up to 9 o'clock, and attributes this to the heat 

 and wind delaying the flow, suggesting thaUit would increase at 

 higher elevations, and that if the trees were shaded so that heat and 

 wind would not so easily have access the trees would feel their ef- 



