175 



They had Experimental Plantations at Kuala Lumpur and Batu 

 Tiga in Selangor, and on Grunong Angsi, in the Negri Sembilan, 

 where, apart from rubber, many other crops were being tried, 

 including those mentioned in the resolution and many more. At 

 Kuala Kangsar in Perak the Department had taken over the 

 Government Plantation, though they were not doing much with it at 

 present apart from the rubber plot. Before they could get at work 

 on other experimental plots they required a good deal more of money 

 and, also, what was more difficult at present, men for supervision. 



Then they had a plantation in Kuala Pilah for Malay agricul- ■ 

 ture. The Kuala Kangsar Plantation was likely to be of very great 

 use when they could develop their work on other products. Then, 

 in Singapore, the Government of the Straits Settlements had the 

 Botanic Gardens. 



All these were veiy useful, and, indeed, indispensable to show 

 what would, and what would not, grow ; what diseases were to be 

 looked out for; the conditions of growth ; and what yields might be 

 expected. But, if he might say so, all these were mainly of negative 

 usefulness to prevent unnecessary waste of money as on the results 

 of such small scale experiments they would be able definitely to 

 recommend not to try this or that. But in the case of those products 

 where promising results were achieved they required fuller 

 information before i-ecommending them commercially. They wished 

 to know, for instance, above all, what yields could be secured over a 

 given area, and what would be the actual cost of production to 

 secure that yield on a commercial scale. These points could only be 

 guessed at from small plots. 



As a matter of fact these matters had been on his mind for some 

 considerable time, and once they very nearly achieved definite results. 

 In 1914 Colonel Fox, Mr. B. Macfadyen, and he drew up a scheme 

 for a large scale experimental farm where products w^hich had done 

 well in a small way might be tried in blocks of 50 acres or 100 acres. 

 He felt that such a scheme would give extremely valuable results. 

 The scheme was submitted to Government and was approved in 

 principle, and even a reserve was set aside for the purpose to 

 the extent of about 2,000 acres, he believed. It was, however, 

 postponed at the time as it was not possible to carry it further ana 

 since then it had not been possible to revive it. 



He took it that now that the matter had come up in the form of 

 the resolution forwarded to Government they were asked to discuss 

 there whether they wanted more small scale expeinmental plantations 

 or one or more of the larger ones. 



Mr. R. W. MuNRO said : Those who have read (as most of you 

 doubtless have) the last annual report of the Planters' Association 

 of Malaya will have noticed a paragraph submitting that " a con- 

 tinuance of the country's prosperity must at all times be the main 



