THE SUPPLEMENT TO THE 



Tropical Agriculturist and Magazine of the C. A. 8. 



Compiled by A. M. & J. FERGUSON. 



No. 6,] JUNE, 1909. [Vol. IV. 



A WELL-KNOWN RUBBER 

 AUTHORITY IN COLOMBO. 



L1EUT.-COL. WYLLIE, F.R.G.S., VISITING 

 PARA RUBBER EXHIBITION. 



The Ravages of White Ants in the F.M S 



Rubber in Burma. 



We had the pleasure of a call some days ago 

 from Lieut. -Colonel J A Wyllie, F.R.G.S., of the 

 Indian Army (retired) and late Cantonment 

 Magistrate at Rangoon, whose name is fam- 

 iliar to rubber growers all over the East. 

 Colonel Wyllie has made a special study of 

 rubber for a longer period than most of those 

 now interested in the plantation product, 

 and it was he, ten years ago, who started 

 the Cantonment Rubber Plantation in Kambe, 

 Rangoon. Aiter a considerable absence from 

 Burma he returned recently and, on severing 

 his connection with Government, undertook at 

 the request of the authorities to put the Kambe 

 plantation, which had long been neglected, into 

 proper order again. Colonel Wyllie carried on 

 extensive operations there, with most interest- 

 ing results, which arc embodied in an exhaustive 

 report, a copy of which he has courteously placed 

 at our disposal. 



Rubber Planting in Burma. 



Colonel Wyllie is surprised that in Burma, 

 where in many parts the conditions are admir- 

 ably adapted for rubber growing, the rubber 

 industry has been so entirely neglected by Euro- 

 peans, He is strongly of the opinion that if 

 residents in Burma visittd the neighbouring- 

 Federated Malay States and saw what is being 

 done there, and realised the profits being ob- 

 tained, they would show some enterprise in 

 the matter. Capitalists, however, do not 

 seem keen on Burma as a rubber growing 

 country and when recently an attempt was 

 made to lease the Government Rubber 



Plantations at Mergui it failed although 

 the price the Government were willing to ac- 

 cept was such as would have left the lessee 

 a very handsome profit. There are one or two 

 very good plantations including the flourishing 

 Shwegyin Estate of which Mr. O Shelton Agar 

 of Ceylon is the Manager. But although Euro- 

 peans have stood aloof from rubber the Chinese 

 have taken it up and there are several flourish- 

 ing small gardens. Some 20 miles from Rangoon 

 one enterprising Chinese gentleman has an 

 estate of 4,000 acres, 2,000 of which are planted 

 in rubber and doing extremely well, the oldest 

 being about 3 years. The results obtained by 

 Colonel Wyllie on Kambe, which are detailed 

 in his report ought, wo think, to attract capi- 

 talists. We will quote these results, but 

 meantime we may mention that off the equi- 

 valent of an acre of rubber planted 10 by 10, 

 435 trees, Colonel Wyllie got in January of this 

 year : — first grade rubber (black, sheet and 

 biscuit) 68 lbs. ; scrap and ball 9 lbs. =77 lbs. ; 

 and in February 401: lbs. and 3j- lbs. respectively 

 or 43| lbs. for the month. The total yield for 

 the two months was 120J lbs. This rubber, 

 prepared without up-to-date machinery, with 

 the most primitive appliances, fetched 4s 8d 

 per lb. while scrap sold at 4s per lb. 

 Government Entomologist Describes Rubbek 

 as "An Unknown Weed!" 

 As an instance of the lack of interest in rub- 

 ber in Burma a striking demonstration is given 

 in Colonel Wyllies report, 4 species of cater- 

 pillar attacked the trees in great numbers 

 eating the leaves. Specimens were at once col- 

 lected and sent, with a supply of the rubber 

 leaves on which they were found, through the 

 Agricultural Department to the Government 

 Entomologist for examination. He reported 

 that they are Lymantrderc of the genus Noto- 

 lophus — the tussock moth — but was not quite 

 positive, as he was unable to rear them 

 owing to delay on the journey and insufficient 

 provision of food, their luncheon-basket being 



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