i 7 8 



RUBBER TAPPING IN THE DRY SEASON. 



Mr. LARK IN whose estate at Castle-wood I haw recently visited, 

 tells me that during the late dry month of March, all his trees in one 

 part of the estate shed their leaves simultaneously and remained 

 bare for a time. He continued to tap during this period and found 

 no diminution in the amount of latex produced. 



There is a general idea that latex flows slowly or not at all 

 during this period, and there was a certain amount of evidence for 

 this in the expeiiments of the Botanic Gardens last year. Have 

 any other planters tried continuous tapping through the resting 

 season and with what result? — Ed. 



THE USE OF JERINGU 



Acorus Calamus against termites. 



Mr. MACHADO, lately sent ?omc rhizomes of the Jeringu or 

 Deringu [Acorns Calamus) a plant often cultivatfd by the Malays 

 for medicine. It is one of the A roidece ; an aquatic plant with 

 swordlike leaves about 3 feet tall and an aromatic creeping stem. 

 This is being used by the Malays as follows: — The dried roots 

 are pounded to powder and spread round the base of the tree. All 

 ants die and the otheis do not appear to come up to the surface to 

 replace them, as in the case of other insecticides. Mr. MACHADO 

 tried it for ten days and found it efficacious. The plant is so com- 

 mon and so easily grown in any wet ditch that it may be well 

 worth experimenting with it. 



H. X. RIDLEY. 



Erratum. 



Lan adr on Estate, Muar, 



jof/i May, igoj. 



DEAR Sir, — In my article on the " Preparation of Crude Rub- 

 ber" in your last issue a printer's error occurs which I shall be glad 

 if you will correct, page 120 line J 1 should read "which loses 

 in washing instead of 5% as stated. 



Yours faithfully, 



F. PEARS. 



The Editor , 



Agricultural Bulletin^ Singapore. 



THE BELGIAN RUBBER EXPERT. 



His Impressions of Ceylon. 



M. Octave Collet, the -Belgian rubber scientist and expert, who is 

 on a visit to the Island, investigating our methods of planting, 



