135 
It is certainly quite possible to collect capsules of rubber seed 
quite ripe and either to crack them or allow them to explode of 
themselves in a closed space. One year we collected the greater 
part of the crop in this manner, the capsules were pulled off the 
trees with a sharp edged iron hook->on a long stick and the capsules 
were then cracked frequently they exploded when touched and often 
in falling or when they reached the ground. The important thing is 
of course that the coolies should only pull the ripe fruit ready to 
explode. When the capsule is ripe the green hiisk turns blackish 
and begins to wrinkle, then splits and retracts exposing the white 
husk after a little supervision the coolies soon learn to make no 
mistakes in pulling the fruit after the husk has begun to shrink. It 
would probably be best to allow the seed to explode of themselves 
in a closed space so that any that were not quite ready would dry a 
little. 
H N. R. 
ON A SYSTEM OP LAYING OUT ESTATES 
IN 10 -ACRE BLOCK. 
In compliance with the terms of a certain Government Grant I 
had once to submit to the tiresome task of planting a considerable 
area of Rubber in jungle without previously clearing it. By mere 
chance I decided on running long parallel rentices through the whole 
block, 33 feet, viz. \ chain apart; for the sake of better intercom- 
munication 1 can crossrentic£s throhgh them at right angles, the 
latter io chains apart. This led to the land being practically cut 
up into io-Acre blocks. For the sake of uniformity I continued 
this on some adjoining land which was opened up in the orthodox 
fashion, felled, burned and cleared. I have since done the same on 
new land and gradually improving in details I have found this sys- 
tem to be so suitable and show such a number of feature which 
make it superior to any other I have heard of that I may be allowed 
to publish my experience for the information of fellow planters. 
I do so all the more readily because I have never heard of an)mne 
opening land in this way, neither here nor in Ceylon; in, the latter 
place I was told of some planters cutting up their land into 30 or 
50- Acre blocks, but I venture to say that the 10-Acre system is by 
far the more useful. 
I shall explain in which way I have lately opened up new blpcks 
of jungle alienated from Government. Assume the land to have 
the shape as per the sketch below containing approximately 500 
Acres. The principal thing is to find or make a base-line; any line, 
running more or less at a tangent to the block, is suitable; it need 
not touch the block, but it must not cross (into it) any part of it, 
otherwise complications will arise with regard to the naming of the 
different fields. In this country our new blocks are mostly such 
