618 



The Supplement to the Tropical Agriculturist 



quality. This is the only means of satisfactorily 

 testing rubber, there being no marked chemical 

 difference in samples possessing considerable 

 physical difference. 



"The use of rubber tiling is likely to greatly 

 extend on ships, in churches, banks, and resid- 

 ences. Heavier tyres for commercial motors, 

 which are rapidly growiug in favour, should also 

 utilise much of the higher grades and should 

 make up for the temporary falling off in the 

 demand for private cars. . . . 



CROTALARIA AND RUBBER. 



"To be effective, crotalaria must be sown as 

 soon as possible after the land has been burnt 

 or cleaned ; and the weoders sent over to remove 

 the weeds in the ordinary way, taking care that 

 the crotalaria plants are left alone. A'ter a 

 tuonth : s growth crotalaria is well established, 

 but it is still advisable to have another weeding. 

 By this time the crotalaria should cover the 

 ground, and effectually prevent the growth of 

 weed seedlings. When five or six feet high and 

 flowering, the crotalaria could be chopped down 

 and mulched round the rubber trees, three feet 

 from the stem. At least six feet up each row 

 should not he planted with crotalaria at all, as 

 it is advisable to have that area clear through • 

 out. At each cutting of the crotalaria, which 

 would probably be throe or four times a yoar, 

 the mulch can be laid in wider circles, and 

 will effectually prevent tho growth of anything 

 underneath it. While growing, tho crop of crot- 

 alaria will evaporate far more moisture from the 

 soil and from a deeper layer than can be hoped 

 for by any amount of exposure to the sun ; and 

 the mass of humus that forms from the decay- 

 ing mulch will do more to maintain the soil in 

 a state of humidity for a free flow of latex than 

 any other system of cultivation. In my opinion 

 it is not sufficiently realised that, when the 

 trees come into bearing, the soil must be in a 

 condition to retain moisture in an easily-avail- 

 able condition, if a constant How of latex is to 

 be obtained, and for the renewal of bark the soil 

 must be in a suitable condition for effective root- 

 development. A herbaceous crop that will in 

 itself die out or can be easily destroyed is better 

 than trees which would have large roots to 

 decay in the soil. I am no advocate of a 

 neglected condition of the estate, but I believe 

 in utilising the space between the trees to grow 

 organic matter for the future benefit of the 

 rubber. 



"With regard to lalang — this, of course, should 

 be prevented from starting ; or eradicated if pre- 

 sent. When in England I visited tho manu- 

 facturers of spraying machines which are now so 

 largely used for destroying charlock and other 

 weeds, and have brought out with me an 

 apparatus which can be fitted to any cart, and 

 on level land will effectually spray 20 to 30 acres 

 a day. I propose testing this at Gangaruwa, 

 and again on lalang in the Straits. The 

 arsenite of soda suggested by Mr Carruthors 

 will be used. If this machine succeeds, it 

 should considerably modify the cost of weeding. 

 The sprayer is made by Messrs. Mackies, Read- 

 ing, costs from S, 10 to £12 out here, and can be 

 fitted to any cart. The makers have kindly sup- 

 plied the pump for the experiment. 1 have also 

 brought out, through the kindness of Messrs. 



Ransome, Sims and Jeffries, anew form of disc 

 plough, which will not be so liable to injury 

 from roots, and does excellent work iu other 

 countries on newly-cleared land. The plough 

 will be experimented with on land suitable for 

 animal traction. The ploughs can be had with 

 as many discs as one likes, requiring from two 

 to eight bullocks to draw." 



AN ARTIFICIAL RUBBER. 



The following circular has reached every mer- 

 cantile waste paper basket in Colombo (being 

 sent everywhere except, of course, direct to the 

 local press), and appears to have reference to 

 an accomplished fact, but one in which local 

 firms are not interested. One of the many has 

 come our way — rescued from the limbo of lost 

 things, to which planters doubtless trust this 

 Artificial Rubber may be eventually consigned: — 



" GRKAT SCIENTIFIC TRIUMPH." 

 " ARTIFICIAL RUBBER." 



"Artificial Rubber" manufactured by our Secret Trade 

 Prjeess is the Acme of Perfection. It has been submitted 

 to most Exhaustive Tests, Analyses, etc., by eminent Ex- 

 perts and pronounced identical and undetectable to Genuine 

 Rubber, and declared "Actual Rubber " although it does 

 not contain a particle of " Natural " "Recovered" "Trea- 

 ted " or " Reclaimed Rubber," but is made direct from ttaw 

 materials and Chemicals only. The product is of Proved 

 Excellence, Merits and Success and is easily manufac- 

 tured, the Plant necessary being very inexpensive, no 

 special Apperatm or M ichinery whatever required, the 

 materials being all common and easily purchased in un 

 limited quantities. The cost of the manufactured product 

 is very cheap and the profits enormom even if sold at 50 

 per cent below the current Market Price of Rubber. We 

 are open to grant Licenses for the Monopoly Manufacture. 

 Further particulars on application. 



A slip is also enclosed with it, on which we 

 read the following :-— 



'' We are the original inventors of the Scientific Working 

 Formulas f r most of the Highest Grade Qualities and 

 Standard Brand Products, as supplied in immense quan- 

 tities to the various English and Foreign Governments, 

 Chief Railways, Docks, Shippers, Corporations, Industrial 

 •Firms, &c." 



TROPICAL PLANTS FOR EGYPT. 



Mr. U'Abaza, the Russian Consul at Alex- 

 andria, who is a member of the Horticultural 

 Society of Mauritius, has just received a col- 

 lection of seeds of tropical trees and shrubs from 

 that society. He proposes to give an assortment 

 of these seeds to residents in Egypt, interested 

 in horticulture, and particularly to those who 

 are interested in the acclimitisation of tropical 

 plants into this country. There are some seeds 

 of the famous baobab tree of Central Africa. 

 (Adansonia digitata). This is the largest tree 

 and probably the longest lived in the world. In 

 Senegal these trees have attained at least six 

 thousand years. 



A further batch of seeds, confined entirely 

 to specimens of tropical fruit trees, are arriving 

 at Alexandria from Mauritius towards the end 

 of the autumn. — Egyptian Gazette, May 26. 



NEW CONGO RUBBER CO. IN FRANCE. 



Le Caoutchouc des Herbes Soc, Anon, has 

 been formed in France to extract rubber bythe 

 Big6ard process from various plants discovered 

 in the Congo region. The capital is 300,000 frs. 

 in 3,000 shares of 100 frs., and the head office is 

 at 1, Rue d« la Mietrodiere, Paris. — India Rub- 

 ber Journal, May 4. 



