470 



its roots out horizontally over a large area. Here the roots 

 were descending vertically- as if seeking to reach the clay 

 hed which underlay the peat at a considerable depth. Where 

 the clay came near the surface the plants undoubtedly did 

 better but a depth of 12 feet or even less of the vegetable 

 debris was fatal to them. 



It has been shown lately by experiment that a wet 

 swamp of peaty soil, that is one with an excess of vegetable 

 matter is not hygrophytic but xero phytic and that the fjlants 

 naturally found there are specially adapted for drought, 

 that is to say, a shortage of water. 



The reason for this is that these peaty soils contain in 

 their water an excess of humic acid. This acid has so 

 deleterious an effect on the protoplasm of the plants not 

 specially adapted for growth in such soils that the water 

 which should be taken up by the roots is actually poisonous 

 and cannot be used by them at all. In fact it has much the 

 same effect as sea-water. 



Nothing could be more unsuitable for the Hevea which 

 requires a lot of water and requires it good. Plants in soil 

 such as this become weak and very soon succumb to the 

 attacks of fungus. They have no strength to resist any 

 disease. In any case they could never make healthy trees 

 even if there was no fungus about. In ground of this 

 nature I have recently heard of a mortality of 100 per cent, 

 and that the area planted has had to be entirely abandoned. 

 In many parts of the Peninsula there are still left consider- 

 able areas of similar soil to this I have described, and 

 planters would do well to avoid this ground entirely for 

 rubber planting. 



H. N. Ridley. 



COTTON IN BAR AM, SARAWAK. 



Some samples of cotton grown at Baram in Sarawak 

 were forwarded by the Resident of Baram with a request 

 for report as to value. Part of this was sent to Professor 

 Dunstan of the Imperial Institute, whose report is an- 

 nexed. 



Native cotton has not unfrequently been reported on 

 from the Malay Peninsula and Islands. It was formerly 

 cultivated as half wild in Mnar. The samples have some- 

 times proved equal in quality to the Baram sample, that is 

 to say while not of the very best quality, still a perfectly 

 good saleable article. Could the Dyaks be induced to con- 



