154 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [Sept. 1, 190l 
plow them in several weeks before the time 
of setting out the plants. After plowing, the 
land should be harrowed with a disk harrow, 
and then with a smoothing harrow. In 
Sumatra, where all of the operations are per- 
formed by Chinese coolies, the work of break- 
ing the soil is performed by an implement 
called the "tyankol," a sort of spade, which 
takes the place of the plow, while the work of 
smoothing and reducing the soil to a tine 
state of tilth is accomplished by hoes and iron 
rakes. Either by plows and harrows or by 
spades and rakes, the field should be made 
loose and smooth before transplanting, or the 
5''oung plants are at a disadvantage from the 
very start. The writer has seen many fields, 
especially in Batangas Province, where young 
tobacco plants were attempting to grow 
in a field filled with the hard clods 
of intractable clay soil. Such ;'methods 
are to be condemned, for plants as 
tender and delicate as tobacco can not make a 
good growth in improperly prepared fields. 
THE TRANSPLANTING MACHINE. 
Often it will be found advisable to water the 
field before the work of transplanting begins. 
Transplanting can be done by hand or by a 
transplanting machine. Such a machine can 
only be used on level fields free from stumps, 
stones or large quantities of undecomposed 
vegetable matter. By its use more satisfac- 
tory results are obtained, and large areas can 
be planted at much less expense than by 
hand-planting. A transplanter is a two- 
wheeled machine drawn by two horses or 
mules. One man drives, while two boys drop 
the plants. Plants are set with mathemati- 
cal regularity, at any distance desired. The 
machine is so arranged that a supply of 
water is furnished at the time of planting, so- 
that the plants are thoroughly waterd while 
being placed in the soil. Machines of this 
character are widely used in the United 
States for setting out tobacco, cabbage, and 
tomato plants with exceptionally good results. 
Machine-set plants start quicker, and grow 
and mature more evenly than hand-set plants. 
In Sumatra, where all necessary operations 
are carried on by hand, the coolie is provided 
with a plant string, the same length as the 
field. Bach end of the string is securely 
attached to a stick of the same length that 
it is intended the rows shall be separated. 
This string is divided into intervals by meains 
of coloured string, to show the proper distance 
of the plants in the row. By means 
of a sharp stick, holes are made at the proper 
distance, about 10 centimetres deep and 7 
centimetres in width. The holes are watered 
immediately before the plants are put in. 
The plants are pulled from the bed when the 
dew is still on them, and set out late in the 
afternoon, when the rays of the sun are not 
very strong. During the daytime the pulled 
plants are kept in a basket and carefully 
watered, and covered with cloth. About 4 
o'clock in the afternoon, the coolie drops 
from the basket a plant beside each hole 
and, when all of the plants are dropped, 
commences to plant. He holds the plant in 
the centre of the hole with his left hand and 
with his right hand, pressess the soil around 
the roots carefully but firmly, so that he can 
give the plant a slight pull without removing 
it. 
As regards the number of plants to the 
hectare, this depends'so largely on experience 
and the character of the soil and the kind of 
tobacco that special directions can not be 
given. Close planting in the row tends to 
develop a very thin leaf, while open planting 
allows the leaves to grow to a greater size, 
and develops the gums and oils so common to 
tobacco. For cigar wrappers it is usual to 
plant closely in the row, in order that the 
leaves will shade each other and develop the 
fine, thin leaves desired for this purpose. In 
Sumatra as many as 10,000 plants are set out 
in a field of If acres (slightly more than one- 
half of a hectare). For cigar fillei's or for 
tobacco to be used for manufacturing pur- 
poses, the planting is much more widely 
separated than in Sumatra. 
WATERING AND CULTIVATION. 
As it is always desirable to get a uniform 
growth, great care shf)uld be exercised to 
ha ve each plant live. Replanting should be 
done as quickly as it is possible to determine 
where fresh plants are needed. If the soil is 
moist and showers are frequent, watering the 
plants is unnecessary ; but, if the ground is 
dry, they should be watered immediately 
after setting and each day thereafter, as long 
as the plants require it. The quantity of 
water used is in all cases governed by the 
condition and nature of the soil. Usually^ 
after setting, the plants are undisturbed for 
a period of several days, during which time 
they are taking root. After this time culti- 
vation should be begun and continued rapidly 
and frequently, until further cultivation is 
liable to injure the growing leaves. Cultiva- 
tion at first can be done by a light plow or 
hoe ; but, after the plants have reached a 
considerable height, only the hoe should be 
used, and this very lightly. At this period 
the leaves furnish sufficient shade to prevent 
the soil from baking and hindering the growth 
of the surface roots. 
(7'o be concluded.) 
Rubber. — Mr. A D Machado, of iSingapore, has 
discovered that the best results in obtaitiicg latex 
are derived from a series of little incisions measur- 
ing two inches long by only an eighth ot an inch 
wide. Such a series of wounds is entirely harm- 
les", and produces, it is said, a supply as ample 
as the great herrinp;-bone cut now in use, which is 
often capable of seriously injuiiiif? or even killing 
a tree. From lUO trees, ranging from twelve to 
fifteen years of age, Mr. Machado draws an average 
of about 3 lb. of dried rubber daily, and he 
expects the supply to be maintained for six months, 
worlcing half the trees each day during that period' 
—Straits Echo, 
