213 



The rubber was coagulated with juice of the moon-flower {Iqomoea 

 bona-nox. 



The rainfall from Mr. Harvey's meteorological returns for 12 

 years averages 90 inches, the heaviest falls being from July to Sep- 

 tember, from 12 to 20 inches (July), the lowest May and April, I inch. 

 The temperature varies from 55 to 100 (May), but the extreme mini- 

 mums are not of frequent occurrence, but occur about six times in the 

 season, being caused by winds coming south from Saskatchewan. Of 

 soils he says that Castilloa will not thrive on a stiff clay soil nor on 

 low lying sw^ampy lands. From these notes it will be seen how en- 

 tirely different the cultivation, tapping soil, and climate for Castilloa 

 from that which is found best for Para Rubber. — Ed. 



Extracts from the Administration Report on the Settlement of Malacca 



for the year igJO, 



CROPS. 



The padi crop in the Central District and Jasin District was not 

 good. The reasons assigned are a certain amount of disease in the 

 nurseries and lack of rain at ploughing time. In the Alor Gajah 

 District the crop was late ripening, but reported to be heavy where it 

 escaped the ravages of rats. These rodents are very destructive in 

 some mukims. The fruit crop was fair. In the latter part of the 

 year there was quite a quantity of musim salah fruit, (fruit at the 

 wrong season.) 



Tapioca and Gambir. 



Decrease in the cultivation of tapioca continues and in all cases 

 it is a preliminary to or interplanted with rubber. The price was 

 good and the planters found it profitable to import " roots " from 

 surrounding: countries and manufacture tapioca — the price of refuse 

 for pig feeding was specially high. The export figures less import 

 totals show a drop from 140,000 pikuls to 133,000 pikuls. The 

 quantity of gambir produced and exported was almost exactly the 

 same as the year before. Many planters think gambir as a catch 

 crop to rubber is harmless, and in very dry weather the shade to 

 young rubber is thought to be beneficial. Tapioca, on the other hand, 

 is agreed to be more exhausting to the soil and to retard the growth 

 of rubber, it has further been found an active source of fomes. 



Rubber. 



The quantity of rubber exported increased from about 2,500 piculs 

 to 6,700 piculs with values of $807,000, and $2700,000, respectively. 

 The cultivation of the product continued throughout the year with the 

 greatest vigour, and labourers were able to obtain very good wages. 

 In the spring and early summer 75 cents and $I a day were being 

 paid to Chinese weeders and tappers. Towards the close of the year 



