J 7 



done in the future when communications have been improved and 

 funds are available for carrying out large and carefully planned 

 schemes of irrigation in favourable localities. 



21. The Government has, by passing a law under which the Legislation 

 dates for the various stages of cultivation are fixed by local autho- ^ padi 

 rity, attempted to prevent the destruction of crops by flood or cultlvatl0n - 

 drought, and the damage by pigs, rats and mice is also reduced 



by this means owing to the fields being cleared and planted simul- 

 taneously. Similar legislation has taken place in the Western 

 States. 



22. The most serious obstacle to the cultivation of the Pahang Rinderpest, 

 rice fields lies in the frequent attacks of rinderpest amongst 

 buffaloes. The Pahang Malay is, as I have shewn, dependent on 



his cattle for the cultivation of both wet and plough land, and in 

 districts which have been visited by the disease the crops have 

 naturally suffered. 



23. The only remedial measure at present is the segregation Segregation 

 of the affected herds, and this has been done as far as possible, of herds - 

 but there is no doubt that the infection is spread by wild pigs and 

 probably also in other ways, and the task of enforcing precau- 

 tionary measures is no easy one. 



If the experiment, now being made in Seremban, of inoculating inoculation 

 buffaloes with the serum used so successfully in South Africa, cattle, 

 proves effective a most important step towards the encouragement 

 of rice cultivation throughout the Malay Peninsula will have been 

 made. 



24. Buffaloes are peculiarly susceptible to rinderpest, and it is Siamese and 

 certain that something would be gained if the natives could be K ^ nt f an 

 induced to import kine from Kelantan and Siam for the cultivation pj OU g n j^nd 

 of plough land, as these beasts are less liable to attack and more 

 frequently recover than do buffaloes ; and it has been proved by 



Dr. Braddon, who is carrying out the experiments referred to, 

 that the serum process renders kine immune, while but little risk 

 attends the operation. The inoculation of buffaloes has not so far 

 been attended with the same success. 



It would, however, be most unwise to introduce inoculation 

 amongst kine whilst buffaloes remain unprotected, owing to the 

 risk of infecting the latter with disease; and it is certain that 

 while the dry plough lands could well be cultivated by bullocks, 

 these animals would soon succumb if put to work in the irrigated 

 fields and swamps for which buffaloes alone are suitable. 



25. The crops could be improved by changing the seed more Changing 

 often than is done at present. When Acting Resident of Pahang seed. 



in 1896, I obtained a supply of seed from Perak which was dis- 

 tributed amongst the natives at cost price. Unfortunately, most 

 of the crops were destroyed that season by floods and only a 

 small proportion of the setd came to maturity; but the experiment 

 was a success in the fields which were not so damaged, and should, 

 I think, be repeated occasionally. A great deal more could be 



