17 
the year was insignificant; \kgs 285). Towards the end of the 
year (November) a few articles appeared in the local paper lead¬ 
ing to show that rubber planting was a failure in this Colony. 
A few planters who were still tapping their trees, obligingly 
placed figures at my disposal which proved exactly the reverse. 
A series of articles were then published in the same paper in 
order to make good the erroneous impression which might have 
been conveyed to the public by the first articles of a misinform¬ 
ed correspondent. The result was to prove that the position 
of rubber was not so bad as was generally believed and that it 
paid much better to plant rubber on inferior soil than c-xjo nuts. 
It was shown that the cost of producing rubber on the estate 
amounted to 50 cents and that the cost of exporting to and 
sellingin London only reached 21 cents per lb, making a total 
of 71 cents. Under these circumstances the nett profit per tree 
was reckoned at R 1.58, with rubber selling at only 2/—. The 
price has risen to 3/6 so that the same yield of 2 lbs per tree 
would now bring a profit of Rs 2 00 per tree. As rubber trees 
are planted at short distances, the cost of weeding and upkeep 
is considerably less than in the case of coconut trees which are 
planted 25 feet apart at least. The cost of upkeep of a coconut 
plantation amounts to Rs 7.60 per acre in the Colony and it is 
less than Rs 3.20 in a rubber plantation. 
One acre of coconuts yields a profit of Ets 82.40 counting 
75 trees with 30 nuts per tree to yield 2250 nuts at Rs 40 and 
deducting cost of upkeep of Rs 7.60. 
One acre of rubber yields a profit of Rs 169.02 taking only 
109 trees to the acre at 2 lbs only per tree and deducting 
Rs 3.20 lor cost of upkeep. 
The latter figures must be considered as a minimum, the 
number of trees per acre being 200 in the young plantations 
which are only 8 to 9 years old. The price realised in London 
is also reckoned at 2/ only, to put things at the worst. 
The growth of rubber trees in Seychelles during 1915 has 
been far better than in the preceeding years owing to the 
abundant rains. The last trees growing in a plantation 12 m 12 
were found to measure 42 inches girth, they were 28 inches only 
in March 1913, thus showing a growth of 7 inches per annum 
for 2 consecutive years. 
There are about 184,000 rubber trees planted out in the 
Colony and about half of them have reached the tappable size. 
If they were alL tapped, at lea^t 200,000 lbs of rubber represent¬ 
ing Rs 240,000 nett profit would be obtained. There is also no 
reason why new plantations should not be made as trees, even 
set out 'n the jungle without being weeded at all, have made 
excellent^ growth and reached 20 iuches girth, in 8 years. All 
rubber +r' es growing in the Colony are remarkably free from 
disease : one scale insect only attacking it (Lecanium nigrum) 
but being kept under control by a natural fungus parasite 
(Hypocrelln. sp.). 
I do not understand why large rubber plantations, covering 
hundreds or acres, are left untapped in this Colony in the pre¬ 
sent circumstances. It shows that there is something wrong 
in the general management of these estates perhaps. LLowever, 
the few planters who have not stopped tapping, are all in a po¬ 
sition to si ow to their brother planters to what extent they are 
mistaken. 
From an agricultural standpoint it should be borne in 
mind that time has come for abandoning coconut planting on 
some estates where the numerous diseases of the palms cause 
them to yield only about 5 nuts per tree. It is far better to 
set out these estates gradually with rubber than to continue 
growing cite palms which have occupied the same ground 
without manuring for over a century and whose miserable 
conditions of growth can only serve to establish a breeding 
ground for the parasitic diseases in question. This is a 
policy which I have recommended several times to owners 
of estates who are unable from any cause to keep their coconut 
plantations in good working order. The same policy should 
apply to small coconut planters in or near towns and villages, 
who see their crops being reduced to nothing by marauders. 
Rubber is not exposed to pilfering to the same extent. 
