326 
specimens ( 4 gives one furiously to think. Hie specimens 
were two cut from the same Lanadron block which was 
shown at the Peradeniya show two years and a half ago, 
and travelled all over India, to Assouan, Euiope and nna i 
came to anchor in London. Thus they went through the 
extremes of heat and cold, of damp and dry. Of the two 
one is as clear, amber brown resilient, tough and good as 
when it was turned out of the press. The other tacky black 
and soft like half chewed toffee. Why? what caused this 
remarkable difference? The good one was carried about 
loose in a Kit bag or suit case. The spoilt one m a nice 
air tight metal caste and carefully fixed to the lid to prevent 
its rattling about. It began to degenerate m three weeks 
in this connection I mav mention a sample ot a. small 
square block made in the Botanic Gardens fifteen years ago 
or more, which has just been left about usually in a glass 
case fully exposed to the air, and has not gone tacky or soft 
at all but is firm and thoroughly resilient. 
As Mr. James Ryan in his letter states much has to be 
learnt vet in the method of packing rubber for export, and 
promises in a future article to give some practical sug- 
gestions on the way it should be done, in the India Rubber 
l0U These suggestions will be welcome to all planters and 
we shall look forward to their publication. 
Ln. 
PLANT SANITATION. 
The cultivation of clove trees, which was once an exten- 
sive industry in Singapore, is said to have almost ceased 
owing to the attacks of disease; and it is stated that the 
chief cause is a fungus which produces red spots on the 
leaves On the appearance of this report, the few clove 
trees at Peradeniya were examined to see whether the same 
disease occurred 'in Ceylon. All were found to he fairly 
vigorous, and showed no signs of any serious injury, except 
in one instance. Dark red spots were fairly common on the 
leaves, but these were purely local and did not afreet the 
general health of the trees; they answer to the description 
of the spots on the leaves in Singapore, though, until the 
fungus in the latter case is identified, it is impossible to 
determine whether the cause is the same. Theued spots at 
Peradeniva are caused by a red alga, Cephaleuros para- 
sitica. This species is closely related to Cephaleuros my- 
