6 7 
stimulating and recuperative power to it and prevents other beetles 
from making use of the hole. 
General . — While the plantation is young or if there are a great 
number of trees not in bearing, it will of course be necessary to 
keep some coolies to look after and give special attention to the 
beetles, but when all the trees are in full bearing or nominally so 
and the plantation has been previously well maintained, it may 
possibly be sufficient, to keep away any real harm from attack by- 
beetle, merely to employ the coconut collectors while collecting 
the nuts, generally every two months, to extract the beetles from 
the tree. Phis is the common practice in Penang and other places 
I know of, the collector usually receiving a cent for every beetle 
he catches. 
The land all along the sea coast of Selangor and some miles 
inland is most admirably suited for the cultivation of coconuts and 
there are some particularly fine plantations to be seen here. Ac- 
cording to my idea it is a perfect heme for coconuts, the trees 
come very quickly into bearing, (four to five years by no means 
uncommon) produce magnificent crops, and owing to the fertility 
of the soil absolutely require no manure except perhaps at the 
time they are planted so as to give the young plants a good start. 
With these and other advantages it would be supposed that owners 
would give the plantations every care and attention so as to obtain 
the best possible results out of them, but 1 regret to sav from what 
L have seen that this is by no means always the case. It is a well 
known fact that a strong and healthy tree resists the attack of the 
beetle far better than a stunted or sickly one, and I would there- 
fore lay particular stress on the very great importance of keeping 
the trees free from Iaiang and brushwood of all sorts and point out 
how seriously this undergrowth affects the well being of the. trees. 
There is only one other matter that I would mention which I 
consider bears on the subject and may prove instructive where 
new land is being opened for the cultivation of coconuts. I have 
noticed that in opening up forest land sufficient precaution has not 
been taken while burning off the jungle to completely destroy all 
the sago and serdang palms, also the soft wood trees, the conse- 
quence has been that where coconuts have been planted on these 
clearings among coffee and rubber, the beetles have been found in 
considerable numbers owing to these decayed stumps, and as the 
coffee and rubber will not stand any burning, it is both costly and 
difficult to get rid of these pests. Had there been a little extra burn- 
ing, as I have explained, when the place was originally opened up 
I feel sure the present trouble would have been very much mini- 
mised if not practically avoided altogether. 
L. C. BROWN. 
Kuala Lumpur , 5, /. oj. 
SUMMARY OP RUBBER PLANTING IN MEXICO. 
In answer to a circular letter sent by the India Rubber World 
to the various incorporated rubber planting companies now operating 
