54 GITTTA CULTIVATION. 



gutta and wliicli is easiest to handle and transport is the bark, 

 and it is this which would be the main source of supply though, 

 of course, others should not be neglected. In any enterprise of 

 this nature it is necessary to success that the works should be 

 local, so as to save the great expense of sending large quantities 

 of bulky and useless material to Euro])e, and also to be able to 

 deal with fresh bark and leaves and get them at first hand from 

 the collectors themselves. To attempt to set up works in Europe 

 as the French Company have done is to court failure. 



A great point has been made in favour of collecting the 

 leaves only from wild trees, that the trees themselves would not 

 be hurt, but there is really nothing in it ; for they will be felled 

 in all cases where they are large enough to repay the trouble of 

 tapping : that is from four inches in diameter iipwards. Firstly, 

 because no M;ilay, after having found a tree, would leave it 

 standing in the jungle for the next man who came along to fell 

 and tap ; and secondly, because felling would, except for mere 

 striplings, be the easiest way of obtaining the leaves. 



Coming now to the supply of gutta percha. I have no 

 information of the state of things in other places, but as far 

 as Perak is concerned the supply is nearly exhausted. The 

 following are the reported returns for the last seven years. 

 Prior to 1889 the collection of the gum was prohibited and so 

 there was no export, or rather all that was exported was 

 smuggled out of the country. In these returns there is no 

 classification, and under the term gutta all rubbers and guttas 

 are included. 



EXPORT OF GUTTA FROM THE STATE OF PERAK. 



It will be noticed that the output of gutta and rubber has 

 very much increased in the last few years. This is OAving to the 

 relaxation of the restrictions on collection which formerly existed. 

 At first only the natives were allowed to collect, but subsequently 

 a number of Dyak collectors came from Borneo, and they con- 



