541 



plant, it is probable that the rubber will grow more vigorously than in 

 clean weeded fields, and with no cost for weeding. 



That the thorns on the Mimosa will be a nuisance to coolies get- 

 ting about the estate. This argument is used without considering that 

 by putting in green manure, the number of coolies whose work will 

 take them into the field is very small and their legs canbe protected. 

 The only reason why coolies are needed in a field properly covered by 

 the green manure is to search for white ants and to put in any supplies, 

 the latter work will very probably be lessened by the fact that the 

 shaded ground gives very much better conditions for the growth of the 

 young rubber plants than its exposure to sun and rain. 



That the appearance of an estate would be against it in the eyes 

 of a valuer. The answer to this is that when the valuer or retired 

 planter, to whose mind such methods are worse than sacrilege, sees 

 that the growth of the trees is as good as before, and remembers the 

 money that has been saved, he will no longer consider bare soil the 

 acme of good planting. 



The chief argument that I have personally met with among plant- 

 ers is " Yes, if you could convince my ' V.A.' or my Directors, but 

 unless they are convinced I am powerless," but this difficulty can be 

 removed by the planter clearly showing by measurement of trees and 

 figures of decrease of cost on a small plot that the method is correct. 

 It is difficult to remove fixed and long standing views as to tropical 

 cultivation from the minds of men who have experience, but the stern 

 facts of dollars and cents saved without diminution of vigour in the 

 rubber trees when shown will convert. 



Before leaving this question I may be allowed to quote from Dr. E. 

 B. Vorkee's recent work on agriculture published during last year. 



This is written in regard to American agriculture, where the con- 

 ditions are not so unfavourable for clean weeding as in tropical coun- 

 tries with a heavy rainfall. 



" To keep the land constantly occupied with growing plants is 

 particularly important, both in the hot summer months and in fall and 

 spring. The covering of the land in summer prevents the temperature 

 rising so high a3 to destroy the organisms in the soil, while the cover- 

 ing in fall and spring prevents the mechanical losses that occur from 

 wind and rain and by the carrying away of food in the soil water." 



Dr. Alfred Eussel Wallace, whose name will always be associated 

 with Malayan regions, writes to me in regard to the protective forest 

 belts which have been, and are being, laid out through the Federated 

 Malay States : " They prevent the loss of soil which can never be re- 

 placed." The italics are Dr. Wallace's. This is also true of the soil 

 lost by clean weeding. 



On some estates there are growing among the weeds leguminous 

 plants which possess nitrogenous nodules on their roots, and it may be 

 possible in these cases for coolies to be shown how to leave these 

 plants in weeding, so that in a short time they may get entire on of 

 the field and weeding, so that in a short time they may get entire 

 possession of the field and weeding may be discontinued. Leguminous 

 plants can often be recognised by those unacquainted with botany, their 



