and Magazine of the Ceylon Agricultural Society.— November, 1911. 479 



THE RUBBER MARKET. 



Mb. Joseph Fbasee's Views. 

 Mr. Joseph Fraser, the well-known V. A. and 

 rubber expert, seen by our representative on his 

 arrival from home said that the Rubber Ex- 

 hibition was a very good one, and, as far as 

 he could tell, decidedly better than the one be- 

 fore, although he had not seen that one. It 

 should have a good effect on the industry as far 

 as Ceylon was concerned. 



Quality of Ceylon Rubber. 

 Asked as to the complaints about the quality 

 of Ceylon rubber, Mr. Fraser said there were 

 certain complaints with regard to Ceylon rub- 

 ber not being sufficiently dry, and he was of 

 opinion that more attention should be paid to 

 drying in Ceylon. Complaints as to quality 

 were often caused by the fact that many samples 

 of small estates appeared in the market. The 

 manufacturer found it difficult when there was 

 such a variety of small lots. It was not that 

 the rubber was bad, but that there was 6uch a 

 variety. There were few, if auy, complaints 

 against the large estates, so far as he could make 

 out. Uniformity would come when the estates 

 were large enough. The manufacturers he 

 had met told him that they were prepared to 

 take as much of the claas of rubber that came 

 from the large estates as they could get. Ceylon 

 rubber was certainly not compared at a dis- 

 advantage with that from the Straits. 



The Home Market. 

 Speaking of the rubber market at home, Mr. 

 Fraser said it was quite satisfactory, the price 

 being at from 4s 6d to 4s lOd a pound. He 

 thought there would be a gradual fall in price, 

 not a rapid one. It would be some considerable 

 time before the price went under 3s a pound. Un- 

 der any particular stress it might go under, but 

 the fall would be only temporary. He did not con- 

 sider there was any danger of overproduction for 

 some considerable time, because as the price 

 fell the product would be more used. For that 

 reason, last year's high prices did more harm 

 than good, for in some cases manufacturers had 

 to close down for certain classes of goods. 

 The Labour Problem. 

 Referring to labour, Mr Fraser said he fully 

 agreed with the attitude of the Observer that 

 coolies should be landed free of debt. Advances, 

 in perhaps the majority of cases, were quite 

 illegitimate, and should never have been allowed 

 to reach their present figure. Amounts given 

 as bonuses to the kangani should have been 

 wiped off at the time, and nothing but what the 

 cooly actually owed to the kangani himself should 

 be allowed to be put as a debt against his name. 



CULTURAL DIRECTIONS FOR PAPAYA. 



By P. J. Wester, Horticulturist. 



The Philippines Bureau of Agriculture has 

 issued the following directions for growing Pap- 

 paws which should prove of interest and be 

 useful to Ceylon residents. There are not nearly 

 enough papaws wrown in Ceylon. 



Seed Bed. — The seed bed should be prepared 

 by thoroughly pulverizing the soil by spading 

 or hoeing the ground well, and the clearing away 

 of all weeds and trash. Sow the seed thinly, 

 about 1 to 2 centimeters apart, and cover the 

 seed not more than 1 centimeter with soil, then 

 water the bed thoroughly. In the dry season it 

 is well to make the seed bed where it is shaded 

 from the hot midday rays of the sun, under a 

 tree ; or, it may be shaded by the erection of a 

 small bamboo frame on the top of which are 

 placed grass or palm leaves. If the seed is 

 planted during the rainy season a shed of palm 

 leaves should always be put up over the seed bed 

 to protect the seed from being washed out and 

 the plants from being beaten down by the heavy 

 rains. 



Transplanting. — Whon the plants have at- 

 tained a height of about 7 to 10 centimeters, 

 they are ready to be transplanted to the place 

 where they are intended to grow. 



Unless the transplanting has been preceded 

 by a good rain, the plants should be thoroughly 

 watered before they are removed from the seed 

 bed. In order to reduce the evaporation of 

 water from the plants until they are well estab- 

 lished in their new quarters, about three-fourths 

 of the leafblades should be trimmed off. 



In transplanting, take up the plants with so 

 large a ball of earth that as few roots are cut or 

 disturbed as possible. Do not set out the young 

 plant deeper in the new place than it grew in 

 the nursery ; firm the soil well around the roots, 

 making a slight depression around the plant ; 

 water thoroughly. 



lu order to protect the tender plant from the 

 sun until it is established, it is well to place 

 around it a few leafy twigs at the time of plant- 

 ing. It is well to set out three plants to each 

 and as the plants grow up and fruit, to d'g 

 out the males or the two poorest fruiting plants. 



If the plants can not be set out in the field at 

 thetimeindicated, transplant them from theseed 

 bed to a nursery, setting out the plants about 20 

 to 30 centimeters apart in rows a meter apart, or 

 mote, to suit the convenience of the planter. 

 While the best plan is to set out the plants in 

 the field before they are more than 30 centime- 

 ters tall, the plants may be transplanted to the 

 field from the nursery with safety after they are 

 more than 1.5 meters high, provided that alt ex- 

 cept young and tender teaf blades aie removed, 

 leaving the entire petiole, or leafstalk, attached 

 to the plant ; if the petiole be cut close to the 

 main stem, decav rapidly enters it. If the en- 

 tire petiole is left it withers and drops and a 

 good leaf scar has formed before the fungi have 

 had time to work their way from the petiole into 

 the stem of the plant. 



Treatment of Old Plants. — When a plant 

 has grown so tall that it is difficult to gather the 

 fruit, which also at this time grows small, cut 

 off the trunk about 75 centimeters above the 



