598 



can be done when one is sure of getting a fair amount of rain. The 

 growth of young trees whose roots have never been disturbed will be 

 more rapid, also stronger, and the plants, I believe, less liable to 

 disease than stumps taken from nurseries, which in the course of 

 transplanting have their roots more or less mutilated. Failing planting 

 at stakes the next best process would be to plant out the seedlings as 

 soon as possible after germination. In connection with this experi- 

 ment 500 seeds of the same batch as above were sown in nursery beds. 



Towards the end of December a plot of 150 plants was put out 

 from this lot. Similar batches will be put out in April and November 

 this year and records kept of rate of growth, etc. 



Close Planting. — The question having arisen as to whether it 

 might not pay when a very large return was required for a limited 

 number of years, to resort to close planting, seeing the increased 

 tapping ^rea available, a block of one acre was planted out 4' x 2'. 

 Records of growth, tapping area, effect of close planting on the 

 trees and latex, will be kept and published from time to time. 



Rubber seeds. — The crop of rubber seeds was plentiful, but the 

 demand almost nil. Eighty-six thousand seeds were despatched to 

 New Guinea. 



Four consignments of seeds, both whole and decorticated, were 

 despatched, one to the Imperial Institute, two to merchants and man- 

 ufacturers in England and one to Australia for experiment and report 

 as to the possibilities of para seed oil as an article of commerce. 



Manicoba Rubber (Manihot sp.). — Seeds of this rubber were re- 

 ceived from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in April, and a Wardian 

 case of 50 plants in July. They were in both cases on arrival placed 

 in nursery beds, and planted out in permanent quarters in November 

 during the wet season. 



The plant, which is a native of Brazil, is said to be superior 

 to the Ceara rubber (Manihot glazovii). In general appearance the 

 plant is more compact and the leaves smaller and darker than those 

 of Ceara. 



Rambong {Ficus elastica). — Plants of this useful rubber were 

 obtained from the Forest Department, Perak, and a plot of two acres 

 planted out, 30' x 30'. 



Castilloa elastica. — Seeds of this rubber, so valuable in some 

 parts of the world, were obtained from the old Kuala Kangsar trees 

 and also from Kamuning Estate, Perak, from which a stock of young 

 plants has been raised for planting in the present year. 



Camphor. — The camphor trees at Batu Tiga, planted in 1904, 

 continue to make good progress, the average measurement of the trees 

 is now 19 feet and about 8 feet through at 3 feet from the ground. 

 Several of the stronger trees are over 21 feet high. It is unfortunate 

 that no distillations have been made so far to determine the actual 

 yield of camphor ; there is at present ample material available to work 

 upon. It is important that this work be done without delay. 



A supply of camphor seeds was obtained from Messrs. Molli- 

 son & Co., Japan, on the 3rd May, and sown at once in nursery beds 

 in moderate shade. From this batch about 600 plants were obtained. 

 Germination commenced about the end of June; on the 15th July a 



