610 



Seeds and Plants Presented. 



23. Seeds and plants were presented by A. D. Machado, Esq. ; 

 P. Moss, Esq.; Royal Gardens, Kew; Botanic Gardens, Peredania, 

 Ceylon; Botanic Department, Trinidad ; and J. W. Campbell, Esq. 



Agri-Horticultural Show. 



24. The Agri-Horticultural Show was held at Kuala Kangsar on 

 the 9th, 10th and 11th August. I acted as Honorary Secretary. The 

 Show was a great success and shewed a profit of $712.28. These 

 Shows increase in excellence year by year. The quality of the exhibits 

 was much in advance of those of former years. Perak exhibits were 

 particularly good in rubber, fruit and padi. Perak exhibitors carried 

 off 150 first prizes, 125 seconds and over 50 thirds, besides several silver 

 cups, medals and diplomas. The usual display of English vegetables 

 from the Larut Hill Gardens was staged and attracted great attention 



T. W. Main, 

 Superintendent, Government Plantations, Perak. 



CEARA RUBBER IN CHRISTMAS ISLAND. 



Mr. Tait writes. " The few plants we have here are making good 

 growth having reached a height of 12 feet and a girth of 7 inches, at 3 

 feet from the ground, at nine months old ; from all accounts this seems 

 a fair growth." 



This certainly seems satisfactory considering the peculiar nature 

 of the Christmas Island soil. The whole island consists of three raised 

 coral-reefs rising from sea level to about 1100 feet altitude, over this 

 coral rock lies a layer of phosphate of alumnia which is of some depth 

 near the settlement. During the dry season, the country gets very dry 

 and owing to the nature of the rock the water sinks through till it 

 arrives at the volcanic rock which forms the base of the island at 

 sea level. In such a peculiar soil and climate it is almost surprising 

 that anything grows well, but the whole island is forested with large 

 trees, and vegetables, limes, papaya, and other fruit trees grow well 

 on the rich brown soil near the settlement. Para rubber has been 

 planted as well as ceara, but it is probable that the latter will prove 

 the most suitable. 



H. N. Ridley. 



SOME INSECT PESTS. 



The memoirs of the Department of Agriculture in India always 

 contain interesting and well illustrated papers on agricultural sub- 

 jects and very valuable are Maxwell-Lefroy's life histories of insect 

 pests in these memoirs. The one recently appearing, Vol ii, No. 3, 

 contains an account of the red cotton bug Dysdercus cingulatus, an 

 insect which is as much responsible as anything in the climate for our 

 failure to grow cotton successfully here. 



