and Magazine of the Ceylon Agricultural Society. 



179 



FuNTuMIA ElASTIOA. 



A small quantity of seeds was received in 

 November, 1907, from Uganda, .and they ger- 

 minated well. The seedlings look well at pro- 

 sent and have attained a height of 2 feet 9 

 inches in eight months. Futitumia latifolia is 

 found in the forest. The seeds that fall on the 

 ground germinate freely and the young plants 

 spring up quickly. It is only found in lowlying 

 sandy parts of the forest. Unfortunately the 

 latex of Funtumia latifolia is of no real com- 

 mercial value but if this variety does well in the 

 West Nyasa district so also should Funtumia 

 elastica. Some of the seeds of the latter ob- 

 tained from Uganda were packed in tinfoil, and 

 others in slightly damped charcoal powder. 

 The last named gave the better results. 



Jequie Manicoba and Rkmanoo Manicoba. 



Seeds of these two varieties have just been 

 imported, but it is not yet known whether they 

 will be successful. 



Tapping and Average Yield of Landolphia. 



Vines may bo tapped every year for a long 

 time if tapping be carried out in a proper 

 manner, but there is much clanger of injuring 

 the inner tissues, and the greatest care is re- 

 quired. Vines yield on the average about 1 

 ounce of rubber per annum, dependent princi- 

 pally on the age of the vine. As much as 7 ounces 

 have been obtained in one year from specially 

 fine vines. 



Manure. 



Both Para and Castilloa benefit greatly from 

 a good manuring with cow manure and wood 

 ashes during the rains. When manuring, 12 

 inches of a spread for each year of growth is 

 allowed the roots. 



THE PREPARATION OF COPRA. 



Under present conditions, when the copra 

 reaches the European market, it has already 

 undergone at the place of production a pre- 

 paration which consists in cutting the fruit and 

 letting the albumen dry by exposure to the 

 air, the sun, or artificial heat, after which the 

 albumen is separated from the shell and shipped. 



This preparation presents the serious draw- 

 back of allowing micro-organisms to develop 

 on the surface of the albumen, penetrating 

 the mass and bringing about a partial de- 

 terioration of the fatty matter. At present a 

 large quantity of the copra landed is covered 

 with mould, and gives out a strong rancid odour. 

 There is thus a considerable waste, and all oil 

 extracted has to be purified. 



M. Dybowski, the Director of the Paris Co- 

 lonial Gardens, is of the opinion that this diffi- 

 culty can be overcome. He proposes a treat- 

 ment by which the surface of the copra is 

 sterilised before shipment in such a manner as 

 to withstand the action of the micro-organisms. 

 Ho has been conducting experiments since 1905 

 with sulphurous acid and some samples pre- 

 nerved uinoo that date still show no sign of 

 deterioration, while the product not uo treated 



deteriorates in a few weeks. M. Dybowski 

 made a further trial in June last on a consign- 

 ment of 3,000 coconuts imported from the Malay 

 Archipelago. The nuts, after being cut in two, 

 were exposed to the action of the sulphurous 

 gases, by means of the Marot apparatus. This 

 operation was repeated on successive lots, and 

 it has now been established beyond doubt that 

 under the sterilising influence of this gas the 

 original condition of the copra is maintained. 

 This is an important discovery that should 

 give a considerable impetus to the copra trade. 

 — L & C Express, July 9. 



SUGGESTED GAOAO SPRAYING EX- 

 PERIMENTS AT TRINIDAD. 



In order to obtain accurate results upon which 

 to base recommendations for the use of fungi- 

 cides in cacao cultivation, the Mycologist to the 

 Trinidad Board of Agriculture (Mr J Birch 

 Borer) has drawn up a scheme of cacao spraying 

 experiments, which was recently submitted to 

 the Board for approval. This scheme includes 

 experiments in which insecticides are also to be 

 used, both alone, and in combination with the 

 fungicides. For the work which it is proposed 

 to undertake, a block of 800 cacao trees in good 

 bearing, located in a district where diseases are 

 prevalent, will be required. The trees should 

 be in good condition so far as pruning and cul- 

 ture are concerned, and should be in fertile soil, 

 so that they will be able to mature a good crop 

 of pods. For purposes of experiment, the 800 

 cacao trees will be divided into forty plots, each 

 containing twenty trees. Thirty-six plots will be 

 sprayed, and the remaining four will be left un- 

 sprayed as control plot3. The thirty-six plots to 

 be sprayed are divided into six classes (each 

 class containing six plots), and each class is to 

 be treated with a different spraying mixture. 

 Thus the first six plots are to be treated with 

 Bordeaux mixture, the second lot with Bordeaux 

 mixture and arsenate of lead, the third with self- 

 boiled lime and sulphur, the fourth with com- 

 mercial lime and sulphur, the fifth with arsenate 

 of lead and lime, and the sixth class with con- 

 tact insecticides. In addition to the question 

 of the relative value of the different spraying 

 mixtures, the experiment is also designed to in- 

 vestigate, in the case of all the mixtures, the 

 influence of the frequency with which spraying 

 is carried out. The six plots in every class are 

 to be treated with the same mixture, but the 

 frequency with which the six plots are sprayed 

 will vary from two to eight weeks. The amount 

 of cacao gathered from each plot throughout the 

 year will be recorded, and an accurate account 

 of the cost of spraying will be kept. The bene- 

 ficial or injurious effect of the mixtures upon 

 pods, trees and flowers will be noted. No results 

 of the experimental work are to be published for 

 at least one year. In these experiments the 

 Board of Agriculture will furnish all spraying 

 apparatus, mixing plant, and materials for the 

 work, but the labour required for the spraying 

 operations would be supplied by the owner of 

 the estate on which the work was done. — West, 

 Indian, Agricultural News, June 12. 



