208 



was of the most unpromising character, dry, gravelly and rocky 

 soil, on which little would grow. He planted it up with Para 

 rubber and Willughbeia firma. The latter though it forms now 

 good sized bushes is useless as it has generally proved from the 

 stems being too slender. The Para rubber though by no means 

 as good as in first class soil, has attained a fair size and I was 

 informed, gave the owner an average of 2 lbs. of rubber per tree. 

 This he makes into thin sheets partly cutting them into strips 

 that they may dry better. He is said to make $2,000 a year from 

 the 25 acres he possesses. A few of the trees are attacked by 

 Termes Gestrot, and he set a bricklayer in his employment to clean 

 the tree every day- The man wearied of the work and taking 

 some cement filled up the holes in the tree which the termites 

 had excavated. The insects disappeared altogether, and the tree 

 seems none the worse for the treatment but is still growing 

 steadily. 



H. N. R. 



CORTICIUM JAVANICUM 



On Para Rubber. 



In "Teysmannia" 5, 19, is an article by Dr. Ch. Bernard on 

 Corticium javanicum attacking young Hevea braziliensis in Deli. The 

 stem was covered with a greyish rose coloured fungus. This pest 

 has also been seen on Bixa orellana, Boehmeria nivea. Probably 

 the Corticium so common in the Straits on Ramie and Strobilanthes 

 when overcrowded and too damp is this species. We have not 

 yet seen it on rubber seedlings in the Straits, but it is quite likely 

 to occur in overcrowded and overshaded nurseries. By removing 

 the infected plants, letting more light and air among the others, 

 and spraying with Bordeaux mixture there ought to be no diffi- 

 culty in keeping down the pest. 



The paper referred to above is, unfortunately, published in 

 Dutch so as to be incomprehensible to many. 



H. N. R« 



PERSONAL AND OTHER NOTES. 



Mr. D. Tait, formerly employed in the Botanic Gardens, 

 Edinburgh, lately passed through Singapore on his way to Christ- 

 mas Island where he will be employed in the Agriculture and 

 Horticulture of the Island. 



Mr. E. W. Eaton, Agricultural Chemist, has arrived in the 

 Federated Malay States to take up researches into various che- 

 mical problems. 



A new edition of Mr. H. Wright's book on Para rubber has 

 just been published. It is much enlarged and contains more illus- 

 trations than the previous edition and is altogether much improved 

 and more up to date. 



