265 
Malaya, which grows and spreads like our Hilo grass. Lalang 
is an oily grass and cattle will not eat it. Fortunately it will not 
grow in shade and consequently is easily kept out of rubber groves 
where the trees shade the ground nor does it grow in the jungle. 
The average cost of clearing an acre of lalang is about $24.00 gold, 
which is more than it costs to fell and clear jungle forests. Photo 
No. 2 shows two year old Havea growing on an old lalang field. 
Planting is done from seed. The seed is oval in shape and 
about the size of an Ohia seed. The bulk of the seed 
Planting, crop ripens in August and September, although the 
trees seed more or less all through the year. As the 
seed quickly loses its germinating power it is planted soon after 
ripening. 
The planting of Hevea trees is done in different ways. Unques- 
tionably trees planted "at stake" grow much quicker than trees 
planted in any other way and if the seeds were plentiful at all 
seasons of the year there probably would 
Methods of Planting, be more planting "at stake." In Ceylon 
the method that is considered the best is to 
plant the seeds in woven palm leaf baskets about 8 inches in 
height and 4 inches in diameter and when the plants are about a 
foot high, plant baskets with trees in their permanent positions. 
This basket method comes nearest to planting at stake and there 
is minimum interruption in the growth of the young plants in 
setting them out. The more general method, however, in the 
far east is to plant seed in nurseries about six inches apart. 
Seventy-five to ninety per cent, of the seeds planted germinate. 
The ground selected to be used as a nursery is care- 
Nurseries. fully prepared. It is thoroughly dug up and weeds 
and roots removed and the soil pulverized by hand. 
The young plants are left in the nurseries for several months, 
until they are from 18 inches to two or three feet in height, when 
they are stumped, the tap roots cut, and the plants transplanted, 
removing as little soil from the roots as possible. 
Transplanting has to be done when the weather is favorable 
and after the land has been cleared and burned. 
Transplanting. As dry weather is necessary for a good burn, 
■the time for transplanting varies and depends on 
-weather conditions. The young trees are planted in rows but the 
distance between the trees and between the rows varies a great deal 
on different plantations. There is a difference of opinion on this 
point, but it is generally considered to be a fact that planting 
closer than 200 trees per acre is a failure. 
A great deal of the planting at the present time is in avenues. 
