INTRODUCTION 5 



attested by the Penghulu, or native headman, of 

 the district ? 



" (4) Was each owner given a consideration ? 



" (5) Has the proposed sale the approval of the 

 British Resident of the State ? 



"The questions satisfactorily answered, one 

 might proceed to obtain the expert report : but 

 before this cost is incurred vendors should be in 

 a position to state, on independent evidence, the 

 following : 



" (1) Age of trees ; number per acre. 



" (2) Nature of soil ; if peaty, whether it has 

 been limed. 



"(3) When and how manured., 



"(4) What precautions have been taken 

 against red beetles. 



" (5) Is there evidence of trees defoliated by 

 caterpillars. 



"(6) If there are catch crops, particulars ef 

 them and revenue. 



"(7) If there are squatters, what rights or 

 sub-leases they have. 



"(8) The average nuts per tree per picking, 

 number of pickings per annum, evidenced by 

 sales of nuts or copra. 



THE EXPERT 



"In choosing an expert to make a report, a 

 London buyer would do well to bear in mind 

 that in Malaya there are few planters intimately 

 acquainted with the coconut industry, and fewer 



