December, 1912.] 



455 



7. Specimens of discoloured crepe were exhibited and discussed and 



Mr. Golledge promised to furnish the Chairman with the results 

 of some investigations he had m-ide on the cause of discolour- 

 ation. 



8. Thinning out and manuring of rubber was discussed, and it was 



suggested that the Director of Agriculture should take up both 

 these questions when the new Department became properly 

 organised and staffed. 



8rt, Resolved that Mr. Josaph Praser be asked whether it would be 

 possible tor him to attend the next meeting and give the 

 Committee the benefit of his views on the question of manuring 

 rubber. 



9. Discussed the Northway system of tapping. 



Circulated specimens of bark from Hevea trees which had been under 

 this system. It was pointed out that the interesting stage at 

 Deviturai Estate was now approaching when renewed bark will 

 first be tapped (end of this year). 



10. Announced that some new experiments had been staited at Hen- 



aratgoda to determine the effect which light and air has on the 

 yield of the old Hevea trees that were planted on the outside 

 and have had plenty of room. Also whether the results 

 obtained by Dr. Lock on the interval experiment apply to the 

 single V system as well as to the 3 V. The Hon'ble Mr. Rosling 

 stated that in his belief the trees of the Second and Riverside 

 Plantations were planted in about the year 1886 and would there- 

 fore now be 26 years old, 



11. An inspection was made of the specimens of Wickham's hard cured 



rubber and of Wickham's Rubber Smoker at work. 



PROGRESS REPORT OF EXPERIMENT STATION PERADENIYA 



Prom 13th September to 7th November, 1912. 



Tea. — There was a general falling off in yield during September, but 

 a recovery during October. 



The Dadaps in plot 149 were pruned on October 16th and 17th, and 

 yielded 2851 lbs. of mulch. 



The Albizzias in plot 150 were pruned on October 18th and 19th, and 

 yielded 2,585 lbs. of mulch. 



Cacao. — There is every indication of the crop which has now set 

 being an exceptionally heavy one. 



The trees have been comparatively free from canker. 



Canker in the pods has been rather prevalent, and as the practice 

 adopted here of removing fungus pods only during the rounds of picking 

 results in diseased pods remaining for some time on the tree to their 

 detriment, two special coolies have been put on, whose sole duty it is to 

 make repeated visits to the plots for the purpose of collecting all diseased 

 pods. 



Dr. Lock has examined every tree in plots 88 and 89, and has 

 marked all those which do not belong to the Nicaraguan variety. The 

 marked trees are now being cut out. 



