views on the progress made by the Colony during the decade which 

 had passed since his previous visit. What he has to say now will 

 be equally interesting to our readers, and was given in an interview 

 with a Times of Ceylon representative immediately after landing at 

 Colombo. It reads as follows: — 



"What do I think of the F. M. S. as a rubber-producing 



"I consider for the growing of Para plantation rubber it would be 

 exceedingly hard to beat, but I have not seen Java. The trees 

 seem to grow equally well on 'bukit' or hilly land as they do on the 

 alluvial flat. On the former the work of opening up the land is not 

 so expensive as it is on the flats which require costly drainage works. 

 Some planters are of opinion that the rubber on the flat lands will 

 prove the better * milkers', while others hold a contrary opinion. I 

 do not suppose there is really sufficient evidence one way or the 

 other for any one to state the case with absolute certainty." 



"How does the growth compare with Ceylon?" 



" I went over several Ceylon estates before going to the F. M. S. 

 and I have no hesitation in saying that the growth of, say, a 4-)' ear 

 old tree in Ceylon is a year behind one of the same age in the F. M 

 S. 1 here is nothing, however, in this fact or any others which may 

 shew in favour of the soil and climate of the F. M. S. being better 

 for the more speedy development of the tree, to prove that more 

 satisfa. tor) commercial results will be obtained there as compared 

 with Ceylon. A planter in choosing between the two country 

 has to decide, after weighing up all the pros and cons, which place 

 is likely to give him the best return on his capital." 



"Have you come to any conclusion on this " important view of the 



would be somewhat premature of me to a 

 „rrKK, a: G™,r*> c T have of the tw° 



" Well, I think i 

 until I have thoroughly digested" the figu.~ - 

 countries, and even then one has to take into consideration « 

 probabilities as to the future labour supply for this ever-exten B 

 cultivation, and which country is going to stand the strain 

 Undoubtedly the cost of labour is much higher in the F- M. 

 than in Ceylon. A Tamil gets Shd. per day there as against 5* 

 m Ceylon, and in the former country he does not perform anyi * 



uu e ? ame amount of wor k. European supervision 

 much higher scale of salaries; there is also an export tax on ru 

 and -freights are higher. Against all this there may be the £ 

 bihty o a higher yield of fubber per tree, but so far I have 

 proof of this. F ^ 



"The opening out of new plantations is g° in S ™ e ; ri [L° jungle. 

 uf.Li he COUntr y estates are being carved out jJJ^ v \ %i 

 ■ been opened out ' 



planting this year, bu 



idea how many < 



