326 



specimens "gives one furiously to think." The specimens 

 were two cut from the same Lanadron block which was 

 shown at the Peradeniya show two years and a half ago, 

 and travelled all over India, to Assouan, Europe and finally 

 came to anchor in London. Thus they went through the 

 extremes of heat and cold, of damp and dry. Of the two 

 one is as clear, amber brown resilient, tough and good as 

 when it was turned out of the press. The other tacky black 

 and soft like half chewed toffee. Why! what caused this 

 remarkable difference? The good one was carried about 

 loose in a Kit bag or suit case. The spoilt one in a nice 

 air tight metal case and carefully fixed to the lid to prevent 

 its rattling about. It began to degenerate in three weeks. 



In this connection I may mention a sample of a small 

 square block made in the Botanic Gardens fifteen years ago 

 or more, which has just been left about usually in a glass 

 case fully exposed to the air, and has not gone tacky or soft 

 at all but is firm and thoroughly resilient. 



As Mr. James Ryan in his letter states much has to be 

 learnt yet in the method of packing rubber for export, and 

 promises in a future article to give some practical sug- 

 gestions on the way it should be done, in the India Rubber 

 Journal. 



These suggestions will be welcome to all planters and 

 we shall look forward to their publication. 



Ed. 



PLANT SANITATION. 



The cultivation of clove trees, which was once an exten- 

 sive industry in Singapore, is said to have almost ceased 

 owing to the attacks of disease; and it is stated that the 

 chief cause is a fungus which produces red spots on the 

 leaves. On the appearance of this report, the few clove 

 trees at Peradeniya were examined to see whether the same 

 disease occurred in Ceylon. All were found to be fairly 

 vigorous, and showed no signs of any serious injury, except 

 in one instance. Dark red spots were fairly common on the 

 leaves, but these were purely local and did not affect the 

 general health of the trees ; they answer to the description 

 of the spots on the leaves in Singapore, though, until the 

 fungus in the latter case is identified, it is impossible to 

 determine whether the cause is the same. The red spots at 

 Peradeniya are caused by a red alga, Cephalewros para- 

 sitica. This species is closely related to Gephaleuros m$- 



