PLANTATION RUBBER INDUSTRY OF THE EAST. 475 



His Excellency the Governor, Sir West Ridgeway, allayed 

 the alarm by stating in his address to Council that the Govern- 

 ment were only taking up the cultivation experimentally, and 

 to supply seed to planters, and not as a commercial speculation ; 

 and in accordance with that declaration the scheme was not 

 proceeded with. 



In 1898 the Mide liana plantation was abandoned, and 27 

 acres were opened, at Korossa, near Rambukkana. The seed 

 crop in that year was 30,000, and in 1899 it rose to 563,000. 

 In 1900 Edangoda and Yatipawa were said to be together 

 64 acres in extent : 1 19,500 seeds were collected. No additions 

 were made to the Government plantations until 1903, when 

 21 acres were added to Korossa. The total acreage in 1904 

 was 112 acres at Yatipawa, Edangoda, and Korossa, and 3| 

 acres at the abandoned plantation at Midellana (Baduroliya). 

 Including the old trees in the Botanic Gardens, the Govern- 

 ment then owned nearly 120 acres of Hevea. 



Though the Government rubber plantations fulfilled their 

 purpose in providing seed, the revenue otherwise obtained 

 from them was very small. In 1902 the right of tapping, at 

 Edangoda and Yatipawa, 64 acres of Hevea from eight to 

 twelve years old, was leased for rather less than Rs. 1,000 per 

 annum, and the lease was renewed on the same terms the 

 following year. In 1906, when it was evident that there was 

 no further need of a Government seed reserve, these planta- 

 tions were sold by auction, the 112 acres, Edangoda, Yatipawa, 

 and Korossa together, realizing Rs. 98,000. 



For the information in the foregoing paragraphs I am 

 indebted chiefly to the annual reports of the Forest Depart- 

 ment. 



VI. — Introduction of Hevea into Perak. 



Hevea was introduced into Perak from Singapore by Murton, 

 in October, 1877. Murton mentions his visit to Perak in his 

 report for 1877, and states that " Liberian coffee, Para rubber, 

 Brazil rubber, and the Ceara scrap rubber have been planted 

 at Durian Sabatang and Kuala Kangsar." In the following 

 year Mr. (afterwards Sir) Hugh Low, then Resident of Perak, 



