94 



R G.O 9 ' 1 8 



FEDERATED MALAY SfATES. 



Further Paper in Continuation ok Printed Papers in 

 Connection with the Subject of Cotton 

 Cultivation in the States. 

 >» 



Precis of Correspondence. 



842/04. T ne cotton question is now of importance, but experts do not 

 Ag. B. R., think F.M.S. cotton of the kind hitherto produced would supply the 

 Perak. need. Cotton sample from Taiping pronounced at home as too 

 short and very wasty. Letter from Mr. L Wray says: Sea-Island 

 cotton grows well in Perak. Yielded good cotton, but rain spoilt 

 a lot. The whole matter depends on the financial question. Ac- 

 cording to Mr. C. E. S. BAXENDALE, the whole crop per acre would 

 only pay one coolie for two months. 



99M ; Guaranteed local market is alone needed to start F. M.S. cotton 



cultivation. Let Government provide this and start with the Java- 

 nese at Jugra. Government can retire when English market buys. 

 The purchaser on Government's behalf must be an expert. If such 

 a man can be found ,( I am of opinion that Government can best 

 and most cheaply help native cultivators by guaranteeing a local 

 market at a remunerative price/' 



OELANGOR. 



10101/03. Planters in Negri Sembilan generally hold cotton-attempt would 

 N°Semb ' seasons Dem g insufficiently defined. Mr. E. V. CAREY 



thinks that the time has not yet come except for pure experiment; 

 and all advices point to non-profitable results. But no practical 

 result has yet been seen to justify such pessimism. Mr. ARDENS 

 proposal is good, let experiments be entrusted to planters. They 

 would give two or three acres and supervision. Government could 

 clear land, sow, and give result to planters. On Coast and in 

 Seremban let planters receive seeds of all kinds quickly and start 

 soon. Special terms should not at present be advertised for cotton 

 in F.M.S. Should a large Company be promoted and then fail 

 over it, later developments would be suspected or destroyed. Mr. 

 T. NoORDlN at Kuala Sawah has 10,000 trees planted. In five years 

 he expects gain of 25 cents a tree and net gain of 75 cents each 

 tree in the 6th year. He began, but failed, with Kapas (silk cotton.) 



He now grows " Kapok " or " Ka-kabu," has local market, but 

 could easily sell at Singapore. Let Mr. ARDEN visit him. He plants 

 pepper and coffee round the cotton. 



627/04. Let Government entrust planters with experiments. Pahang land 



>g. B. R., bad for cotton. 

 Pahang. 



99^5/03- Let Government select two places in Perak, three in Selangor, 

 ryy P Vsf two m N e S r ' Sembilan: and at each place nominate a planter will- 

 Bailey.) ing to give live acres, and to keep exact account of cost, and crop- 



