AG R I CU L'l U K A L B U LLET I N 



OF THE 



STRAITiS 



AND 



FEDERA T E D M A L A Y STATES, 



No. i o.l OCTOBER, 1904. [Vol. Ill 



MANURING RUBBER, 



Plate. 



We give this month a photograph showing the effects of various 

 manures on young plants of Para rubber, Hevea braziliensis. The 

 first line from the right is manured with burnt earth; the next by 

 which the cooly is standing, is manured with cow-dung; the next 

 one a mixture of cow-dung and burnt earth, the others poudrette 

 and lime respectively. There is no question as the photograph 

 shows that manuring by cow-dung is by far the best, and that burnt 

 earth and leaves comes next. Lime seems absolutely injurious. 

 These experiments were made first in pots before being made in 

 beds and exactly the same result obtained. 



Cow-dung is usually too expensive to use on estates on any large 

 scale, but a little might well be used on the nursery beds, to stimu- 

 late more rapid growth. Experiments are now being tried to dis- 

 cover whether full grown trees give more latex when manured with 

 cow-dung, but these will take a considerable time. — Editor. 



FIBRE PLANTS. 



{Continued). 



Pandanus. — There are a numbe r of different species of Pandans 

 wild in the Malay Peninsula, the leaves of which as is well known 

 are in request for ataps, mats, bags, hats, kajangs, etc. Almost 

 any of the large leaved kinds can be used for thatching ataps, mats, 

 etc., but the one chiefly used for these purposes is Pandanus fasci- 

 cularis, a common sea-shore plant also cultivated often in villages. 

 For the kajangs (ox cart covers) and hats the very large leaves of 

 Pandanus at roc ar pus is used. 



Lately Mr. SCHIRMER whose fibre exhibit at the recent Agri- 

 cultural Exhibition attracted so much attention, experimented with 

 the Hogan Machine on the leaves of Pandans, It did not srem 



