and Magazine of the Ceylon Agricultural Society.— July, 1910, 



75 



GROWTH OF RUBBER IN JUNGLE LAND 



is excellent, in some instances 160 to 200 lb. dry 

 rubber being harvested in the fourth and fifth 

 year, and 240 to 300 in the fifth to sixth. 



'"Yields of 600 lb. per acre from old trees are 

 now quite common off considerable areas, 

 Seremban having given this in 1909, off 341 acres, 

 all beautifully tapped by Chinese Though 

 clearer than Tamils, they do excellent work. 

 On an estate in Perak, near Taiping, a field, 

 I think of 121 acres, gave 760 lb. per acre last 

 year, and gives every promise of yielding 800 

 lb. per acre in 1910. I understand there are no 

 forward contracts, so at 8s. per lb. profit, this 

 will show a profit of £320 per acre. The area 

 referred to is close planted — something like 10 

 ft. by 10 ft.; 20 ft. by 10 ft. would appear a fair 

 compromise. It would not interfere with for- 

 king and manuring, which in due course will 

 have to be systematically carried out. 



Weeding and Cover Plants. 

 "I failed to come across a single planter who 

 believed in dirty weeding, the universal opinion 

 being that it was essential to remove ail weeds 

 before they seed. This was clearly the cheapest 

 in the end, preventing a waste of coolies when 

 tapping commences, and at the same time enab- 

 ling the superintendent to organise and regu- 

 late his labour force more efficiently. Those who 

 could not weed clean from force of circumstance 

 would only be too pleased to adopt \ the better 

 way and will do so when labour is ample. The 

 passion flower creeper has been and is very 

 useful and helpful in keeping weeds under con- 

 trol and covering the ground, but it is merely 

 held to be relatively the best under the circum- 

 stances. Nitrogen-collecting plants are not 

 being largely used after planting, as the intro- 

 duction or continued growth and development 

 of weeds and fungoid pests is feared. They are 

 planted sufficiently far apart to admit of weeding 

 between the shrubs and plants, and they are 

 all cut down before flowering. They are still 

 being utilised with distinct advantage for the 

 first two or three years. 



Tapping. 



' Full spiral/ half-spiral, full horring-bone have 

 all been given up, as the downward highway for 

 the manufactured plant food from the leaves is 

 seriously interfered with, and the areas of bark 

 below the tapped sections and the roots are 

 poorly nourished, while the reserve food in the 

 storage cells is drained foi renewal of bark and 

 very imperfectly replaced, as disclosed by Pro- 

 feEBor sitting's investgations, corroborated by 

 Mr W J Gallahger. The full herring-bone, three 

 months on one side and three mouths on the 

 other, is also considered wasteful as every change 

 means three cuts before a normal flow begins, or 

 1,800 "names " wasted in 10 months. Adjacent 

 quarters are considered good, but opposite 

 quarters are preferred, one quarter at a time, as 

 the flow and renewal is better, one quarter being 

 tapped every year instead of two quarters tapped 

 simultaneously every two years. This would give 

 four years for renewal by either way. Some are 

 now dividing the trees into three and tapping 

 one section complete in the year up to, say, 6 

 feet when thetreesare large enough, thus giving 



three years for renewal, which most men that I 

 discussed the question with considered ample. 

 With very large trees one might adopt Professor 

 Fitting's suggestion of opposite sixths com- 

 pleted yearly. The prickers have been entirely 

 given up for reasons given by Professor Fitting, 

 excision not incision, being with the present 

 data available considered the best. By the use 

 of the pricker the final result was to show a dis- 

 tinct loss. Obviously by the quarter, or one- 

 third renewal yearly, there would be the mini- 

 mum interference with the free flow of the manu- 

 factured food from the leaves to all portions of 

 the plant. This appears to me most important. 

 If we keep the supply of food up on the soil and 

 maintain the leaves in full functional activity, 

 we may safely look for good renewal of bark and 

 a free flow of latex for an indefinite period. 

 Favourably situated tine old trees have been 

 yielding with manure well for twelve years, 

 even under some of the crudest methods of tap- 

 ping, and are still yielding up to 18 lb. per tree, 

 or with 50 trees per acre, 900 lb. per acre. With 

 improved methods we should be able to do 

 relatively better over longer periods under con- 

 ditions not so favoured as this. A very lucid 

 description of the best methods of tapping is 

 given in Bulletin No. 10 by the Director of Agri- 

 culture, Mr W J Gallagher, F.M.S. 



Cost of Production. 



Tapping isbeingdone, so faras I could gather, 

 for from 10 to 18 dollar cents by Tamils, and for 

 22 to 25 cents by Chinese, say 18| to 31^, and 

 38J to 44 rupee cent3 respectively ; but this will 

 be improved on. Wo heard of a few mouths' 

 tapping being done for under 6 dollar cents. 



An old Ceylon planter now managing one of 

 the best F.M.S. estates felt certain that, if we 

 get average yields in Ceylon of 5001b. per acre, 

 we shall put our rubber f.o.b. for 4^d per lb. or 

 with manure 6d. The higher cost of labour and 

 export dues will probably prevent their doing it 

 in the F.M.S. with Tamils for under 8dto 9dand 

 with Chinese for Is to Is Id. This assumes that 

 the areas in each case are all in full bearing. 



Pests. 



"Fomes Semitostus " and other allied fungoid 

 pests and Termes Gestroi are giving trouble. On 

 many estates, however, theso are being success- 

 fully combated, this class of work being very effi- 

 ciently seen to, and now is the time, while prices 

 are so high. In jungle clearings all roots and 

 rotting timber are being removed and burned and 

 there is every evidence that this to a large extent 

 is getting rid of the various pests. Digging and 

 manuring will do the rest. 



Tapping Knives. 

 Patent adjustable knives have almost entirely 

 been given up, and are more or less obsolete in 

 the F.M.S. so faras I could see. The 5/16 inch 

 bent gouge is for all purposes the best, except 

 for very old and rough bark, and is the tool most 

 in use. It does excellent work without too great 

 excision of bark, say 20 to 25 cwt. to the inch. I 

 also saw very good work with the Jobong and 

 Farrior knives. The latter as importod from 

 homo are not satisfactory. I did not see a single 

 pricker used. The tapping generally is being 

 well done, and on conservative lines", 



