394 



lbs., to select the best five pounds out of B's lot and compare that 

 with A's. Assuming them to be equal, the scale would turn in B's 

 favour, unless the remaining 45 lbs. of his exhibit was very much 

 inferior. 



However, it seems clear from the Judges' remarks that much of 

 the rubber sent was younger than that of Ceylon, presumably from 

 younger trees. This of course was the fault of the Exhibitors for 

 as the Malay Peninsula planters started planting just at the same 

 time as those of Ceylon, possibly a little earlier, there are plenty 

 of trees as old in the Peninsula as any in plantations in Ceylon. 

 Many do not appear to have shown the best they could turn out. 



The Official list of prizes is published in the Ceylon Weekly Times 

 from which we take the following notes: — Biscuits were but little 

 exhibited by the Malay planters, only five Exhibitors against 47 

 Ceylon planters. Biscuits have, as a matter of fact, gone out of 

 fashion here for some time, naturally the prizes fell to Ceylon 

 planters. In Sheet rubber, the Peninsula showed in larger propor- 

 tion, Kuala Kangsa Gardens got an extra silver medal and Kamu- 

 ning an honourable mention. In Crepe Pataling got a silver medal. 

 In the best sample of Worm-flake or block, Lanadron got the gold 

 medal, Scrap was won by Vallambrosa, silver medal, and an 

 honourable mention to Jebong. Rambong was entirely won by 

 the Malay planters, Golden Hope a gold medal, Sungei Rengam 

 a silver one, Highlands and Lowlands, honourable mention. The 

 best Commercial Sample was won by Lanadron, whose superin- 

 tendent won a gold medal and a silver bowl, as well as a special 

 prize for the best sample of rubber from the Malay Peninsula. 



The points selected by the Judges were generally speaking 

 strength appearance, brightness of colour and smoothness of surface. 

 The Malay rubber was said to be darker in colour than that of 

 Ceylon. It may possibly be that this is due to climatic influence 

 during drying. Young rubber was said to be much improved by 

 being smoked and the attention of planters is caUed to this point 

 again. It is rather interesting to note how after many trials the 

 manufacture seems to be going back in many points to the earliest 

 methods in use here. The old herring-bone tapping in use in the 

 Botanic Gardens in 1890, is replacing spiral and other systems; 

 Block rubber, the form in which Para-rubber was shown at all 

 Horticultural Shows here for fifteen years is likely to replace crepe 

 and sheet, Biscuit practically disappearing; and smoking rubber, 

 always done in the early days of biscuits, is now probably to return. 



H. N. R. 



A DEVICE FOR TAKING AND RECORDING THE 

 GIRTH OF PARA RUBBER TREES. 



By P. J. Burgess. 



The instrument consists of a stout stick three and a half feet long 

 to which a leather strap is nailed at three feet from one end. The 

 strap is long enough to encircle the largest tree to be measured, and 



