15 
(rood results from manuring might be expected from the 
following : poor, light, laterite soils, soils deficient in one or more 
essential plant food material, thinned out areas which are slow in 
recovering from the effects of close planting and areas which have 
been severely tapped in the past. 
As regards the method of application this will depend on the 
age of the trees. With young rubber, I believe, the best value is 
obtained by spreading the manures' around each tree, the area 
treated would naturally vary with small and large trees and 
increase as the rubber ages. The manures are best turned under 
to a depth of two or three inches, sufficient to prevent loss by surface 
wash. With older rubber the manures may be broadcast all over 
the land but more especially about the middle of the rows and then 
turned under. I do not favour the placing of manures in trenches 
around a tree as in this area the manures are too concentrated and for 
a time limited to a small root feeding area. 
I do not propose to deal with quantities of manures to be 
applied, per acre, as this varies more or less with each fertilizer. 
Information, however, can be obtained on application to the 
Department of Agriculture. 
With regard to the kinds of manures I might mention that 
a complete fertilizer consisting of sulphate of ammonia, double 
superphosphate, sulphate of potash with the addition of lime gave 
the best results in the Kuala Lumpur Gardens. Comparatively 
good returns have also been obtained from Perils guano, bone-meal 
and basic slag. 
Lime and its Application. 
One of the chief effects of lime on a soil is to accelerate 
nitrification and thus enable plants to draw upon the nitrogenous 
and potash stores in the ground. It has a neutralizing action on 
organic acids which helps _ to sweeten sour soils. Lime has a 
beneficial action on clay soils by breaking them up, while sandy or 
light soils are improved by binding the particles together. In 
order to obtain the full benefits of artificial fertilizers I think it 
is essential to apply a small dressing of lime beforehand, this should be 
done several months previous to the spreading of the fertilizers on 
the land. There are many soils in Malaya which would, I feel sure, 
respond well to lime treatment. Quick lime is the best form of 
application, the lumps being distributed throughout the field and 
allowed to slake naturally. One night’s rain is sufficient for this 
decomposition to take place but in dry weather it may take several 
days. The result is a fine dry powder which is found easy to 
distribute equally over the land. Slaking lime in this country in a 
large heap and adding water does not appear to give such a fine dry 
powder as the natural process and the cost of distribution is higher. 
Before closing this address I would like to refer briefly to costs, 
