Feb. 1, 1901.] THE TROPICAL ACtEICULTURIST. 561 
its natural situation be protected from 
strong winds, and shade trees should be 
jDrovided." We suppose there is nothing 
new in tiiis description ; and Ceylon Plan- 
ters have little to learn from it. and must 
only wish that they could always comniacd 
the above conditions. They- have, how- 
ever, succeeded with much less, though 
always appreciating' sheltered nooks and 
shady ravines for the cultivation. The 
cardatnom is not a product about which 
mitch is written now-a days. Its cultivation 
and preparation do not call for much skill ; 
and those who are in it prefer to keep their 
own counsel, witli their profits ! Outside our 
Executive Council, it would be difficult to find 
ten men who think that the product is, in any 
sense, in the experimental stage. Still, it is 
interesting to learn that in JCanara the crop 
is chiefly raised from seed, while elsewhere 
the rhizomes used for propagation are sub- ■ 
divided and planted with their leaves at- 
tached in 18 inch pits filled with leaf mould. 
Little guidance is obtained from the state- 
ment that a well-grown plant yields up to half- 
a-pound of dry cardamoms, as we know 
what such statements mean with coffee, or 
any other shrub or tree. It is the average 
yield which decides the profit and not any 
exceptional feature. 
The statement, however, that the cultiva- 
tion of cardamoms is attended with con- 
siderable risk, is one which it is well to bring 
to the notice of our readers, as prevention 
is always better than cure, and precautions 
against disease to which all plant life is 
liable can be taken without feeling or causing 
alarm. Our readers will please note that : "In 
most of the Kanara gardens a so called dis- 
ease has appeared in the Cardamom crops 
and is restricting cultivation. The affected 
plants do not present any particular in- 
dications of disease, but simply do not 
thrive. The leaves in parts become yel- 
low and wither. The effect is that the 
plants have no vigor of growth. It may 
be taken as certain that the cardamom, 
like any other cultivated plant, degenerates 
when grown for long periods under precisely 
the same conditions of soil and climate and 
without any change in methods of propaga- 
tion or reproduction. The vigour of any 
cultivated plant may be renewed from time 
to time by change of soil, change of seed, 
by rotation of crops and by other regener- 
ating influences. The Kanara cardamom 
crops have for a long period been grown 
without any changes in the system of manur- 
ing, propagation, and general cultivation, and 
Mr. JMoUison is of opinion that the diseased 
conditions referred to have been induced by 
these causes. However, within recent years, 
borers and grubs have caused considerable 
damage to the cardamom crops, and the cul- 
tivators assert as a reason, that they have 
been prevented by forest conservation from 
using for leaf-mould the leaves and twigs of 
certain trees containing astringent properties 
and incapable of harbouring insect life. It 
IS of interest to note that snakes and rats 
are particularly fond of the fruit of the 
cardamom plant." And so are porcupine 
,^nd. Kandyau villagers ! 
IWBBEK. 
SuiiATKA RuBHEB. — I have received a circular from 
the Tandjong Kassau Estate in Sumatra, giving 
particulars of the cultivation of rubber on the Bander 
Betsy Estate. This, estate is situated next to that 
o£ the Russian American India-rubber Company, 
and a large number of Ficus Elastica trees have 
already been planted. Samples of the rubber already 
obtained can be had from Blr. J. Poc, Almaar, 
Hol!lind. 
Rubber, in Java. — A meetine; of coffee planters 
has been held at Malong, in Java. A Gorman sci- 
entist addressed the meeting upon the subject of 
rubber cultivation, and admitted th^t it vpould 
hardly pay on a large scale ; but mentioned that 
a factory had been started in Singapore for prepar- 
ing gutta from leaves on the Ledeboer system. 
One of the planters at the meeting, however, stated 
that the company had failed to raise the capital for 
the scheme, and that no share had been taken. 
RuBBBER IN Gambia. — The report of the Adrainis- 
ttator of Gambia for the past year gives a highly 
favourable description of the conditions of the colony. 
The revenue was £46,840, and was the largest on re- 
cord, while the expenditure was f.30,405, so that at the 
end of the year the accumulated surplus was £43,490. 
There is a large decrease in the exports of rubber 
on account of the practical extinction o£ the rubber 
plants by ignorant persons who wander about rubber- 
cutting in the bush. 
Rubber in WE.st Africa. — Under the auspices 
of the African Section of the Liverpool Chamber 
of Commerce Mr. P. Hitchens, forest inspector 
Southern Nigeria, read an address at the Sale Room, 
Exchange Buildings, Liverpool, on the 3rd instant, 
on the district of West Africa, known as Beniij 
City Territories. In the middle delta there are palm 
nil trees, cane, etc. In the upper regions there were no 
forests — there, were grass lauds, and here and there were 
to be found patches of rubber trees. In the middle 
belt also gutta-percha trees had been found, and 
next year he hoped large quantities would be shipped 
from the ports near to the Benin City Territories. 
Having explained the method of tapping rubber 
trees and the means taken to preserve the trees 
from destruciion, he said that seeds of rubber treea 
had been planted along four hundred and fifty 
miles of road and the seedlings were now growing, 
and would ultimately grow four deep along this 
length of roadway. The value of the yield at 2a 
per pound would be about £140,800. This plan would, 
he tnoaght, solve the problem of the reafforestation 
of West Africa.— From India-Ruhber Trades' Journal. 
Dec. 10. 
SNIPE IN BANGKOK. 
Let others talk of the glories of grouse and 
intlnlge in rapturous t.alk about the purple 
heather, and all other delights of Highland shoot- 
ing. We are satisfied for the nonce .vitli the 
bonny little snipe. Imagine the holy calm that 
reigns on a Siamese landscape as the sun, for a 
few short minufees heralded by the grey dawn, 
gilds the smiling fields of green rice and the tops 
of the palms and feathery bamboos. The air is 
fresh and bracing, and the matutinal cup of coffee 
and modieuni of fruit are eagerly welcomed. Bril- 
liant drops of dew like rare jewels deck every 
blade of grass and giant leaved shrub ; and these 
brnslied by the sportsman's nether garments 
the knee-high verdure strike witli an icy chill • s 
to the skin. No time is lost in sallying forth and 
before a dozen steps are taken into tf.e jjaddy the 
first brown patch, hardly distinguishable in the 
uncertain light, whirrs up at the sportsman's feet 
and with a "tweet," " tweet," is soon lost in 
rapid flight quite oblivious of the ill-directed 
