il3 



The conclusion is that large seeds furnish by far the best results, 

 both as regards germination and as regards growth of the seedlings. 

 One should therefore, before planting seeds, go over them and selecting 

 from them, count as inferior and throw out all which weigh less than 

 five grammes." 



THE POSITIONS OF THE AGRICULTURAL 



INDUSTRIES IN THE STRAITS SETTLEMENTS 



IN I9I3. 



In arranging the following statements, the first place is given to 

 the territory of Malacca, because in it Para Rubber — the premier crop 

 of the Malay Peninsula — is more developed than elsewhere. 



Territory of Malacca. 



If we compare the rubber produced and exported from Malacca 

 with that produced and exported from the whole peninsula, we get 

 the following figures : — 



Percentage 



Ti , .• ,, ^ .• of the whole 



Date. ^^T'- '^1 ' ' ^r'7 "' "■'"'^'^ «''^ crop 



Peninsula. Malacca. of Malacca 



makes. 



1911 23,615,417 lbs. 2,180,788 lbs. 9.23 



1912 43,102,314 „ 5,527,040 „ 12.82 



1913 77,836,945 ., 9.342,997 „ 12.00 



Having interest to this considerable extent, the Malacca planters 

 during 1913 made themselves leaders in dealing with the iniportant 

 question of wages, and with marked success. Such interest and such 

 success fully justify in themselves the arrangement of material 

 adopted here. 



It was in 1898 that Mr. Tan Chay Yan planted 40 acres with 

 Para rubber, mixed with Ficus elastica, on Bukit Lintang, near Malacca 

 town, and then formed a Chinese syndicate to plant up more Para 

 rubber (mixed with tapioca) on Bukit Asahan towards the north east 

 corner of Malacca territory, becoming the first outside Negri Sembi- 

 lan and the second in the whole peninsula to take up an industry 

 which the Government had been putting forward as a possibility for 

 some years. The Government of the Straits Settlements had at that 

 time trees at Singapore, Penang, and near Malacca; the Government 

 of Perak had trees at Kuala Kangsar and near Teluk Anson; and 

 Mr. T. Hislop Hills — the first planter — had trees on his estate at 

 Sungei Ujong. Other trees had been distributed and planted in 

 District Officers' gardens but their history has yet to be collected. 



