394 
lbs., to select the best five pounds out of B’s lot and compare that 
with A’s. Assuming them to be equal, the scale would turn in B’s 
favour, unless the remaining 45 lbs. of his exhibit was very much 
inferior. 
However, it seems clear from the Judges’ remarks that much of 
the rubber sent was younger than that of Ceylon, presumably from 
younger trees. This of course was the fault of the Exhibitors for 
as the Malay Peninsula planters started planting just at the same 
time as those of Ceylon, possibly a little earlier, there are plenty 
of trees as old in the Peninsula as any in plantations in Ceylon. 
Many do not appear to have shown the best they could turn out. 
The Official list of prizes is published in the Ceylon Weekly Times 
from which we take the following notes:— Biscuits were but little 
exhibited by the Malay planters, only five Exhibitors against 47 
1 Ceylon planters. Biscuits have, as a matter of fact, gone out of 
fashion here for some time, naturally the prizes fell to Ceylon 
planters. In Sheet rubber, the Peninsula showed in larger propor- 
tion, Kuala Kangsa Gardens got an extra silver medal and Karau- 
ning an honourable mention. In Crepe Pataling got a silver medal. 
In the best sample of Worm-flake or block, Lanadron got the gold 
medal, Scrap was won by Vallambrosa, silver medal, and an 
honourable mention to Jebong. Rambong was entirely won by 
the Malay planters, Golden Hope a gold medal, Sungei Rengam 
a silver one, Highlands and Lowlands, honourable mention. The 
best Commercial Sample was won by Lanadron, whose superin- 
tendent won a gold medal and a silver bowl, as well as a special 
prize for the best sample of rubber from the Malay Peninsula. 
The points selected by the Judges were generally speaking 
strength appearance, brightness of colour and smoothness of surface. 
The Malay rubber was said to be darker in colour than that of 
Ceylon It may possibly be that this is due to climatic influence 
during drying. Young rubber was said to be much improved by 
being smoked and the attention of planters is called to this point 
again. It is rather interesting to note how after many trials the 
manufacture seems to be going back in many points to the earliest 
methods in use here. The old herring-bone tapping in use in the 
Botanic Gardens in 1890, is replacing spiral aud other systems; 
Block rubber, the form in which Para-rubber was shown at all 
Horticultural Shows here for fifteen years is likely to replace crepe 
and sheet, Biscuit practically disappearing; and smoking rubber, 
always done in the early days of biscuits, is now probably to return. 
H. N. R. 
A DEVICE FOR TAKING AND RECORDING THE 
GIRTH OF PARA RUBBER TREES. 
By P. J. Burgess. 
The instrument consists of a stout stick three and a half feet long 
to which a leather strap is nailed at three feet from one end The 
strap is long enough to encircle the largest tree to be measured, and 
