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tentatively, but the Government came round, and granted him 3,000 

 acres of virgin jungle on very favorable terms, on the understanding 

 that it was to be used solely for " Rubber" but giving him permis- 

 sion to take one crop of tapioca off the land and to plant 15 by 15 

 not 10 by 10. I do not think that Government can but be pleased 

 at their bargain, for what was 6 years ago, dense jungle, is now a 

 well planted, healthy, rubber estate, with over 520,000 Para and 

 Rambong trees, ranging from \h years old to 5^ years. 



Arriving at Malacca Sunday morning at 4 A.M. as usual, with a 

 squall on, and the old tub "Malacca" rolling like a cockle-shell, 

 we proceeded ashore, and after a welcome brush-up, started in fine 

 style in Chay Yan's motor car for the older of the two estates, 

 Bukit Lintang. This we went over, and thoroughly inspected the 

 trees, buildings, and process of treatment of the latex. 



Everything we came across was most encouraging, the trees were 

 well grown, healthy, and clean. The ground was clear of all rub- 

 bish and growth, and the labour on the estate seemed thoroughly 

 at home in their work. 



We saw the latex being tapped from the trees. Malay women 

 were on this job, and it was carried out by means of herring-bone 

 shaped incisions in the bark of the tree from which the latex flowed 

 and was collected in tin cans, in the form of a thick milky fluid. 

 This latex is then treated with a little acetic acid, which coagulates 

 the pure rubber, this is done in small China bowls, and the "bis- 

 cuits" of rubber are in time taken from the bowl, rolled, and then 

 hung up to dry, and in two or three months' time, a biscuit is ob- 

 tained containing from 92 to 94 per cent, of pure rubber. 



This Bukit Lintang estate has been, and is still, the experimental 

 estate for Bukit Asahan, of 3,300 acres, which we went to see the 

 next day, doing the 32 miles of road in good style in the motor, 

 notwithstanding the lumpy state of same after the first ten miles. 

 Bukit Asahan can truly be described as a fine sight. Standing 

 near the proprietor's bungalow, one can see for acres around, noth- 

 ing but undulating hills of healthy looking rubber trees, and the 

 whole is made to appear to be one mass of green by reason of the 

 tapioca which covers the estate as the catch-crop. Going through 

 the estate we saw trees in every stage from i| years to 5^, and all 

 were good-looking, the point which most strikes the lay mind being 

 the rapid growth which the trees make after the 3rd year, the two 

 years after the 3rd year putting on a much greater girth, than the 

 first three years. 



Tapioca has proved an excellent catch-crop, for it has given 

 profits, although at the present low price it is unremunerative, but 

 greater than this, it has prevented any secondary growth from 

 giving trouble, and has kept in check that "bleeding'' weed, lalang, 

 which spoils the fertility of any land. 



The rubber trees, principally Para, are planted 15 by 15 through- 

 out the 3,300 acres. Altogether there are 520,000 trees, of which 

 80,000 could be tapped, but are prudently being left for another 18 



