323 



the same if there be too little. For this purpose a large drain has 

 been made round each plot surrounded by a bund. Cross drains 

 have been placed at one chain apart. 



Parts of the land have been changkolkd and over a good deal 

 lime has been spread in varying quantities. 



The soil was drained and changkoUed about two months before 

 the water was on the land ; in the forthcoming years a longer period 

 will be available as the drains are now made. 



- For future reference it will be of interest to describe roughly the 

 nature of the soil on the plots which are now being used for experi- 

 ment. The 13 acres at Simpang Tiga are covered with a surface 

 layer of peat varying from I inch to I foot in depth. There is a clay 

 subsoil. On the 2^ acres between Simpang Tiga and Simpang Lima 

 there is a surface layer of peat in parts several feet deep. In other 

 places there are out crops of clay. There is a clay subsoil. 



At Sungei Bogak the land is wholly peat and it is unlikely that 

 any success will attend the experiments there. 



The largest stretch of this poor land that I know of in the irriga- 

 tion area lies between Simpang Tiga and Bagan Serai. It is a stretch 

 of about 8 miles and averages at least ^ in width. How much of 

 this land can be brought into proper cultivation and how much will 

 have to be excluded from the irrigation area is one of the points which 

 the experiments will help to decide. 



Dept: of Agricul: F. M. S. 



DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AMAZONS AND 

 PLANTATION RUBBER. 



In the Bulletin Mensuel de la Chambre d'Agriculture de la 

 Cochin-Chine, July IQII, p.479, M. Vernet commences a series of 

 articles on the preparation and commercial value of the different sorts 

 of Crude Rubber, that is the crude rubber of Hevea braziliensis. After 

 a general introduction he proceeds to point out that wild Para rubber 

 is actually valued more highly than Plantation Para. This he shows 

 to be the case by giving the values of the two forms at the date 

 March, 1911, as being 17 francs 50 for wild smoked Para and lO francs 

 25 for very pale crepe, and, as the wild Para when treated gives 82 

 per cent, of commercial washed rubber and the pale crepes 99 per 

 cent., the value of the Wild Para when washed gives 21 francs 34, as 

 against 18 francs 43 of crepe. 



The reasons for this difference in value he attempts to in- 

 vestigate. 



The principal factors which are of importance to manufacturers 

 in dealing with rubbers of different kinds are (l) their output in com- 

 mercial rubber washed and dried, and (2) the actual value of this 

 washed rubber. 



