PATALING TYPE OF FURNACE 193 LARGE SMOKE-HOUSE OF ORDINARY CONSTRUCTION, WITH SHIELDED VENTILATORS PERMANENTLY OPEN 194 BRICK AND CEMENT SUPERSTRUCTURE OF FURNACE INSIDE THE BUILDING, BUT FED FROM OUTSIDE 195 GENERAL VIEW OF SHELTERS COVERING APPROACHES TO FURNACES 196 NEAR VIEW OF SHELTER 197 "THIRD MILE" TYPE OF SMOKE-HOUSE 199 GENERAL VIEW OF DOUBLE "DEVON" TYPE OF SMOKE-HOUSE 201 GENERAL VIEW OF DOUBLE "DEVON" SMOKE-HOUSE AND FACTORY BUILDINGS 202 VIEW OF PLATFORM OF "DEVON" SMOKE-HOUSE; DOORS OF COMPARTMENTS OPEN, AND ONE RACK PARTIALLY WITHDRAWN 203 DOUBLE "DEVON" SMOKE-HOUSE OF BRICK, WITH ROOF OF CHINESE TILES, SHOWING LOADING PLATFORMS WITH RACKS WITHDRAWN FROM SMOKING CHAMBERS 204 SIDE-VIEW OF PRECEDING PHOTOGRAPH, SHOWING EXTERNAL ARRANGEMENT FOR STOKING FURNACES 205 FRONT VIEW OF DOUBLE "DEVON" TYPE OF SMOKE-HOUSE 206 SIDE-VIEW OF DOUBLE "DEVON" TYPE OF SMOKE-HOUSE 207 THE NEW "BARKER" TYPE OF SMOKE-HOUSE: A SMALL UNIT 210 SUGGESTED ARRANGEMENT OF BUILDING 218 THREE SPECIMENS OF FINE PALE CREPE SUFFERING FROM "SPOT" DISEASE 237 THE PREPARATION OF PLANTATION RUBBER PART I FIELD OPERATIONS CHAPTER I _PLANTING_ To criticise the methods of the pioneer planters of _Hevea Brasiliensis_ presents no difficulty in the light of present comparative knowledge, and to be "wise after the event" is a failing which is not confined to those interested in modern planting methods. Looking at the matter broadly, however, it must be acknowledged that the pioneers, wrong though they may have been on some points, did remarkably well, considering that there existed no real knowledge on the subject and that the methods employed were perforce of an empirical nature. Although we know a little more concerning the scientific aspects of rubber planting, the sum total of that knowledge does not justify any drastic criticism of the methods employed by our predecessors. In fact, although we may be of opinion that on general lines there is little now to be learned regarding the planting of _Hevea Brasiliensis_, our present knowledge does not preclude the possibility that future investigations may bring against us charges similar to those sometimes levelled at the earlier planters.