448 



semble mimosa and are of a light green colour. The plant 

 sembles possesses an advantage over mimosa in that it is 

 devoid of thorns and therefore makes it quite easy for 

 coolies to go amongst it, up to the present we have only had 

 a small nursery plot of this plant; it, however, seeds freely 

 and a large area will be put out as seeds ripen. 



The only disadvantage with this plant (that a serious 

 one) noted up to date is that as soon as it comes in contact 

 with the stem of a plant it quickly climbs, and if not watched 

 would soon smother out plants growing amongst it. 



Weeding Experiment, Batu Tiga. — Four 1-acre blocks 

 planted with Para rubber — i.e., seedlings two months old 

 from nursery — were treated as follows to show the differ- 

 ence between clean weeding, the use of cover plants and not 

 weeding : 



Plot A. Planted with mimosa and not weeded after 

 the mimosa had got established; 

 „ B. Clean weeded; 



„ C. A circle three feet round each plant is weed- 

 ed, rest of field unweeded ; 

 „ D. Not weeded. 

 The results were: 





Average height. 



Average 

 girth. 



No. of 

 failures. 





ft. ins. 







A. .. 



..13 4f . 



. 5 



. . 35 



B. .. 



..19 4J . 



. 6f 



o 



C. .. 



.. 16 10^ . 



. 4 



. . 34 



D. . . 



.. 14 9J . 



. 4 



. . 26 



Notes on Above. — It will be noticed that the clean 

 weeded plots shows the best results. 



The mimosa plot would show much better results were 

 it more even, many of the trees have attained a height of 

 over 20 feet, two each 24 feet and one 25 feet high. Most of 

 the failures in this plot are, I consider, due to the plants 

 being smothered by the mimosa. 



Ekadication or Lalang (Imperata arund'utacea). — 

 Early in the year a series of experiments was initiated for 

 the eradication of lalang by spraying and by mechanical 

 means, in each case the plots treated were one acre. 



The working plan was as follows : 



Plot A. Control; 

 „ B. Sprayed ro solution arsenite of soda ; 



n y* n so ii ii 



„ D. Ground changkolled over ; 



„ E. „ and planted with passiflora; 



