361 The Supplement to the Tropical Agriculturist 



connection with my experiments, and all of 

 them questions, to which an answer can be 

 found as rapidly and easily as possible, by an 

 investigation of the dittribution of material (of 

 starch especially) if only there are sufficient 

 plants at one's disposal. This was not so in my 

 case." 



In Ceylon we have any number of trees, but 

 no onecompetent to answer "rapidly and easily" 

 a question such as " Enquirer " puts, based on 

 such experiments as Professor Hans Fitting had 

 carried to a certain point. 



I cannot myself see that tapping one side 

 oE a tree for 2 years, or even 3 years, should be 

 more injurious than tapping it for one year, so 

 long as there is an untapped side, to carry down 

 unchecked, sufficient food supplies from the 

 leavos to the roots, and the down channels, un- 

 less too deep, do not prevent an oblique flow of 

 sap, and there will always be 3 inches of un- 

 touched bark round the base of the tree. But 

 we require an expert in, Ceylon to answer such 

 questions, absolutely and positively.— Yours, &c. , 



J. SHERIDAN PATTERSON. 



GOVERNMENT RUBBER PLANTA- 

 TIONS AT MERGUI. 



Sold for 2} Million Rupees. 



Rangoon, Sept. 25.— The Government Rubber 

 Plantations at Mergui have been secured by 

 Messrs. Mower, Cotterell & Co. for R22,50,000. 

 — M. Mail. [It was in 1900-1 that Lord Cuizon's 

 Government decided to plant 10,000 acres in 

 Mergui district with rubber; but how much was 

 actually planted we have been unable to as- 

 certain.— Ed. CO.] 



F. M. S. MANORIAL EXPERIMENTS 

 WITH RUBBER. 



H.N, Ridley, Esq., Director of Agriculture, 

 Singapore. 



Malacca, Juno 3oth, 1910. 

 Dear Sir. — It may interest you to learn the 

 results of some manuring experiments tried on 

 one of our estates. The rubber trees were in four 

 different parts of the estate — 15 tree3 in each 

 place and \ lb of manure was used for each tree. 

 The results of a three months' trial, as shown in 

 the accompanying statement, are not encourag- 

 ing to the use of either bone meal or lishmanure; 

 perhaps a longer trial will prove the bone-meal 

 to be more efficacious. — ¥ours faithfully, 



F. Rielli, E'iuancial Manager. 

 Malacca Rubber Plantations, Limited. 



Abstract of Experiments with Manures on 

 Umbei Rubber Estate. 



<3 



o 



sr. 



<D X* £ 



O E-S h3 HrS <oS <C5S <1m 



Bone-meal B" 380 '5 4:17'5 57 6 31 7-20 '95 



No. Manure 69 337'5 395'5 58 5"72 6'7U "9i 



Fish Manure 60 375.5 438 B2'5 6'25 V'3 l'Uo 



All measurements in inches taken at three 

 feet above the surface of the ground. 

 — Straits Agricultural Bulletin for Aug. 



"COCONUT CULTIVATION IN THE 

 MALAY STATES." 



The above is the title of a most concise, useful 

 and interesting pamphlet in the now familiar 

 sage-green cover, written by Mr. L. C. Brown, 

 Inspector of Coconut Plantations in the Fede- 

 rated Malay States, and issued by the F. M. 

 S. Department of Agriculture. The pamphlet 

 is professedly written to help owners and others 

 already interested ; but it should be of much 

 use, too, to the prospector — the selector of land 

 for plantation owners or Companies to be. The 

 terms are undoubtedly attractive ; the Govern- 

 ment of a young country, which intends it to go 

 ahead, sees to it that it attracts capital on an 

 adequate scale. The premium varies from 2 to 3 

 dollars per acre according to road frontage ; for 

 six years the annual quit rent is one dollar, and 

 afterwards tour — on first-class land ; but a re- 

 bate of two dollars is allowed for first-class laod 

 plauted with coconuts only. In blocks up to one 

 square mile, planting must begin within one 

 year, and one quarter must be planted up within 

 five years. As to the kind of land, the rich allu- 

 vial close to the sea is preferable if well-drained 

 and the acids of peaty soil with stagnant water 

 destroyed ; but there is plenty inland, which is 

 better situated for the markets for nuts. Mr. 

 Brown then describes the necessary prepara- 

 tion of the land and emphasizes the keeping 

 of it clean from the beginning, clearing it of 

 all lalang (or " illuk ") being essential. He 

 urges careful selection of seed, fully ripe and 

 in no way damaged ; and advises planting of 

 this to be deferred a month to get the outer 

 skins thoroughly dry and the husks hardened. 

 For nurseries, he says that rich soil is wanted 

 and raised — to allow of good drainage, and 

 with a thin layer of sand on the bed to pre- 

 vent the ground getting damp and thus the 

 roots rotting. Beside the usual half-burying of 

 seed-nuts, semi-obliquely, he says the method 

 of tying in pairs by part of the husk at 6 feet 

 from the ground and protecting them from 

 exposure, is successful. For catch cropd, an 

 alluvial soil well above sea-level, Mr. Brown 

 recommends coffee (Liberian, or preferably Ro- 

 busta) being planted at the same time. The re- 

 turn after three years may cover all expense, 

 —being about 400 to 700 lb. per acre. The coffee 

 should be 7 feet apart. Para rambong are depre- 

 cated, but fruit trees — mangosteen, rambuttan, 

 &c. — may be planted quincunx, simultaneously, 

 if the soil be suitable. The coconuts, he says, 

 should be planted out 30 feet by 30 feet (or 

 40 trees to the acre). The young plants should 

 be 5 to 7 months old and planted in pits 

 two feet cube, tilled in with good surface soil 

 — the nut, 6 inches below surface, being just 

 slightly exposed. April-May and Septemoer- 

 October are the planting seasons. The section 

 on Drainage should be studied, brief as it is ; 

 but it is encouraging to know that the coconut 

 tree is probably less affected by sour land than 

 most tropical plants. Mr. Brown is not against 

 grass being allowed to grow later — when the 

 coconuts are in bearing ; but urges digging 

 round the trees every three months; and, if there 

 are coconuts only, ploughing to nine inches deep 

 periodically. This is especially needed in stiffer 



