June 1, 1904.] THE TROPICAL 
AGEICULTURIST. 
821 
give a good yield, Heveas were to be seen 
everywhere tlirougliout the estate and 
everywhere they seemed iu splendid condition, 
from yearling stumps recently planted out to 7 
and 8 5'ears oid trees *' on tap." It is evident (hat 
the greater part of the tea on CuModea at any 
rale, will eveiitualiy give place to rubber. 
WHAT IS THE CEYLON HEVEA ? 
A uunibei of the trees were in blossom, masses of 
small yellow flowers having a raiiier sweet 
fr.igrance. Several sprays of blossom were gathered 
and these M Collet has despatched to Europe to 
be bolanically eicamined by experts and the exact 
variety of Hevea determined. There seems to be 
some doubt as to the Ceylon Hevea being the true 
Para rubber tree ; and this doubt M Oollet will 
get settled in Europe and has promised to let 
Ceylon planters know exactly what they are 
growing. There is certainly more than one variety 
of Hevea grown on CuHoilen, and two distinct 
varieties were to be seen growing side by side 
having quice a different leaf, The.-ie are probably 
sports " ; and in consequeaca of this sporting 
proclivity seed from the best latex yielders only 
should be used. On some of the estates the 
blossom on the 2nd class yielders is pruned off. 
Going across to a further plantation, we passed 
the cooly lines where we found a school in 
full swing, possibly 30 youngsters being in- 
structed, sitting on the ground or on benches, 
and at one side a black board well covered 
with figures. Mr Harrison informed me that 
the kangani started the school on his own 
account, and now receives a grant. He is 
doing very well, and his results are certainly 
in evidence ; the children are all very well- 
behaved and the kangani teaches them to be 
extremely respectful. Such schools, ic seems to 
me, cannot but be a good thing on estates. 
A 10 X 10 FT. CLEARING. 
Crossing the paddy fields we entered a fine 
clearing of Para trees, planted 10 x 10 ft. 
This plantation was tiie first land in Ceylon to be 
planted entirely in rubber, and was planttd up 
in Juoe July, 1898, and is now in tapping. 
While taking photos in the clearing the coolies 
were tapping, paring the oblique cuts afresh 
and placing the cups. Where the sun was still 
on the tree truiiks, the latex flowed slowly 
until the sun was below the crest of the hill to 
the west. The trees in this grove are yielding 
well and aie ol good girth, but; Mr Harrison 
is in doubt as to whether the trees are not too 
close. If left as they are, 10 10 ft., the 
yield of latex may possibly diminish, and the trees 
may even eventually die out. But as rubber-grow- 
ing is as yet only experimental, it is hard to 
tell. Mr Harrison thinks he will probably cut 
out alternate rows, leaving them either 10 x 20 ft. 
or 20 X 20 ft. 
CASTILLOAS ON CULLODEN. 
Passing Irora this plantation we found the road 
lined with Castilloas (Castilloa elastica), the 
Central Araericiin rubber tree. A number of 
paths in Culloden are so lined and there are 
some 12,000 trees on the estate. None of these aie 
tapped ; an experimentol tapping has l)eeu tried, 
but was noii satisfactory. The selt-pruning 
habit of the castilloa was noticed ; the lower 
branches of the tree gradually loose the leaves 
and the stem dries up and drops from its socket 
io the trunk. 
CULLODEN RUBBER FACTORY. 
The rubber factory on Culloden is of consider- 
able interest, and is about the best equifiped one in 
Ceylon. It is a special building situated not far 
from the tea factory, and on entering it one im- 
mediately noticed the genuine crude "rubber 
smell, " The cool cement floor and the appear- 
ance of rovvs of the small basins of rubber milk 
si t out to coagulate gave quite the sug;,'eation 
of a dairy A special account of the working 
of the CTude rubber and coagulatiirg and drying 
process will be found on another page. In the mid- 
dle of the building was a pile of dried biscuits 
ready for packing and shipment. We exam- 
ined some of this audit was indeed satisfactory 
to note Mons. Collet's pleasure in handling such 
FIRST-CLASS CEYLON RUBBER. 
These biscuits were of a clear amber colour, 
and had a sweet, fresh smell. Taking a biscuit 
in one's hands and stretching it as much as pos- 
sible, like a crude Sandow developer, it was 
impossible to make the sheet tear; on our releas- 
ing it, it immediately resumed its original shape 
showisig its elasticity to be at perfection point. It 
was the finest rubber he had seen, declared Mr 
Collet, and in his estimation could not be im- 
proved upon. The scrap rubber was also noticed, 
in cakes which might readily be examined by 
buyers jn the market. 
Mr Collet took several sample Culloden biscuits, 
which have been despatched to Belgium for expert 
examination and report. The report by the 
Belgian experts Mr Collet has promised to send 
me, and planters will no doubt be glad to have its 
translation published. 
Unfortunately Mr Collet had to return to 
Colombo that evening, as the fortnight he is giving 
to Ceylon is barely enough for even a hurried 
tour of the places he wishes to visit. He left 
Cullorlen well satisfied with his visit to the chief 
rubber district of Ceylon. 
HEATHERLEY, NARTHUPANE AND PUTUPAULA. 
On the following day accompanied by Mr C O 
Macadam, the manager, I went over to Heatherley 
estate. As we passed through the gap, the rocky 
defile with Heveas growing everywhere among the 
rocks — practically growing out ot the rock — was 
quite remarkable and worth a photograph, although 
the light s\'as not of the best. Castilloas here also 
were planted alona the sides of the paths, 
Heatherley relies, of course, on tea as its main 
product and "greens " are the order of the day in 
the factory which is, if I rightly recollect, the only 
one in the district turning out green tea ; but 
rubber is steadily advancing and from what I saw 
in passing through the estate the tea, after a 
certain number of years, will bo killed out on large 
acreages by the rubber which, instead of being the 
subordinate crop it now is, will take the place of tea. 
The rubber factory on Heatherley is in part of the 
tea factory, and as on several other estates the 
heat of the boiler is used for the first drying of the 
biscuits. The factory and the process is much on 
the same lines as Culloden and the appearance of 
the crude rubber quite as good — in fact, I may say 
without diverging from the narrow path of truth, 
that the Heatlierley biscuits were even better in 
colour than Culloden (if that is possible.) 
SPLENDID HEATHEP.LEY SCRAP RUBBER. 
1 was greatly struck by the first-class appearance 
of the scrap rubber. It was exceptionally clean 
