262 



AGRICULTURAL BULLETIN 



OF THE 



STRAITS 



AND 



FEDERATED MALAY STATES. 



No. 6.] JUNE, 1909. [Vol. VIII 



THE CULTIVATION OF PASSIFLORA FOETIDA 

 AND MIKANIA SCANDENS : 



TO KEEP DOWN OTHER WEEDS. 



By M. Kelway Bamber. 



The former plant, which grows luxuriantly in the dry 

 and wet zones of Ceylon and the rich alluvial soils of 

 the Federated Malay States, was recommended to be grown 

 on estates badly infested with lalang, in order to choke out 

 the grass and other jungle growths, and provide a dense 

 covering of organic matter over the whole surface* of the 

 soil. Its use was first suggested in the Federated Malay 

 States about a year ago, when it was noticed how the plant 

 was completely over-running the abandoned Malay cam- 

 pongs, and choking out every form of weed in them, includ- 

 ing the much-dreaded lalang. 



The cost of digging out the latter to completely era- 

 dicate it was proving prohibitive, often as much as $65 or 

 B113, per acre; and many estates could not afford this en- 

 ormous unremunerative outlay. Ordinary weeding also 

 was proving in many cases very expensive, and a heavy 

 drain on the reserve capital for bringing the planted areas 

 into bearing ; and it became necessary to find some means of 

 reducing expenditure without injuring or delaying the 

 growth of the rubber. From the climbing habit of the 

 plant it spreads more rapidly over strong growing lalang 



