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For some time experiments have had been carried on 

 with a view to introdnce a plant, which would be able to 

 keep weeds ont and at the same time itself benefit or at least 

 do no harm to the rubber trees, and for this purpose I 

 have found Tephrosia purpurea admirably adapted. 



As this plant, seed of which was kindly presented me 

 by Dr. Treub of Buitenzorg, is new to the F. M. S., some 

 information of how it was established may be of interest. 



The first plot was only 20' by 40' and was planted up 

 with one or two seeds in every square foot. The place was 

 then clean of weeds but had not been changkolled, and some 

 lalang had only been cut down, while the roots were un- 

 touched. 



In the second plot conditions were different. 



In belukar land, to save expense, a path or rentis 6 feet 

 wide had been cut along each row of trees, and when at this 

 work the coolies had generally scraped aside a little earth 

 by which gradually two ridges had been formed one on each 

 side of the row of trees. In these ridges every few feet a 

 couple of seeds were put in, and after 5-7 weeks all failures 

 were supplied. Otherwise no special care was taken, only 

 of course the ceolies were told not to pull these plants up 

 when weeding, and care should be taken to choose a rainy 

 season for this work. 



The Tephrosia will grow slowly at first, and at 4 

 months old it has only grown into a small bushy plant, but 

 it then commences to assert itself amongst the surrounding 

 weeds. When full grown it is about 5-6 feet high and each 

 plant spreads to the same extent. 



My oldest plot was sown in Jime and has not been 

 weeded since the end of August 1907, viz ; during 19 months. 



One creeper has grown up in it, but in other ways it 

 looks all right and the lalang, which formerly was on this 

 spot has now disappeared. 



My second plot was planted May last partly in lalang. 

 The Tephrosia now form two solid hedges through which 

 nothing penetrates, and the weeding is here done at a very 

 small cost. 



The hedges are sufficiently apart to allow the air to 

 circulate along the trees, and the ground is always soft and 

 nice. So far the time has been too short to show any ad- 

 vantage in growth of trees, but they certainly look as good 

 as any in my clean weeded area. 



To make the Tephrosia grow in hedges has the ad- 

 vantage of a better air-circulation around the roots, and it 

 also makes it easier to get about when inspecting the plan- 

 tation ; but other methods have also advantages. To take 



