443 



which should be kept treated with quick-lime and sulphate of 

 copper. This treatment where it can be applied will kill the 

 fungus but the difficulty is to find the fungus before any damage 

 is done. b 



CATCH CROPS. 



We are led to believe that catch crops are not favourably 

 considered by many planters ; we would ask if Para trees are 

 planted closely and are to be cut out when the ground is over 

 grown how such trees are to be regarded ; if not a catch crop what 

 is it ? As a matter of fact it is a catch crop, and, in all the 

 circumstances, a very bad one. We think certain catch crops, 

 w ith ground carrying trees well distanced would be beneficial, 

 some monocotyledonous plants, plantains, pineapples, Sanseviera, 

 Furcraea particularly, and other fibre plants would not be harm- 

 ful—as a means of safeguarding the crop while paying their way — 

 some leguminous crops such as ground nuts for one or two 

 crops which would give the soil activity and " tilth " are more 

 rational than some Utopian ideas of root pruning which have 

 reached us. 



MANURING PARA TREES. 



Manuring young trees with different manures has been 

 referred to in the Agricultural Bulletin Vol. III. p. 405, and other 

 numbers. During the year 50 old trees were heavily manured 

 with Cow manure and although the Para rubber tree is essenti- 

 ally a surface feeder we did not find that the manure had any 

 effect either in increment of growth or increase of yield but we 

 observed that by sweeping all fallen leaves and fruit capsules 

 around the base of trees a rich " humus " is accumulated which 

 at least serves one good purpose in feeding and retaining a net- 

 work of active surface roots. 



CONCLUSION. 



Much remains to be done in connection with rubber. Im- 

 proved methods of tapping will naturally evolve. The great 

 problem however, is to bring the dried rubber produced in the 

 Straits up to the Standard of best Para and the difficulty we 

 suspect is the same as in the case of gambir or copra and lies in 

 combating the excessive humidity of the country. Washed 

 rubber no doubt is an economical and expeditious method but we 

 fail to see that any improvement in the texture of the rubber is 

 likely to result in the future over the present by this process. So 

 far little could be done in this direction as unfortunately the market 

 does not assist experimental work and only recognizes one class of 

 rubber and prices are high or low as the rubber compares or 

 approaches the approved class. Now however as the Government 

 Analyst will be prepared to test samples experiments will also be 

 made in different methods of drying. 



jlk November, i9°5- 



HENRY N. RIDLEY. 

 R. DERRY. 



