Gums, Resins, 



194 



[March, 1912. 



up and large air spaces are left in it. 

 Just as a loose layer on the surface 

 hinders loss of water from the upper 

 layers of soil into the air, so a loose 

 layer of soil at a greater depth checks 

 the upward passage of water from the 

 subsoil into the soil where it is required 

 for the use of surface rooting plants. 



In a dry climate, therefore, the best 

 result is obtained by compressing the 

 lower layers of soil immediately after 

 ploughing whilst leaving the upper 

 layers in a loose and friable condition. 

 For this purpose Professor N. W. 

 Campbell has introduced a special 

 form of roller known as a " sub-surface " 

 packer, having narrow iron wheels 

 placed sepaiately on a single axle. The 

 wheels have sharp edges and are placed 

 at some distance apart, In use the 

 Avheels sink through the superficial 

 layers of the soil and compress and con- 

 solidate the lower layers. Afterwards 

 the surface is pulverized and smoothed 

 by the use of a toothed harrow. 



In addition to the encouragement of 

 water transference, compression of the 

 soil has another advantage, for the root 



system of plants develops much more 

 freely in a compact soil than in a loose 

 one, and the system of cultivation des- 

 cribed appears to benefit the growth of 

 plants directly to a rational extent 

 quite apart from the question of water 

 supply. 



The regions into which Campbell's dry 

 farming system is being introduced with 

 success have rainfalls of 25 inches a year 

 and under, and countries with rainfalls 

 between 15 and 25 inches are classed by 

 dry farmers as merely " semi-arid." In 

 the tropics such a rainfall implies practi- 

 cally desert conditions. There are many 

 regions of Ceylon, however, with a much 

 higher rainfall where the conservation 

 of soil moisture is an important problem, 

 and it is highly probable that much 

 could be done in districts of intermediate 

 rainfall by dry cultivation without 

 irrigation. Cotton and Tobacco would 

 appear to be crops likely to lend them- 

 selves readily to such treatment, whilst 

 the disc harrow might be employed with 

 advantage on Coconut and Rubber 

 estates for the conservation of soil 

 water by means of a surface mulch as 

 well as for the destruction of weeds. 



GUMS, RESINS, SAPS AND EXUDATIONS. 



PROPOSED BRAZILIAN RUBBER 

 LAW. 



Bonuses— Reduction of Export 

 Duty— Improved Communications. 



(Prom the India-Rubber Journal, Vol. 

 XLIIL, No. 1, January 6th, 1912.) 

 It will be remembered that following 

 the Conference held at Rio de Janeiro, 

 under the auspices of Senor Pedro de 

 Toledo, Minister of Agriculture, some 

 months ago, a special Parliamentary 

 Commission was appointed to elaborate, 

 in accordance with the views expressed 

 by the Conference, measures for the 

 defence of the rubber industry. This 

 Commission, which was composed of well- 

 known parliamentarians, has just issued 

 its report, together with a draft of the 

 proposed law. Both documents are 

 very lone aDd enter very carefully into 

 detail. We summarise below the draft 

 of the proposed measure which is expect- 

 ed in the capital to be passed without 

 much modification. 



The document commences by declar- 

 ing all utensils and materials intended 

 for use in the culture, collection and 

 preparation of rubber, free from import 

 duties. Claims for exemption must be 



made to the customs' inspectors, who 

 will take steps to verify the statements 

 of applicants without loss of time. 



Bonuses will be granted to those who 

 make plantations, or re-plantations of 

 rubber trees according to the following 

 scale ;-- 



(a) For every twelve hectares of new 

 plantations of Hevea, 2,500 milreis ; for 

 the same area planted with Caucho or 

 Manicoba, 1,500 milreis ; the same area 

 planted with Mangabeira, 900 milreis. 



(b) For every group of twenty-five 

 hectares of re- plantations of the above 

 kinds of trees upon lands on which these 

 varieties already exist in the wild state; 

 2,000 milreis, 1,000 milreis, and720miireis 

 respectively. 



These bonuses will be payable one 

 year before the first tapping, after proof 

 has been given of the proper use of the 

 lauds and right treatment of the trees. 

 In addition to the abofe, an annual 

 bonus of five per cent, calculated upon 

 the bonus named above as dae to 

 planters of Hevea will be paid, commenc- 

 ing from the first year of the plantation, 

 to those who can prove that they have 

 cultivated at the same time plants of 

 food or industrial value, 



