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strong as the Brazilian kind. We have seen several of the buyers 

 since the sale, and from what they tell us it is pretty evident that the 

 larger number of them consider the sheets a much better form than 

 the Crepe. There is always a very great suspicion in the minds of 

 buyers that in the Crepe the scrap is mixed up with it ; but they say 

 that in manufacturing the Rubber into the form of sheets this could 

 not be done, and in this we believe they are right. We would 

 strongly recommend you to bring this to the notice of the Estate 

 owners, and advise them to adopt the manufacture in sheet form in 

 preference to any other. Some of these buyers tell us that they are 

 quite satisfied with the produce of the Straits and Ceylon as far as it 

 has gone, but they agree with what we have previously written to 

 you, that this kind of Rubber is not as strong as Para. This is 

 attributed to the fact that the trees from which a good deal of 

 Straits and Ceylon Rubber is produced are immature, or compara- 

 tively so; and that, as the trees get older, the sap will not only be 

 abundant, but will make Rubber of greater strength. 



DAMAGE TO RUBBER PLANTS BY 

 PORCUPINES. 



Forest Office; 



Taiping, $rd October, 1905. 



Dear Sir, — On a small Para Rubber plantation here, a consi- 

 derable amount of damage has been done lately by porcupines. I 

 should be very glad to know whether other plantations have suffered 

 from the same cause, and what remedies have been adopted with 

 success. 



The porcupine gnaws the bark of the trees round the base, in 

 some case completely ringing it ; the wound usually reaches the 

 wood, and consequently, when healed, leave a rough and scarred 

 surface, which will seriously interfere with tapping. 



The animals are not satisfied with any trees which they happen 

 to light upon ; they generally take a snack from several trees before 

 settling down to a meal. They feed only at night, and do not come 

 out when the moon is bright. 



I have lately made nurseries which have also been vigorously 

 attacked. The seed is allowed to sprout, and the porcupine roots 

 up the plant when it is about nine inches high, and eats the seed. 

 Nurseries however can be easily protected. 



While the trees only were attacked I failed to find any way of 

 dealing with the destroyers, in spite of traps and snares. 



Now that the nursery attracts them all to one spot, I find that 

 they can be easily taken in pitfalls. The pit should be made in the 

 paths round the seed beds; these should be at least five feet deep, 

 and three feet across the mouth; the pit should be wider at the 

 bottom than at the top, to prevent climbing : two or three pieces ot 



