353 



margin of error. The weighings were made at the Kuala Lumpur 

 Experimental Plantation. I am indei)ted to Mr. F. G. Spring, Super- 

 intendent of Government Plantations, for the recording of them. 



Cost of Collection. 



In the Annual report of the Department of Agriculture, 

 Federated ^lalRv States, for 1908, the late Mr, Carruthers estimated 

 that the seeds could be collected here for 4 cen.ts (l-ld) per 1,000. 

 In Ceylon it was estimated b}^ Messrs. Macmillan and Petch that the 

 cost of collecting 1,000 seeds was 46. 



Accordingly on three separate occasions this year the seeds were 

 left 'to accumulate under our 12 years ofd trees for a week. Children 

 earning 18 cents per day were put on to collecting them with the 

 f(^llowing results : — 



i. 4,200 seeds were gathered at the rate of cts. 3.21 per 1,000. 

 ii. 5,000 „ „ 3.15 



iii. 4.500 ., .. „ 3.18 



On a larger plantation, if the children could be put on piece work, 

 I have little doubt that it would be easy to c jUect the seeds at 3 cts. 

 (0.84d.) per T,000. An estimate of one penny per thousand would 

 therefore be on the safe side. Why the cost should be so much 

 higher in Ceylon is difficult to say, the abundance of the seed harvest 

 and the frequency of collection would make large difterences. 



Weight of Seeds and Kernels. 



Another difierence of opinion existed as to the number of seeds 

 that would be required to produce one ton of kernels. Mr. Carruthers 

 estimated 414,000 seeds to the ton while Messrs. Macmillan and 

 Petch* placed the number at 700,000 at least. Their figures, however, 



refers to dried seeds while Mr. Carruthers' were for fresh ones. As 

 Mr. Carruthers' figures were based on the weighings of only 12 seeds, 

 his results were open to criticism on that score. 



Three separate lots of two thousand seeds were decorticated and 

 the weights of the kernels and shells taken separately : — 



No. of seeds. Weight of kernels. Weight of shells. Total Wt. 



2,000 10 lbs. 10^ oz>. 6 lbs. 3^4 ozs. 16 lbs. 14^2 ozs. 



2,000 10 „ „ 6 „ 41^ „ 16 lbs. 7 ozs. 



2,000 10 „ II „ 6 „ 4% „ 16 lbs isH ozs. 



Average weight of 1,000 kernels 5 lbs. 4 ozs. 



1,000 shells 3 „ 2 „ 



These were all from tapped trees, 12 years old. 



It will be n )liced that the weight of the shells is fairly uniform, 

 while that of the kernels varies somewhat. In calculating the 

 weights of kernels frjm the total weights, it will be safer therefore 

 to deduct y/i lbs. for every 1,030 shells, than to assume a propor- 



" Circulars of the Roj-a! Botanic Garden, Ceylon, Vol. iv. No. II, May 1908. 



