1 89 



pi mts for cultivation in the "1 lopics" and have met tlie unfortunat 

 planter who spent niDney on trying' to grow these plants in th-- 

 Malay Peninsula, and is sorry lie did it. The whole circumstances 

 of thi diTirent portions of tlie w-irni regions, which are called in a 

 lump the Tropics, are so different that each requires a special form of 

 agriculture of its own. For instance, the cullivatio4i system of the 

 Deccan Peninsula of India is as different from that of the Malay 

 Peninsula as is the system required in Kent from that of Egypt. 

 Crops, manures, methods and machinery are all different. 



The article on Rubber diseases cannot be said to be anything like 

 up-to-date, but the author apologises for cutting it short on account 

 -of want of time. The next two chapters on Castilloa, by Fawcett 

 and on Ceara are as good as anything in the bjok, and of considerable 

 interest. 



The final chapter is on Mechanical Appliances, Insecticides and 

 Fungicides and one is glad to see so many English firms mentioned as 

 paying attention to our requirements in this direction. It must be 

 -admitted that it is not always easy for a firm in England lo realise 

 the class of tool required for the use of native labour in the east, or 

 to appreciate without a series of careful experiments in tiie Tropics 

 the circumstances under which its insecticides have to be employed. 

 No Malay would use the double bucked bill hook figured as used 

 for clearing bush. The English bill-hook is too heavy, too short, and 

 the hooked point is a defect. Manufeicturers must study the tools as 

 used by the natives themselves, who know by long experience the 

 most serviceable form of tool. There has been considerable iniprove- 

 ment in this direction of late years, but in former years the agricul- 

 tural implements for native use supplied by English firtns were often 

 more suitable as museum curiosities than for any other purpose. The 

 author is rather strong on the Vacuum Dryer but as far as Rubber is 

 concerned this has not been popular v/ith the planter apparently from 

 the great heat to which the rubber is submitted. Mr. T. D. Taylor, 

 in an article on this, declares that this luay be obviated by not letting 

 the rubber get "bone-dry," and affirms that vacuum dried rubber 

 obtains the best price that rules in the market. Is this so.? One 

 may be pardoned for doubting it. 



The parts of the book which deal with cacao are useful and im- 

 portant as might be expected, for the author is well known as an 

 authority on this crop. 



The work is well illustrated and is distinctly worth placing on the 

 planter s bookshelf. — Ed. 



THE MALAY MEDICAL JOURNAL. 



The second number of this useful Journal (April II) under the 

 editorship of Dr. Brooke contains an account of Rengas-poisoning by 

 the Director of Gardens, ^.vith details as to the plants producing it, 



