443 
which should be kept treated with quick-lime and sulphate of 
copper. This treatment where it can be applied will kill the 
fungus but the difficulty is to find the fungus before any damage 
is done. 
CATCH CROPS. 
We are led to believe that catch crops are not favourably 
considered by many planters ; we would ask if Para trees are 
s | planted closely and are to be cut out when the ground is over 
grown how such trees are to be regarded ; if not a catch crop what 
is it ? As a matter of fact it is a catch crop, and, in all the 
circumstances, a very bad one. We think certain catch crops, 
Jf with ground carrying trees well distanced would be beneficial, 
some monocotyledonous plants, plantains, pineapples, Sanseviera, 
Furcraea particularly, and other fibre plants would not be harm- 
ful— as a means of safeguarding the crop while paying their way — 
some leguminous crops such as ground nuts for one or two 
crops which would give the soil activity and “tilth” are- more 
rational than some utopian ideas of root pruning which have 
reached us. 
MANURING PARA TREES. 
Manuring young trees with different manures has been 
referred to in the Agricultural Bulletin Vol. III. p. 405, and other 
numbers. During the year 50 old trees were heavily manured 
with Cow manure and although the Para rubber tree is essenti- 
ally a surface feeder we did not find that the manure had any 
effect either in increment of growth or increase of yield but we 
observed that by sweeping all fallen leaves and fruit capsules 
around the base of trees a rich “ humus ” is accumulated which 
at least serves one good purpose in feeding and retaining a net- 
work of active surface roots. 
CONCLUSION. 
Much remains to be done in connection with rubber. Im- 
proved methods of tapping will naturally evolve. The great 
problem however, is to bring the dried rubber produced in the 
Straits up to the Standard of best Para and the difficulty we 
suspect is the same as in the case of gambir or copra and lies in 
combating the excessive humidity of the country. Washed 
rubber no doubt is an economical and expeditious method but we 
fail to see that any improvement in the texture of the rubber is 
likely to result in the future over the present by this process. So 
far little could be done in this direction as unfortunately the market 
does not assist experimental work and only recognizes one class of 
rubber and prices are high or low as the rubber compares or 
approaches the approved class. Now however as the Government 
Analyst will be prepared to test samples experiments will also be 
made in different methods of drying. 
HENRY N. RIDLEY. 
yth November, 1903. R. DERRY. 
