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



With regard to the marking out of trees the 

 lecturer believes in the planter having a system, 

 and the factors to be considered in this are : 

 — (1) Time for renewal; (2) fto. of tapping 

 days per year ; (3) No. of cuts to inch. Deal- 

 ing with this latter point Mr. Gallagher ex- 

 presses the belief that it will pay better to 

 try to increase the number of cuts to the inch 

 rather than to emphasize going in close to the 

 cambium, though both should, of course, be 

 done. Twenty cuts to the inch may be con- 

 sidered as the minimum to be obtained. A 

 lengthy paragraph follows on the distances 

 between cuts. The question of tapping young 

 trees is much discussed. Mr. Gallagher opens an 

 interesting paragraph on the subject as follows : 



As far as my experience goes, the actual re- 

 moval of latex within reasonable limits has 

 no prejudicial effect on young trees ; in- 

 deed the impression that such trees increase 

 more rapidly in girth after tapping can hardly 

 be resisted. There are no figures to show 

 whether it is harmful or the reverse. I am 

 fairly well convinced that it is merely quality 

 of tapping which counts. The bark is so thin 

 on young trees that it requires very careful 

 work not to wound ; the tapping is slow ; the 

 yield not big, and there is more than the usual 

 percentage of scrap. On the other hand more 

 cuts to the inch can be done on soft-barked 

 young trees than on old ones of say nine or 

 ten years old tapped for the first time. 



One frequently hears of "tapping trees to 

 death." Asa matter of fact, Mr Gallagher points 

 out, unless the cambium is cut away wholesale, 

 no ill-result to the tree can be observed to follow 

 from severe tapping. In fact the stoppage of 

 latex, which follows drastic tapping, shows that 

 the tree resents being tapped beyond a certain 

 limit. "But we can certainly speak of judicious 

 tapping and light tapping," acids the lecturer : 

 " As you will gather from what I have already 

 said, the extent the tree may suffer from tap- 

 ping is not always proportional to the amount 

 of bark renewed. A spiral system would be 

 more prejudicial to latex yield than a half 

 herring-bone system removing twice the bark in 

 the same peroid." Dealing with tapping knives 

 Mr, Gallagher says that to him there are only 

 two tools worthy of consideration— the gouge 

 and the Jebong knife. Mr. Gallagher isemphati- 

 cally against the use of the pricker. Since the 

 pricker does in nearly all cases penetrate into 

 the live sap-wood, the renewed bark is thinner 

 where pricking has been done. Furthermore it 

 has been discovered that in the area where the 

 pricker is inserted, " stone'' cells form which do 

 not contain latex. They take up the room of 

 cells which would. Therefore, in addition to 

 having a thinner bark, there is less latex per 

 volume in it where pricking has been done. The 

 pricker should not on any account be used. The 

 final result is a distinct loss and excision, not 

 incision, is the best method at present from every 

 point of view. Paragraphs are given on thin- 

 ning out, tapping trees, pruning, resting and 

 finally on the function of latex. The lecture is 

 altogether aD admirable one. The foregoing is 

 but a summary of its contents. We commend it 

 to all Ceylon rubber planters as an educating and 

 useful pamphlet. Copies can be had on appli- 

 cation to the Department of Agriculture, F.M.S. 



TRAVANCORE PALM DISEASE. 



Important Government Order. 



The Government of Travancoro have issued 

 an order regarding the palm disease in Travan- 

 core, with special reference to the Conference 

 held at Kayankulam on May 6th last, with a 

 view to determine the best measures to be 

 adopted for combating the disease, from which 

 we take the following extracts : — 



In view of the preparedness of the ryots generally for 

 further action, and the recognition by them of the neces- 

 sity to cut down, without further delay, diseased trees 

 which are pronounced irrecoverable by the Agricultural 

 Department. His Highness's Government think that vigo- 

 rous action may now be taken to cut down all such trees. 

 In regard to the supply of lime and coconut manure, His 

 Highness's Government are of opinion that it would be 

 well to establish a number of depots at accessible places, 

 not more than one or two miles away from one another. 

 The Agricultural Department should be in charge of the 

 depots and should issue the various things at cost price 

 and for cash ordinarily. Discretion may, however, be 

 given to the Inspector in charge of the operations, to 

 issue the things in any specific case, on credit, pro- 

 vided that the officer is satisfied that the ryot is 

 not in a position to pay cash, and provided also that 

 the latter agrees to pay for what he receives in instal- 

 ments, not exceeding six, with his kist. The collection of 

 the value should, in that case be made by the Tahsildar 

 and remitted to the Agricultural Department. The prices 

 fixed for the things supplied should, if possible, be slightly 

 lower than the market rates, so as to offer a premium for 

 utilising the manures. 



Inregard to the assessment on the trees which may be 

 cut down, His Highness's Government hereby notify, for 

 the information of all the ryots, that, after all the felling 

 is done, it is open to any ryot to ask for a re-enumeration 

 and that the settlement assessment will be revised if 

 necessary. His Highness'sGovernment also consider that 

 the local staff of the Department should be sufficiently 

 strengthened, so as to make visits to affected gardens and 

 gratuitous advice easy. Much will depend upon the readi- 

 ness with which the officers of the Agricultural Department 

 comply with the requisitions for advice, for visits and for 

 manures. A small area should be given to each subordi- 

 nate, so that it may be ascertained, after some time, what 

 exactly he has been able to do. 



His Highness's Government further consider that it 

 would facilitate work if small Local Committees are or- 

 ganised, to help the Agricultural Department in securing 

 information and the co-operation of the ryots, and for 

 acting generally as intermediaries between the Depart- 

 ment and the ryots. The Local Committees should when 

 formed, be in a position to give useful advice in regard to 

 the circumstances of applicants for manure, who may ask 

 for credit, etc. A strong Local Committee will probably 

 also be able to bring more pressure to bear upon a recal- 

 citrant owner of hopelessly diseased trees than the Sirkar 

 officers could. The Local Committee should be elected 

 by the ryots themselves. -The Department need only re- 

 cognise them and utilise them. At the loutset it may pro- 

 probably be necessary for the Tahsildar to co-operate 

 with the Director of Agriculture and convene a meeting of 

 the ryots— in an informal way— to organise the Commit- 

 tees. The Dewan Peishkar, (Juilon, is requested to pay his 

 personal attention to this matter. He should submit a 

 report to Government as soon as each Committee is orga- 

 nised, with information as to the names and status of the 

 members, 



Certain proposals submitted by Dr. Kunjen 

 Pillay. Director of Agriculture, in connection 

 with the above have been sanctioned for a year, 

 with effect from the 1st Karkadagom, 1085. A 

 lump sum of R8.000 has also been provided in 

 the Budget for 1086, on account of the pay of 

 the temporary staff now sanctioned, the cost of 

 erecting the necessary sheds and for other con- 

 tingent charges. In regard to the advance of 

 K10.0C0 asked for by the Director, the Account 

 Officer is to be, r'equosted to provide, under 

 "Debt heads," a sum of R'2,000 for the rest of 

 1085, and R8,00O- for 1086.— M. Mail, July 1% 



