Batu Tiga is now worked entirely by Javanese, they 
work well and seem to suffer less from fever than the 
Draining. — The contour drains, for the protection of 
the steep slopes, have now been completed and remain m 
good order. 
r oads _The plantation is now also well opened up by 
roads and paths, which make any part easy of access. 
About 120 chains have been traced and out during the year 
including a path through the arboretum. 
Crops. — The various experiments, initiated in 1907 and 
in the present vear, have made good progress. 
Rubber in all stages is doing well. 1 ruit trees have in 
most cases made fairly good growth. Green manures or 
cover plants have been largely experimented with during 
the vear ; details of which are furnished below. 
Rubber.— Hevea braziliensis (Para rubber). The old 
rubber trees have remained in good health, three trees were 
lost through white ants and one tree was attacked by a tun- 
gus which caused large quantities of latex to exude, this 
disease has been referred -to the Government colonist 
for investigation. Xo tapping was done owing to the delay 
in equipping the Curing House which was not ready at the 
end of the year. 
Selected Seeds.— The plot, 31 acres planted m 190 
with stumps, the result of seed from specially selected ti ees, 
has done well, all trees have made good progress the aver- 
age height is 11 feet 5 J inches, average girth at three teet 
from the ground 3j} inches. 
Seeds Sown at Stake.— The experiment, initiated m 
1907, of planting seeds at stake and from nursery at various 
ages was continued, and further batches were put out din- 
ing 1908 as per plan detailed in my report tor last year. 
The seeds sown at stake are making excellent progress 
and show clean and healthy growth. 
It looks at present as if the trees from seed sown at 
stake would reach a tappable size at least a year earlier 
than stumps transplanted from nursery buds. 
The averages of height and girth are as follows: 
Experiment 2/07 A.-Seeds sown at stake, Octobe, 
1907. Average height, 10 feet 6 inches; average girth, ■> T * 
inches. . . v , , 
Experiment 2/07 B.-Seeds sown m nursery October 
1907. Planted out in December, 190/. Average height, 9 
feet 3± inches; average girth, 2* inches. 
