164 PARA RUBBER. 



ESTIMATE II. 

 Para. Rubber in Centrax Province. 

 Estimate for Opening Land and Notes on Same. 

 In making an estimate for opening land there are many things to be 

 tiken into consideration, such as (1) the nature of the jungle to be 

 felled — whether high or low ; (2) nature of soil — whether good soil 

 with rocks or hard gravelly soil ; (3) lay of land — if the land is fairly 

 flat with few rocks or stones the work will be much cheaper than on a 

 rocky and hilly estate ; (4) local conditions of labour — in some districts 

 the cooly is paid 33 cents per day, in others 50 cents. 



Therefore, I should not think of framing an estimate until I saw and 

 examined the land. The whole work with the exception of felling and 

 clearing can be done cheape" with Tamil than village labour. 



The cost of felling and clearing varies from Rs. 12-50 to Rs. 20 ; 

 roads and drains according to lay of land Rs. 7'50 to Rs. 12, and even 

 Rs. 20 per acre in rocky and hilly land, as blasting and building is an 

 expensive item. 



Barbed wire and fencing is an important item, and I have added this 

 to the estimate. 



I have slightly revised my estimate as published in the India Rubber 

 Journal of May and June, 1904, and have now brought it up-to-date, 

 having benefited by the experience in opening 869 acres during the past 

 twelve months. 



The following estimate is made for an estate in the Central Province 

 worked entirely by village labour. Lay of land, mostly on hillsides, 

 with a fair number of rocks — average cost of labour a bout 40 cents per 

 day. I strongly advocate seed at stake in all new clearings. 



Estimate of purchasing and opening 300 acres of Land. 

 1. — Purchase of land, say 300 acres, at Rs. 50 per acre . .Rs.15,000 

 2. — Felling, burning, clearing, rooting 300 acres, at Rs. 15 



per acre . . . . . . . . 4,500 



3. — Roads and drains, blasting and building, at Rs 12 per acre 3,600 

 4. — Lining and pegs, 15 by 15, at Re. L50 per acre . . 450 



5. — Holing 2 ft. by 15 in. and filling, at Rs. 6*50 per acre . . 1 ,950 

 6.— Cost of seed at Rs. 6 per 1,000, 3 in a hole, at 5 cents per 



acre, and planting .. .. .. 1,500 



7. — Nursery basket plants for supplies, 6,000 and upkeep . , 150 



8. — Planting, 1*50 per acre . . . . . . 450 



9. — Weeding, April to December, at Rs. 20 per acre . . 6,000 



10.— Bungalow Rs. 2,500, lines (20 rooms) Rs. 600 ,. 3,100 



11.— Superintendent Rs. 3,000, Conductor Rs. 600 .. 3,600 



12. — Tools and contingencies .. .. .. 750 



13. — Barbed wire fence, 4 strands put 8 ft. apart, and erection 

 of same, at 15 cents per yard, or, in round figures, say 

 at Rs. 5 per acre . . . . . . . . 1,500 



(If 2-in. wire netting buried and put in ground — and 3 strands 



of barbed wire and erection, at Rs. 9 per acre.) 42,550 



2 >.d In 6th year supervision, Rs. 3,600 . . . . 18,000 



Weeding second year at Rs. 20 per year. Rs. 6,000 ") 



third year at Rs. 15 per year, Rs. 4,500 V 19,500 



,, fourth to sixth year at Rs. 10 per year, Rs. 9,000 J 

 Upkeep of roads and drains at Re. 1 per acre, 5 years at Rs. 5 . . 1 ,500 



Carried forward .. 81,550 



