34 



"the characters of Dichopsis were identical with those of Pala- 

 " guium, which being of older date takes precedence under botani- 

 " eal etiquette/' The be?l Gutta Percha is yielded by a tree known 

 as " Getah Taban in these States, of which there are several 

 varieties; e. g. : — 



Taban Merah, Palaquiwgl oblongi 'folium ox gutta. 



Taban Chaier, ,, sp. 



Taban Pufceh, pustulatum. 



Taban Baik, sp. 



Getah Sundik, Paycna Lecrii. 



All these are good, except Taban Puteh which is much inferior 

 to the others. Considerable doubt exists amongst botanists as 

 regards to the specific names of numbers 2, 3 and 4, and P. oblongi- 

 folium and P. Gutta are by some considered as distinct species. 

 Local names cannot be depended on at all, as they differ in the 

 different States. Payena is not found in anything like such quan- 

 tities as Palaquiuniy and it is chiefly with the latter that I propose 

 to deal. 



Palaquium Gutta is found in all four States, the best areas lying 

 between 2 degrees and 5 degrees North. It must be considered 

 as a dominant species, but exists at present, owing to the unregu- 

 lated and wholesale fellings by natives some years ago only in the 

 seedling and small pole stage. 



It occurs most frequently on the low hills and plains, often on 

 steep hill sides, and up to 2,000 feet above sea level and even 

 3,000. It is found well represented in large blocks of forest, 

 varying in size from a few hundred, acres to 10,000 or 15,000 

 acres in extent, while it may be practically absent in other areas 

 for long distances. On close examination a great many of the 

 young plants are found to be stool shoots, but there are many 

 seedlings also, although seed trees are not now to be found. This 

 looks as if the felling of mature trees did not cease till compara- 

 tively recently. The Taban tree is a shade bearer of the most pro- 

 nounced descript ion, and is able to maintain the struggle for existence 

 successfully, if slowly, in these dense evergreen forests. They 

 grow to a considerable size, the largest I have actual knowledge of 

 in this country was in Penang, and measured when blown down 

 52 feet in height and 42 inches in circumference at 14 feet from 

 the ground. I have seen mention of a tree 140 feet high in the 

 Philippines, and there is no doubt that it is an exceedingly slow 

 grower. At present poles 30 to 40 feet high are fairly common in 

 these States, but large trees are rarities. In the Straits Settlements 

 Palaquium only exists in the natural state to a very small extent, 

 e.g., in Malacca near Nyalas, not to mention a few scattered trees 

 in Penang and elsewhere. We must rely in the Colony on our 

 plantations or on the Federated Malay States, where large areas 

 are found containing this plant in the wild state. At present a 

 small plantation exists at Batu Ferringhi in Penang and another in 

 Malacca and Singapore. The P, Gutta tree is very easily recog- 



