446- 



plant and as a green manure. In Batu Tiga about six acres 

 of it have been planted up. The plants have made a dense 

 ''over and have succeeded in keeping in check all weeds 

 except lalang. 



This pestilent weed, which was in the ground or in 

 the immediate neighbourhood before the experiment start- 

 ed, seems to take complete possession of the plots wherever 

 it conies up. The ground in which lalang patches were 

 growing was dug up and the roots picked before the plants 

 were put in. 



The mimosa had made good headway before the lalang 

 got up, but once the latter began to get away it grow and 

 spread rapidly, and now looks like killing out the mimosa, 

 which was at one time a dense mass over a foot high. On 

 the other hand, in some places where there was no lalang 

 before planting, none has come up. 



Except where it encroaches from an adjacent lalang 

 patch it is possible that if the ground were covered up as 

 soon as burnt off, and before lalang had time to get in, that 

 it might then act as a preventative and keep lalang out; 

 but of this we have as yet had no opportunity of judging. 



Three plots of mimosa, each a tenth of an acre, were 

 cut over to six inches above the ground once during the year 

 and the fresh cutting weighed with a view to finding the 

 amount of mulching material rendered available by this 

 process. 



The plots cut over were about 10 months old and well 

 covered, the average total of mulching material worked out 

 at 2,950 lbs. per acre. 



Desmodium triflorum. — This plant which gave some 

 promise last year, and which, if established, would make an 

 ideal cover plant, has been given up owing to its liability 

 to attacks of insect pests. The difficulty of establishing 

 it would also make it impracticable for estate work. 



Tephrosia. — Two species of Tephrosia (Candida and 

 purpurea) have been tried during the year, both of which 

 are very much alike in habit. The plant grows about 15 to 

 30 inches high. It has the advantage over crotalaria in 

 that it is dwarfer in habit and therefore better adapted for 

 planting in young clearings. 



Tephrosia Candida. — A small supply of seed of this 

 plant was received and sown in September. The seeds 

 germinated well and were up in a week, the plant grow 

 quickly to a height of about 15 inches, after which upward 

 growth was slow and the side growths began to develop. 

 The ground was well covered about two months after sow- 



