The Cost of an Estate 5 



uncomfortable dwelling among dingy surround- 

 ings for your chief men. Remember that a 

 little taste and artistic adornment in the Tropics 

 need not cost a great deal, whilst they can and 

 do go a long way to "buck up'' and sustain 

 a man after a hard day's work, or during times 

 of stress. Liberality in this connection will 

 be appreciated and will make for contentment, 

 steadier living, harder work, and general readi- 

 ness for the arduous duties of the staff. 



Where the occupation is confined to an 

 island or solitary existence, it even pays to 

 provide means of sport, such as boats, ponies, a 

 billiard table, tennis courts and so forth for the 

 lonely ones. Doing so always pays. Contented 

 minds and freshness for the work after mental 

 and physical recreation are secured by this 

 consideration. 



' For general purposes, as giving a concise 

 and lucid insight into the figures of outlay 

 demanded for opening up an estate of 500 

 acres of coco-nuts, we do not think we can do 

 better than agree with the pamphlet compiled 

 on the subject by Mr. L. C. Brown, Inspector 

 of Coco-nut Plantations for the Federated 

 Malay States, who quotes : 



Dols. 

 Premium, $3 ($ = 2s. 4d.) per acre ; quit rent, 



$i per acre ; survey fees, $i per acre. Total 2,500 

 Clearing the land, $12 per acre; drainage (coast 



district), $12 per acre ; seed nuts, $2,750... 14,750 

 Fencing, $3 per acre ; lining, holing and planting, 



$2 per acre. Total 2,500 



