13 



A NEST OF TERMES MALAYANUS WITH MANY 



QUEENS. 



It is comparatively seldom that more than one queen occurs in 

 the nest of Termes Malayanus. To find two in the queen's chamber 

 is however not of very great rarity. In a nest found in the Botanic 

 Gardens many years ago, five queens were found in one chamber, 

 accompanied by five kings. The latter had obviously been fighting, 

 as all were damaged by the loss of legs, or parts of legs. Recently 

 a nest of the same species was dug up in the Gardens which contained 

 no less than 8 queens. The queens were rather small, and were all 

 enclosed in the same mud-chamber which was as usual larger than is 

 made for one queen. I think this is the largest number ever found 

 in one nest. — Ed. 



THE WORLD'S FUTURE RUBBER SUPPLY. 

 Based on the Report of fhe Malacca Rubber Plantations, Ltd. 



The report of the directors of the Malacca Rubber Plantations 

 Ltd., submitted to the third annual meeting of the shareholders on 

 the 26th ult. and adopted unanimously, should provide food for 

 reflection for those interested in the probable supply of rubber in the 

 not far distant future. 



In this report the directors inform us that " the time has now 

 arrived when they feel justified in passing on to the shareholders the 

 carefully prepared estimates of future yield made by the local 

 management." 



These " carefully prepared estimates " allow for a production of 

 750,000 lbs. in 1910, increasing steadily to 7,500,000 lbs. in the year 

 191 5 : as there are, according to the report, 2,750,000 trees planted on 

 15,000 acres, this is equivalent to an average yield of 2.72 lbs. per 

 tree or 500 lbs. per acre. 



It is not my intention to criticise these estimates, but, on the 

 assumption that they are fair and reasonable, to follow the lead 

 which the Malacca directors have given us and to endeavour to 

 deduce from them an approximate estimate of the supply of plantation 

 rubber, say 5-6 years hence. 



The estimated output for the whole of Southern Asia has been 

 put by various authorities at from 25,000—35,000 tons by the year 

 1914 or 191 5 : occasionally someone has had the temerity to suggest 

 that the probable output will be much more, but even the estimate of 

 35,000 tons has been questioned by those who should be in a position 

 to form their own opinion. Let us, however, look stern facts in the 

 face, and see how the production works out on the basis allowed by the 

 directors of the Malacca Rubber Estates. 



We find in the annual report of the director of agriculture, 

 F. M. S., for 1905, that there were 241,138 acres planted in the Malay 

 Peninsula by December 1908 ; while the Ceylon Directory gives the 

 area under rubber in that island as 184,000 acres in June 1909— say 

 182,000 acres by December 1 908, as only 4,000 acres were planted 

 during the year ending June 1909. It is not possible to obtain 

 accurate figures of the area planted with rubber in other countries 



