468 



The flow of latex irrespective of age increases with the size of the 

 tree and the best test of cultivation is a satisfactory increment of 

 growth, which should average not less than three inches per annum 

 from trees of twelve inches in girth to the fully developed tree. To 

 obtain such increment it is a matter of the first importance that the 

 trees are placed sufficiently wide apart so that the roots do not 

 intermingle while the trees are small, as when once this takes place 

 their growth is impeded. The increment of growth is more governed 

 by moisture or humidity than richness of soils and trees not closer 

 than 20 feet apart with suitable intervening catch-crops for the early 

 years must of necessity represent the best final result for the reason 

 that without a fair average increment of growth, bark development 

 is too slow and the bark becomes hard and the tree hide-bound and 

 the mauufacture and separation of globules of caoutchouc from the 

 latex is only partial. 



In the possibility too of fungoid diseases catch-crops are no 

 mean safe-guard. The idea of planting the trees too closely at first, 

 to be thinned out later is a very dangerous one, as was pointed out 

 in our first report. 



Conclusion. 



Of pests and diseases there is nothing special to report. The 

 fungoid disease Fomes semitostusd\\h.o\i<y\\ not eradicated has not en- 

 croached. A plague of slugs has been disposed of by planting various 

 catch-crops among the young trees. 



In drying rubber the highest market prices have been obtained 

 although we have had to work without the aid of machinery. On 

 this subject we shall be in a better position to comment by the time 

 of next report when the most suitable smoke for drying has been 

 obtained by further investigation. The work carried out for the 

 period under review has been pioneer work and we have endeav- 

 oured to shew by comparison through experiments the actual facts 

 which occur and when all the variations of the tree have been 

 reduced to order the physiological explanations will no doubt 

 follow. 



H. N. RIDLEY, 

 R. DERRY. 



