26g 



months, to gain strength and girth, and the thorough mastery of 

 the ground. 230,000 trees are over 3 years, and the remainder 

 between ij and 3. 



One is quite entitled to form the opinion that in years to come, 

 when such estates as these are in full bearing, Ceylon and the 

 Straits will become the market for rubbers of the best quality, for it 

 is well known that the greater part of the rubber supply of the world 

 is obtained from jungle collection, which is both impure and adul- 

 terated. The cultivated, clean rubber of the Straits should therefore 

 find a ready and strong market of its own, and indeed the latest 

 advice gives " Fine Para Biscuit " from Klang as having fetched 

 5/1 \d. per lb. 



A search for "pig" in the tapioca, and a run down to the seaside 

 at Tanjong Bruas, where one again sees rubber in the garden there, 

 made our visit most enjoyable. The piggies had not yet come out 

 to feed, but the tiffin and lie-off at Bruas softened our hearts, and 

 we returned fully expecting in 10 years time to see Malacca with 

 rubber path walks. 



This article however poor, cannot close without a eulogy for Tan 

 Chay Yan's Kongsi, and a word of praise to Mr. W. EGERTON, 

 late Resident Councillor, Malacca, who has always taken an interest 

 in the estate, and encouraged the proprietors. 



GUTTA PERCHA. 



Kuala Lumpor, 



27th June, 1904. 



DEAR SIR, — With reference to Mr. SHERMANS' report mentioned 

 in the Agricultural Bulletin for May, 1904, (page 168) on gutta 

 percha in the Philippines, the concluding paragraph contains an 

 assertion, which I think is entirely wrong. I doubt whether such 

 large areas of young gutta percha trees can be found anywhere as 

 in the Federated Malay States, and what is important, areas con- 

 taining naturally grown plants only. In Perak we have an area of 

 270 acres and in Selangor 782 acres containing an average of 40 

 trees to an acre of all sizes up to 30 feet in height. In the former area 

 undergrowth has been cleared and the young trees freed, in the 

 latter young seedlings have been taken from adjacent forests and 

 planted in lines 33 feet apart at 33 feet intervals in the line. Be- 

 sides these areas there are still thousands of acres rich in Getah 

 Taban (Pal. oblougi 'folium) much of which I have seen. The men- 

 tion of Bukit Timah beside these areas seems almost absurd. In 

 view of the above, the statement that the Dutch will have a mono- 

 poly of gutta percha in the future seems inaccurate. Unless I am 

 greatly mistaken the Federated Malay States will be one of the 

 chief producing countries. In our operations here we are merely 

 assisting nature, we do not rely on plantations in the ordinary 

 sense of the word, there being no necessity to do so, owing to the 



