[August, 1912. 



Tapping. | 

 He describes the different methods, 

 half-section, third-section quarter-sec- 

 tion and basal tapping, and expresses 

 himself as favourable to the quarter 

 section system which does not allow the 

 new bark to be retapped till after a lapse 

 of four years. The record yield from a 

 single tree is 480 lbs. in two years, or 160 

 lbs. dry rubber. Where the bark is cut 

 away too rapidly or the trees tappetl 

 too vigorously the percentage of 

 caoutchouc in the latex is seriously 

 diminished. 



In his fifth lecture Mr. Wright refers to 

 Diseases op Rubber. 

 Any crop grown on large areas is 

 bound to be affected by disease. The 

 only way of dealing with affected plant- 

 ations is by plant sanitation, for which 

 the necessary staff of advisers and oper- 

 atives is essential. The four important 

 diseases are canker in stem and fruit 

 (Phytophora) ; pink fungus (Corticium); 

 die-back (Botryopiplodia) ; and Worries 

 semitostus. He deprecates the arrange- 

 ment by which one mycologist is provid- 

 ed for 220,000 acres in Ceylon as wholly 

 inadequate — (Summarised from the 

 India Rubber Journal.) 



PLANTATION RUBBER PREPAR- 

 ATION. 



In the India Rubber Journal for July, 

 1912, we find a circular drawn up by 

 Mr. R. E- Thompson who visited Ceylon 

 and the Malay States, which is worthy 

 of note. 



The question "What percentage of 

 Dry Rubber of each grade do you make 

 from the daily intake of Latex and Scrap" 

 is foreign to most planters, and the 

 following system by Mr. Thompson 

 should be of help. 



No. 1 grade should be made from the 

 first Latex strained into cups and 

 made in crepe or sheet as required. 



No. 2 grade from the naturally coagu- 

 lated lump should be carefully remov- 

 ed from the pail before the latex is 

 poured into the strainer, and made 

 into crepe. 



No. 3 grade from the scrap off the trees 

 made into crepe. 



No. 4 grade from the bark shavings 

 made into crepe. 



No. 5 grade from the earth rubber 

 made into crepe. 



It is important that crepe should be 

 made the same day as the latex is col- 

 lected. 



Daily percentages of dry rubber of 

 the abovejgrades should be registered, as 

 this acts as a check on the quantites 

 collected, and helps an owner to make 

 firm offers if he be a contractor. One 

 should bear in mind that any method by 

 which No. 1 grade can be increased at the 

 expense of No. 2, and No. 3 at the expense 

 of No. 4 is important. 



Smooth boxes should be used in pack- 

 ing to prevent splinters of wood com- 

 ing in contact with the rubber, as this 

 reduces the value of rubber. 



COTTON IN THE COLONIES. 



The British Cotton Growing Associ- 

 ation's Report (No. 48 of April, 1912,) for 

 lyll reviews the cotton work of the 

 Colonies, cf which the following is a 

 summary ;— 



India and Ceylon. 

 The proposal to cultivate cotton under 

 irrigation in Sind has unfortunately been 

 given up. Certain arrangements have, 

 however, been made with Bombay 

 spinners for better prices being given 

 to those who grow superior varieties. 

 There is no doubt that as a result of 

 the Association's representations some 

 of the cotton now grown is of much 

 better quality and is acquiring a wider 

 market, 



In Ceylon Messrs, Freudenberg & Co. 

 are still doing their best to foster the. 



