CHAPTER I. 

 Clearing the Ground. 



I. NATURE OF THE SOIL. 



In clearing the ground, the following must neces- 

 sarily be taken into consideration : 



a. The composition and configuration of the ground. 



b. The vegetation which may be found there and 

 which must be removed before starting cultivation. 



With regard to the configuration of the ground there 

 are important variations on the Malay Peninsula. Near 

 the coast and along the rivers, the ground is flat, but 

 deeper in the country it is hilly; in Perak lime-stone 

 is found and also lands consisting of gently sloping 

 grounds, from which rise steep hills. These latter are 

 but rarely planted with Hevea, although an exception 

 is to be seen from the railway between Ipoh and Taiping, 

 where tunnels are frequent. 



The composition of the soil varies. In the lower flat 

 valleys near the sea-coast and along the rivers, the 

 ground consists of a clayish sort of earth, usually 

 covered with a thick layer of i to 2 feet of black 

 peat, which is found to be elastic when walked upon. 

 According to an examination by KELWAY BAMBER, 



