Sppt. 1, 1903.] THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
187 
they will show something handsome. 
Samples of Pai-a Rubber have been submitted 
for valuation, and the best sppcitnens have 
and the price of 4s id per lb. affixed to tht m. 
The better qualiiy of Para, as compared 
with RAtnhong— Pious Eiastica—h;xs m^ide 
it the favourite cultivation ; but the 
Rambong has many enthusiastic supporters 
for the tree is indigenous to the country, 
shows a moi^e even growth, has heavier 
yielding powers, and requires nothing like 
the care which is necessary with Para, all 
of which it is expected will more than com- 
pensate for the slight deficiency in quality. 
As it is, the " scrap " of this variety has 
sold at a price which leaves a wide margin 
of profit, and this too in spite of the facts 
that the trees tapped were but four years 
old, and the quantity being small, the cost 
of collection was very heavy. The latex is 
rather slow to coagulate which is an ob- 
jection. What price a carefully prepared 
" biscuit " of this variety may fetch has yet 
to be discovered, but judging from the 
value of its " scrap " it siiould do well. 
At the Experimental Plantations of Batu 
Tiga, the Superintendent Mr. Stanley Arden 
is devoting part of his time to experiments 
on the extraction of the latex, and his 
future reports on the subject will be in- 
teresting to compare with the results that 
have been observed in Ceylon. A trial is 
being made with the Lagos Silk Rubber— 
Kickxia Elastica ; but so far a number of un- 
toward circumstances have prevented any- 
thing like a fair chance to the new plant, 
though Mr. Arden is " of opinion that 
they will succeed here and probably become 
a valuable aquisition, but it is essential 
that they should be planted in well drained 
ground." 
As to Coconuts— the twin favourite with 
Rubber in the affections of the planters 
of JVIalaysia, — everything points to this being 
a highly remunerative branch of agriculture. 
The Federal Inspector under the " Coconut 
Trees Preservation Enactment," — a gentle- 
man with a considerable experience of 
coconut plantations in the Straits Settle- 
ments—has. after inspecting his Province, 
reported that : " in many districts here the 
soil is admirably adapted for the growth 
of the palm, no manure is required, the. 
most favourable conditions exist, the trees 
come quickly into bearing and produce magni- 
ficent crops. * * * This cultivation will 
be one of the safest and most paying of 
the agricultural interests of the States and 
the most lasting and least costly." A high 
note is here sounded and we naturally tvirn 
for corroboration to the - private report 
already quoted from, and find that there 
it is thus written :— " There can be no 
manner of doubt that the cultivation of 
Coconuts in Selangor is bound to turn out 
a magnificent success." With the near 
horizon thus heavily gilt, and such an 
exhilarating atmosphei'e pervading the 
Malay Federated States, is it any wonder 
that at this time the usual risks of Tropical 
Agricultui'e should be forgotten, and that 
Malaysia ybould be openly jubilant i* 
AGKI-HORTICULTURAL SHOWS AND THEIR 
BENEFIT TO THE PEOPLE. 
It would be well, we think, in future, before 
an Agricultural Show is held in a rural dis- 
trict or outstation in Ceylon, to draw up a 
short paper and have it printed in English, 
Sinhalese and Tamil, giving an account of the 
objects held in view in arranging for and 
opening the Show. Most people consider 
that an Agri-Horticultural Show is simply 
useful as a medium for the distribution of 
lirizes to the best Exhibitors. This is a very 
poor justification. The great object must be 
the improvement of the general agricultural 
productions of the country, first, by affording 
information— object-lessons — to the many, 
who can best obtain an insight into improve- 
ments through a great collection of 
agricultural exhibits ; next, there will be 
the presentation of ideals in the best of 
everything to work up to, or even to im- 
prove upon ; and then tlie opportunity should 
be seized to give the agriculturists present 
some instruction on the the spot. Could 
this be done at our rural Shows, by brief 
addresses in Sinhalese, to the assembled 
cultivators, translated from prepared 
papers adapted to local circumstances? 
We commend the suggestion to the dif- 
ferent Government Agents, the Director of 
Public Instruction and the head of the 
Gardens and Scientific Staff : — all of whom 
are specially interested in promoting im- 
proved agriculture among the people. 
PLANTING NOTES. 
Hard ox Ceylom Rubber.— It is stated 
that Ceylon " biscuit " rubber sent from 
London to the United States has been pro- 
nounced by the Customs authorities there 
to be a manufactured article, on which a 
heavy duty (? 30 per cent) must be levied ! 
If this is persisted in, Ceylon exports must 
be confined to Europe, where, fortunately, 
the market is a good and improving one. 
America will be the loser by classifying our 
really crude rubber as manufactured ; be- 
cause it is presented in so pure and clean a 
state. 
Dog Latin Name.s for Plants.— Although I 
have a fair knowledge of Laciu, which is often 
useful, I fail to see why plants should have names 
given to theui which the men who have most to 
do with them can neither understand nor pro- 
nounce. Farther than this, the words used have 
no existence in Latin, and these dog Latin words 
are mixed up with dog Greek and French. Not 
even coctent, tiie " inventors of language " seem 
to think that any English word or name can be 
made into Laiin by adding " uni " to the end. 
There as an example, a very fine Anthurium 
named after myself insham Latin' "Fletcherianum." 
What can be the meaning of this, and how 
would a Frenchman pronounce it ? Originally 
Latin was intended to be a universal system of 
nomenclature, which would be understood almost 
all over the world ; but this idea has been done 
away with by the supposed conversion of English 
to Latin by the much enduring "um." — Journal 
of HortkuUiirc, July 23. 
