June, 1909.] 



509 



Saps and Exudations. 



So far the maximum capacity of a 

 cultivated Hevea would seem unset- 

 tled, meanwhile the conditions for a 

 liberal production have not been agreed 

 upon. A recent writer mentions five 

 neighbouring rubber plantations in Cey- 

 lon, on which were employed an equal 

 number of tapping processes, each 

 strongly defended by the plantation 

 manager using it. 



Notes on Recent Yields. 



Kuala Lumpur Co., Ltd., in the year 

 ended June 30 gained 79,274 pounds of rub- 

 ber from 39,543 trees (age not stated) or a 

 fraction over 2 pounds per tree. This 

 year more trees are being tapped, with 

 the result that the four mouths ended 

 October 31 yielded 60,740 pouuds. The 

 Company's last consignment of rubbei 

 to Antwerp was sold on November 19 

 at an average of 5s. 6|d. ( = $135J per 

 pound). The latest Kuala Lumpur re- 

 port refers to an average of more than 

 6 pounds per tree having beeu obtained 

 from something over 10,000 trees on the 

 neighbouring and older estates of the 

 Federated Malay States Rubber Co., 

 Limited, which are under the care of 

 the same manager, Mr. E. B. Skinner. 



Sumatra Para Rubber Plantations, 

 Limited, in their first report, mention 

 the collection of 62,700 pounds in 15 

 months, or an average of 3 pounds per 

 tree, young and old. The rubber realised 

 3s. 4*51d. (82*1 cents) in London, after 

 paying charges. The cost on the planta- 

 tion is figured at Is. P87d. (=28£ cents) 

 per pound. 



Rubber Plantation Yields (in 

 Pounds). 



1907. 1908. 



Vallambrosa Rubber Co. 

 Eight months to Nov. 30 ...144,584 169,731 



Kuala Lumpur Rubber Co. 

 Twelve months to June 30* ... 51,998 78,274 



Perak Rubber Plantations : 

 Nine months to Nov. 30 ... 22,670 36,534 



Yatiyantota Ceylon Tea Co. 

 Six months to June. 30 ... 3,077 4,354 



Sumatra Para Rubber Plantations: 

 Fifteen months to June 30 ... — 62,700 



Pataling Rubber Estates Syndicate : 

 Seven months to July 31 ... 37,752 40,035 



Federated (SelangorJ Rubber Co. 

 Four months to July 31 ... 5,658 15,785 



Anglo-Malay Rubber Co. 

 Eleven months to Nov. 30 ...196,109 312,050 



Seremban Estate Rubber Co. 

 Eight months to Sep. 30 ... 79,167 100,418 



Perak Rubber Plantations : 

 Eleven months to Nov. 30 ... 22,670 36,534 



P. P. K. (Ceylon) Rubber Estates: 

 Ten months to October 31 ... 10,448 22,212 



Lanadron Rubber Estates : 

 Eleven months to Nov, 30 ... 88,439 165,056 



* Fifteen months, 



Some Yields in November. 



1907. 1908. 



Anglo-Malay Rubber Co. ... 22,450 34,062 



L.madroii Rubber Estates ... 7,500 17,503 



Perak Rubber Plantations ... 4,542 74 42 



Sumatra Para Rubber Plantations ... 3,250 5,940 



GREEN MANURING ON RUBBER 

 ESTATES. 



By S. Rothwell. 



During the last few years, very large 

 areas have been planted up with rubber, 

 and in many cases the planting is still 

 in progress. Unless catch crops yield- 

 ing marketable produce can be grown, 

 in a similar way as Cassava is cultivated 

 in Malacca, the capital which has been 

 sunk in the formation of the estate 

 gives no returns till the rubber trees 

 teach a sufficient girth to allow of 

 tapping. In the Straus Bulletin lor 1906, 

 p. 224, it is stated " that the Diamond 

 Jubilee Estate in Malacca within two 

 years of starting will have some 3,000 

 acres of rubber, the cost of which will be 

 practically covered by the returns of 

 tapioca cultivated between the rubber." 



If the tree could be brought to the 

 s ame girth in a shorter time so much the 

 better. Now it is not necessary for the 

 planter to spend large sums of money on 

 artificial manures, which would, under 

 the present system of clean weeding be 

 largely washed away with the first 

 heavy shower of rain, when a much 

 cheaper form of manure is at his disposal, 

 i.e., green manure, having other advan- 

 tages than the actual manurial value. 

 The term " green manuring " is generally 

 understood to imply the cultivation of a 

 crop of some sort, usually a leguminous 

 one, ploughing it in, or cutting it, and in 

 some way incorporating it with the soil 

 when it lias attained sufficient growth. 

 Partly owing to heavy rains and rapid 

 decomposition, tropical soils are in 

 general very poor in nitrogen and 

 organic matter. This can be remedied 

 to some extent by the fact that grow- 

 ing herbaceous plants Will take up the 

 soluble nitrates from the upper layers 

 of the soil, and some, having long tap 

 roots, bring up available plant food from 

 a considerable depth. Many plants of 

 the natural order Leguniinosae have the 

 power of assimilating and fixing free 

 nitrogen from the atmosphere by the 

 aid of bacteria, living symbiotically in 

 the root nodules, thus gradually there is 

 built up both humus to hold the soil 

 together, and make it more retentive of 

 moisture, and also a store of nitrogen 

 for the nutrition of the rubber trees. 



Besides the above, the following are 

 some of the principal advantages 



