342 



The Supplement to the Tropical Agriculturist 



the young and actively growing rootlets. Ii the 

 soil, at the time of application, be excessively dry, 

 immediate effects may not be noticed from the 

 application of nitrate of soda until a rainfall 

 occurs, or until artificial irrigation is applied. 

 If, on the contrary, the soil is moist at the 

 time of application, and gentle rains occur soon 

 afterwards, quite striking results are shown 

 within two or three days, but a deep and 

 thorough incorporation of the nitrate in the soil 

 will be of advantage. In some cases the yield 

 of Ceara rubber trees was doubled during the 

 fall tapping period by the application of one 

 half-pound of nitrate of soda per tree. Io has 

 not been determined exactly how the nitrate of 

 soda brings about this stimulation in the flow of 

 latex, but the fact appears to be true, and is be- 

 lieved to be well worth considering at tapping 

 time on commercial plantations. The coagula- 

 tion of the latex liKewise appears to bo much 

 improved from the use of the nitrate of soda." 



A simple experiment on these lines, following 

 the advice as to moisture, and thorough incor- 

 poration of the nitrate in soil, can be easily car- 

 ried out on any plantation at very small cost 

 and, as Dr. Wiloox remarks, such a trial is well 

 worth considering at tapping time on commer- 

 cial plantations. 



M. H. i\ 



— Rubber World, Sept. 19. 



OPENING ROBBER ESTATES. 



How the Steam Plough Has Worked 

 On Devon Estate, Malacca. 



We have received the following copy of a 

 report dealing with the method in which Devon 

 estate, Malacca, has been opened up : — 



The results of the scientific methods employed 

 in opening up this estate have been highly 

 satistaotory, and show what can be done by 

 boldly leaving the beaten track. The estate at 

 present consists of two divisions, North Devon 

 with 300 acres planted and 1,950 lalang ; South 

 Devon, 2,150 acres (of this it is estimated 200 

 are taken up by swamps, house and village 

 reservations, etc.), giving a total area of 4,500 

 which it is proposed to plant up by end of June, 

 1913. 



The oldest trees are about 19 months and 

 have a growth equal to any upland trees of that 

 age I have seen, whilst the newly planted 

 clearings all seem to be growing well. Plant- 

 ing distance is 22'x22 diagonally, which gives 

 104 trees to the acre. 



The land has been well chosen for this form 

 of culture, being practically flat, and there 

 should be little or no trouble from wash at South 

 Devon. The northern division, however, has 

 several hills which will probably cause some 

 trouble at a later date. 



The unopened countty at North Devon is 

 going forward in a manner decidedly novel to 

 one accustomed to the ordinary method of fel- 

 ling, burning and stumping, etc. Any blukor 

 growing amongst the lalang of which almost, 

 the whole area is composed, is first grubbed 

 out by the roots, and burnt clean. The cattle 

 drawn mowing machines then cut down close 



to the ground all lalang, which is burnt off. 

 The next step is the plough, a great double 

 ended affair drawn backwards and forwards 

 between two cable engines standing a quarter 

 of a mile apart. These engines are capable of 

 ploughing 10 acres in a day, and very socn open 

 up the soil for the disc harrows which are 

 worked on a similar principle by a second pair 

 of engines following behind. When the soil 

 has been broken up and rendered friable the 

 dead lalans; on the surface is collected with a flat 

 harrow drawn by the same power. The land is 

 now ready for holing and planting. Any lalang 

 left alive dealt with in the ordinary course 

 of wee-fin?, which is being done at a very low 

 cost per acre. 



Various manurial experiments are being made, 

 amongst which is the sowing of ground nuts 

 (legume) It is hoped that the seeds of these 

 will cover cost of cultivation, whilst the Ieave3 

 and stems will be ploughed in as manure. It 

 will be interesting to hear the result of this 

 experiment, as the ground nut reduces the cost 

 of weeding to practically nil, and will also stop 

 any tendency to wash after heavy rain. 



The estate is situated at the 18th and 21st 

 miles on the Merlimau Road and is said to be 

 exceptionally healthy, none of the staff up to 

 now having been sick at all. 



Labour is all free and consists of Malays 

 drawn from the neighbourhood, whilst there 

 are a bare number of Chinese working on con- 

 tracts. 



Without wishing to be too enthusiastic, this 

 i3 one of the finest estates I have yet seen, 

 and at the low capitalisation of £20 per acre 

 — at which it is hoped to bring the total area 

 desired into bearing — should become one of the 

 best paying rubber companies in the East. — 

 Straits Times, Sept. 7- 



PLANTING RUBBER IN SEYCHELLES. 



The Colonial Office report on the Seychelles 

 for 1911 states that the quantity of tortoise shell 

 exported was over a ton, valued at 1141,597, the 

 prices ruling high throughout the year. The 

 markets are London and Paris. The number of 

 turtle captured each year varies, but the aver- 

 age quantity of shell obtained shows no diminu- 

 tion. Some interesting experiments are being 

 made in the rearing of young turtles from the 

 egg in enclosed areas. The Government has 

 advanced on easy terms the capital required by 

 the lessee of one of the Grown Islands, and there 

 seems at present a likelihood that the venture 

 may prove successful. The " carets " grow more 

 rapidly in confinement than in the open sea, and 

 the weight of shell is proportionately greater, 

 but many difficulties have yet to be surmounted 

 before the experiments can be pronounced to be 

 successful. The planting of Para rubber, the 

 report continues, advances steadily ; 62,000 

 seedlings have been planted out in 1911 from the 

 seeds of rubber trees growing in Seychelles. 

 Rubber appears as an export for the first time in 

 1911, viz., kilos. 132, which realised the full 

 prices of good plantation rubber. Some 25,000 

 trees will have reached a tappable size in 1912. 

 —London Times, Aug. 26. 



