462 77ie Supplement to the Tropical Agriculturist 



the profit was small owing to heavy expenditure 

 on jungle cleaning work. From Kulsi R5 S 479-6-2 

 was realised less Rl, 179-13-3 working expenses, 

 leaving a nett gain of Rl-11-0 per lb. Experi- 

 ments were concluded as to the 



EESULTS OF TAPPING THRlili YEAftS 



in succession, out of 100 trees 50 were 

 tapped by the customary method of cuts 

 between old scars and gave in 1899, 1,719 tolas; 

 1900, 1,433 tolas ; 1901, 962 tolas. By the re- 

 opening of old cuts on the other 50 trees, in 

 1899, 2,218 tolas; 1900, 1,690 tolas; 1901, 

 579 tolas, the heavy yearly drop in the latter 

 figures condemns the method of opening old 

 cuts. Efforts were made to kill off by excessive 

 tapping some of the over-crowded trees in the 

 Kulsi plantation and alternate trees were marked 

 to be tapped to death, but it was shortly dis- 

 covered that the roots of all neighbouring trees 

 had anustomosed and a continuation of the at- 

 tempt to tap to death any particular tree re- 

 acted on its neighbours. 



1901- 1902: Ohaduar.— During this season 271 

 acres added. Total expenditure to date R2, 15,786. 

 Revenue to date R27,344. The total yield of rub- 

 ber for the season was 6.740lb. which remained 

 unsold at the close of the season owing to fall in 

 the market prices. On the Kulsi plantation 

 there was a remarkable falling off from its pre- 

 vious records, from the 4,252 trees tapped only 

 l,240lb. were obtained, an average of 0'29 

 per tree as compared with l - 06 lb. per tree in 

 the previous year ; this also remained unsold. 

 Home and Foreign rubber fell from 3,525 

 maunds in the previous year to 837 maunds. 

 The rubber mahaldars of the Darraug District 

 had paid R22, 100 for their previous year's lease 

 and hail suffered a heavy loss in consequence of 

 which the 1901-1902 bid for the same mahal was 

 only R2,000. The Manipur rubber mahal was 

 put up for auction and withdrawn, altogether a 

 bad year. The Chaduar and Kulsi rubber was 

 subsequently sold in Loudon for R18, 199-14-0. 



1902- 1903 : Chaduar. — The acreage was ex- 

 tended by 13 acres. Expenditure to date 

 R2,23,848. Revenue R41, 100. The smallness of 

 the extension was due to only 137 plants being 

 supplied as against requirements of 7,500. 



It had by this time become evident that 

 the lesser production from the Chaduar estate 

 as compared with the Kulsi was to some degree 

 due to the heavy jungle growth throughout the 

 Chaduar forest, resulting in a considerable loss 

 of rubber during the flow, and it was also clear 

 by this time that tapping was not being done 

 with the same amount of care as at Kulsi and in 

 addition to these two important points the re- 

 lative costs of maintenance between the two es- 

 tates was out of all proportion. Tapping was 

 confined to Chaduar this year, Kulsi not being 

 touched, the outturn was 6,462 lb. from an area 

 of 298 acres carrying 4,466 trees of an approxi- 

 mate age of 22 years, the proportion being 21 "7 

 lb. per acre and 1'4 lb. per tree, the best yield 

 so far obtained. 



There was an increase in the quantity of 

 foreign rubber, the figures jumping from 837 

 maunds in the previous year to 1,307 maunds 

 due to a rise in the Calcutta market which led 

 traders to offer higher prices to the hillmen 

 bringing in rubber. The outturn of mahai rub- 



ber fell 226 maunds owing to the semi-exhausted 

 condition of trees in theDarrang forests and the 

 closing of the Lakimpur Division rubber mahal. 



1903-1904 : Out of the 1,000 acre exten- 

 sion sanctioned by the Imperial Government 

 five years previously only about one-balf 

 had so far been put out and one is again struck 

 with the heavy item of expenditure under the 

 head of upkeep on the Chaduar estate and 

 making all due allowance for the very much 

 larger area of this plantation as compared with 

 Kulsi the expenditure still remains totally dis- 

 proportionate. 2,361 trees over an area of 88 

 acres were tapped in the Kulsi plantation, giving 

 2,708 lb, of tree and 1,294 lb. of mat rubber, 

 an average of 45 '5 lb. per acre and 1'7 per tree 

 which subsequently realised Rl 1,026, tapping 

 operations cost Rl,264, leaving a nett profit 

 of R9,762. At Chaduar 2,986 trees over 246 

 acres yielded 5,3601b., an average of 21 '79 per 

 acre and 1*8 per tree. This rubber was disposed 

 of in London and Antwerp, the latter paying 

 a slightly better price, unfortunately the actual 

 figures are net available. Expenditure on the 

 Chaduar estate to date was R2,34,945 and Re- 

 venue R56,808, but it must be remembered that 

 very large sums were being spent on develop- 

 ment which could not be expected to bring in a 

 return for some years to come. Instead of put- 

 ting down nursery raised plants experiments 

 were tried with gooties ten to twelve feet high 

 planted on mounds at a distance of 66 + 66 

 feet and found to be successful. — Indian Plan- 

 ters' Gazette, Oct. 1. 



VIRTUES OF FRESH PINEAPPLE 

 JUICE. 



According to the " Medical Record," Dr. 

 EGE Williams, of Paris, Illinois, believes that 

 the juice of the pineapple has digestive pro- 

 perties with reference to proteins and is active 

 in either acid or alkaline media. 



An enzyme called bromelin, destroyable by 

 heat, is the agent of this activity, but citric acid 

 is also present. He had never been able to 

 obtain this enzyme in a preserved form, the 

 digestive power always disappearing. It would 

 seem to act as a destroyer of necrotic tissue in 

 cases of quinsy, suppurative tonsilitis,and pharyn- 

 gitis, and allows of easy evacuation of pus. It has 

 the same effect on boils. The author has used 

 it in a case of bed-sores with good results. 



While not of much use in most gastric dis- 

 orders, it has beneficial effects in hypochlor- 

 hydria and achylia. Its great advantage over 

 other enzymes is its pleasant taste, it being only 

 necessary to eat a piece of fresh fruit. — Hospital. 



DISAPPEARING COCONUTS IN 

 WEST SUMATRA. 



Certain islets, off the West Sumatra coast, are 

 now slowly sinking into the depths of the sea— 

 a phenomenon seldom observed. Several of 

 them off korth Pageh island are so far gone 

 that the coconut trees on them stand in the 

 water, many of them having died. The islet 

 off the Mentavvoi islands show every sign of fall- 

 ing in, and many of them have disappeared 

 altogether.— Straits Times, Oct, 14. 



