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magnificent and widely distributed crop of young Palaquium now 

 existing in the forests. 



This only requires reservation, improvement fellings and trans- 

 planting here and there, which can be done at small cost. The 

 cost in 1904 was ^4,234 for 1,052 acres and includes planting out 

 about 20,000 young transplants in lines. In Negri Sembilan there 

 are three known valuable areas, one of 1,536 acres in extent, and 

 in Pahang extensive an j as are known to contain the young plants 

 in large quantities, but so far in this state we are only at the stage 

 of commencing to choose our forest reserves. If the price of gutta 

 percha in the future should be anything like what it was a few years 

 ago, then the Federated Malay States may congratulate themselves 

 on having a very valuable asset in its young gutta percha forests. 

 Further particulars may be seen in paras. 44 to 48 of the Forest 

 Administration Report, Federated Malay States, 1903. 



Yours truly, 



A. M. BUR X - M U K DOC H , 



Conservator of Forest. 



Castlewood, 

 Johore, 22nd June, 1904. 



s 



The Editor, 



Agricultural Bulletin. 



DEAR Sir, — Will any of your readers be so kind as to tell me 

 the proper way to tap and cure Gutta Rambong ? I have 5 year 

 old trees measuring 2 feet round the stems and with branches cover- 

 ing a circumference of 100 feet; but when tapped a single cut with 

 a knife produces barely a thimbleful of latex ; and even that is difficult 

 to collect as it overflows the side instead of following the cut su 

 that one cannot use the herring-bone method ; and in fact a coolie 

 can collect little more than enough to pay his day's wages. 



To cure it, I poured the latex into a pot of hot water on the fire 

 and when it boiled and formed on the top of the watei-j I took it out 

 and pressed it into biscuits. I have shipped to London on two oc- 

 casions (about 20 lbs. each time) and it has sold at 4/4^. per lb. 

 and 5/- per lb. against \\6d. and 5/1^. In No. 1 Para biscuit sent 

 with it; so perhaps this simple method of curing may be as effective 

 as any other— but there surely must be some more economical way 

 of tapping and collecting ? 



I have, etc., 



M. LARKEN. 



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