13 



or under lalang, although the latter is sometimes to be pre- 

 ferred for other reasons. These various types should be 

 taken into consideration in settling questions of cultivation. 



a. Virgin and secondary Jungle. 



In the first place all the timber should be felled in 

 the usual way and then burnt as completely as possible. 

 The oTound should be well cleared of dead wood. 



o 



tree-trunks etc., in order to prevent attacks from fungus, 

 a question that will be dealt with later on. This practice 

 has only become general within the last year, since the 

 reports of GALLAGHER on the spread of fungus have 

 thrown more light on the matter. It seems to be not 

 unusual for dead wood and old stumps to be left in the 

 ground until the plantations are about three years old. 

 It should be understood however that it is more to the 

 purpose, more reliable in the result and cheaper to have the 

 ground as clean as possible when the plantation is 

 started. As a rule, this objective is aimed at. Screw-jacks 

 are frequently employed to clear the ground of heavy tree- 

 trunks, which would otherwise be difficult to clear away. 

 It is natural that the careful removal of dead wood, 

 tree-trunks, etc., make the clearing much more expensive 

 than a rough clearing only. For felling and burning, 

 the usual calculation of expense is about $ i8l) per acre, 

 but for a complete clearance as much as $ 60 to $ 70 

 may have to be paid. Nevertheless this high expenditure 

 will be profitable in the long run, as estates which are 

 brought into cultivation at an unduly low figure must 

 frequently be cleared up later on from dead wood 



] ) Straits dollar. 



