229 
“ You will perhaps be interested to know, that of the twenty 
“ seeds of Hevea Brasiliensis you so kindly sent me, I have now 
“ fourteen thrifty plants a foot high. I feel very proud of them, 
“ '! he matter is worthy of record, as undoubtedly they are the first 
plants ever raised in Mexico. ” 
'fhese seeds were from the Para rubber trees growing in the 
ecomonic section of the Botanic Gardens. They left Singapore on 
the 1 2th February, 1903, and arrived in Mexico on the 3rd May, 
1903. 
Editor. 
INSECTICIDES. 
A mixture prepared as follows is recommended to prevent ants. 
Scale insects and other vermin attacking trees or plants : — 
White Lime (slaked) ... 6 quarts. 
Kerosene oil ... ... £ pint. 
Turpentine ... ... 1 wine-glass. 
Soft soap . . . ... 5 Tbs. 
Cow-dung ... ... 3 quarts. 
Water ... ... ... 16 quarts. 
Mix the whole thoroughly together, and apply freely with a paint 
brush or white-wash brush to the trunks of trees or stems of plants 
requiring protection. It is also a good remedy in case of trees 
already affected by pests, killing scale insects &c. immediately. 
If signs of H gumming " are observed in Citrus trees, to the above 
mixture should be added |Tb. of Flowers of Sulphur. The mixture 
adheres to the trunks and branches of trees for a considerable time, 
but when it peels off, the bark beneath will be found to be perfectly 
clean and free from pests, both animal and vegetable. 
It must be remembered that such remedies as the one here re- 
commended cannot be expected to be permanently effectual, unless 
proper cultural method are adopted, so that the tree and plants are 
kept in a healthy growing state. Healthy trees are not often at- 
tacked by insect pests. Fro?n the Bulletin of the Botanical De- 
partment , Jamaica. 
RUBBER TAPPING EXPERIMENTS IN PENANG. 
It is interesting to recorch that the Para Rubber tree grow- 
ing in the Penang Gardens — a figure of which was given at page 
384 of the Bulletin — still continues to give good results. This 
year makes the 8th consecutive year of tapping. Operations began 
on 8th May, and the following Table shews the results. The tap- 
ping was made as previously, ?.<?., by taking a fine shaving off the 
cuts on each occasion. 
