66 



It is advisable to shift the rubber from time to time in the smoke 

 house so that it may be evenly smoked. If not moved or turned 

 over a pale line is left where the rubber is in contact with the rattan 

 and consequently not smoked, and this spoils its appearance. 



The advantages of this style of smoking house are cheapness of 

 erection, economy of smoke, dryness and safety from fire, with com- 

 plete efficiency.— Ed. 



SCIENCE AND AGRICULTURE. 



Nearly £50,000,000 of British capital has been invested in the 

 growing of Indiarubber trees. Many enormous estates are being 

 planted with this profitable crop within the British Empire. Thus, 

 both Brirish money and British land are being used for the produc- 

 tion of the material. The question naturally arises : Can British 

 skill and British scientific knowledge take care of these gigantic crops 

 and secure them from the attacks of disease 



Unfortunately, the question must be answered in the negative. 

 We have within the Empire some of the finest foresters and some of 

 the most expert botanists in the world : but the study of vegetable 

 physiology and plant diseases is a strangely neglected one. Within 

 the last eight months it has been recognised b}^ London financiers, 

 that one of the necessities of the time was a supply of first class 

 economic botanists; of men skilled in the identification and cure of 

 plant diseases. These new plantations of rubber trees have been 

 robbed, so to speak, of the wild habit and brought into a itate of 

 domestication. They are often being grown in nurseries, and need 

 something more than the attention of their natural nurses, the 

 planters ; they need doctors who will see to their health, watch for 

 the approach of disease, and cure their troubles before they have 

 become serious. There is a certain supply of these plant doctors, 

 mycologists and botanical physiologists, forthcoming from Germany 

 and Austria, and these have been eagerly sought out and employed. 

 In England there is no school where such men are trainee. The 

 schools of botany in many parts of England are excellent, notably 

 the one in Liverpool and one under Professor Farmer in the Royal 

 College of Science at South Kensington. 



When the latter institution was applied to a little while ago by 

 certain rubber growers who had offices in the City of London, 'vrites 

 the correspondent in question, the reply was given that there were 

 plenty of first-class students. " Then let us have as many as you 

 can," was the request of the City people. Two or three suitable men 

 were found worthy to undertake the work, but before they could 

 proceed to the plantation it was found necessary that they should go 



