208 
was of the most unpromising character; dry, gravelly and rocky 
soil, on which little would grow. He planted it up with Para 
rubber and Willughbeia firma. The latter though it forms now 
good sized bushes is useless as it has generally proved from the 
stems being too slender. The Pam rubber though by no means 
as good as in first class soil, has attained a fair size and I was 
informed, gave the owner an average of 2 lbs. of rubber per tree. 
This he makes into thin sheets partly cutting them into strips 
that they may dry better. He is said to make $2,000 a year from 
the 25 acres he possesses. A few of the trees are attacked by 
T emits Gestroi, and he set a bricklayer in his employment to clean 
the tree ever)- day. The man wearied of the work and taking 
some cement filled up the holes in the tree which the termites 
had excavated. The insects disappeared altogether, and the tree 
seems none the worse for the treatment but is still growing 
steadily. 
H. N. R. 
CORTICIUM: JAVANICUM 
On Para Rubber. 
In “Teysmannia” 5, 19, is an article by Dr. Ch. Bernard on 
Corticium javanicum attacking young Hevea braziliensis in Deli. The 
stem was covered with a greyish rose coloured fungus. This pest 
has also been seen on Bixa orellana, Boehmeria nivea. Probably 
the Corticium so common in the Straits on Ramie and Strobilanthes 
when overcrowded and too damp is this species. We have not 
yet seen it on rubber seedlings in the Straits, but it is quite likely 
to occur in overcrowded and overshaded nurseries. By removing 
the infected plants, letting more light and air among the others, 
and spraying with Bordeaux mixture there ought to be no diffi- 
culty in keeping down the pest. 
The paper referred to above is, unfortunately, published in 
Dutch so as to be incomprehensible to man}-. 
H. N. R. 
PERSONAL AND OTHER NOTES. 
Mr. D. Tait, formerly employed in the Botanic Gardens, 
Edinburgh, lately passed through Singapore on his way to Christ- 
mas Island where he will be employed in the Agriculture and 
Horticulture of the Island. 
^ Mr. E. W. Eaton, Agricultural Chemist, has arrived in the 
Federated Malay States to take up researches into various che- 
mical problems. 
A new edition of Mr. H. Wright’s book on Para rubber has 
just been published. It is much enlarged and contains more illus- 
trations than the previous edition and is altogether much improved 
and more up to date. 
