the rows. As regards depth of tillage this will, of course, depend 
on the nature of the soil, but generally speaking, the heavier the soil 
the greater the depth required. 
Cultivators aud harrows are more economical but, unfortunately, 
they can only be used in certain cases. On Castleton Estate. Telok 
Anson, harrows have been in operation for some considerable time, 
where they have done good work at a small cost. The cost of tillage 
of the first one or two applications is comparatively high but 
decreases as the tilth improves. 
With regard to drainage of flat land it is well known that this 
is of the i most importance. Should a soil be water-logged, or the 
water level near the surface, jt is impossible to have a good tap root 
developed, tho absence of one being often evident by loss of trees 
during wind and rain storms. Cultivation and manures will not 
effect a remedy, in fact it is waste of money to adopt either until 
drainage conditions are first improved. 
There is some difference of opinion as to when tillage should be 
done. Personally, T think the best results are likely to be obtained 
when done towards the end of the wet season in order to conserve 
the then abundant water for the dry period. 
Soils which are more or less baked on the surface have lost, and 
continue to lose, a good deal of water by soil evaporation. In some 
instances the surface is like a brick and should this condition he 
present on a slope the majority of rain water merely runs off the 
land. It is obvious that to cultivate a soil during a dry season is 
expensive but in addition to this you effect a remedy after consider- 
able damage has already been done in loss of soil water. To 
cultivate at the close of a wet period bears out the old saying : 
“ Prevention is better than cure.” Tillage to a depth of two or three 
inches will greatly assist in the conservation of water. 
With regard to the cultivation of old clearings the soil of which 
has not been previously turned over to any depth, one must use a 
good deal of discretion. It could not be recommended to till this 
soil in such a way as to destroy surface roots, both large and small, 
in a drastic fashion. Light changkolling, in the first instance, should 
be carefully done and all large roofs avoided. I do not think much 
harm is done in cutting numbers of small surface roots, as a better 
root system is, by cultivation, encouraged at a greater depth in the 
soil. The depth of tillage may be gradually increased as time goes 
on. There is little doubt that the best root system is developed when 
tillage is commenced .while the trees are quite young, one must 
devote attention to soil cultivation, at some time or other, if 
maximum yields of rubber, good bark renewal and healthy trees are 
to be maintained. 
Dynamite has been considered, for some time past, in connection 
with rubber growing and may possibly prove a valuable method of 
