^4 



Central America Rubber (Castilloa elasiica). About 1 50 seed- 

 lings of Castilloa from Ceylon seeds have been raised. It appears 

 doubtful, however, whether the Ceylon trees are Castilloa elastica 

 (true) or only an inferior variety, Castilloa Markhamiana. The 

 results of Ceylon trees being far below South American returns. 



Getah Percha (Dichopsis polyantha). A variety of getah percha 

 which grows from near the foot of Larut hill to 3,000 feet. A 

 mountain form which may prove valuable for planting on high 

 land. None, however, were observed in fruit, and it is probable 

 that with this tree, as with many indigenous trees, a fruiting season 

 only occurs every few years. Seedlings are abundant, but the 

 smallest seem two years 'old. 



ON ,; THE DISTRIBUTION OP (FREE) MEALS TO 

 COOLIES ON THE ESTATES AND IRRIGA- 

 TION WORKS, KRIAN. 



By Mr. H. A. Haviland. 

 CHINESE. 



SiNKEHS — On all Chinese estates, where sinkehs are employed 

 who live together in kongsi houses, there is a public cooking place, 

 presided over by special cooks, for preparing food for these men. 



The rice is provided for them at fixed rates and given to them 

 cooked. Vegetables, fish, etc., they must provide for themselves. 

 On holidays (Chinese) the estate provides them with pork, free. 

 The price of the rice is, I believe, deducted from their monthly 

 wages : no tickets are issued for it. Their first meal is before 

 they go out to work, at 6. a.m. ; their second meal at about 1 1 a.m. ; 

 the third meal about 5 p.m. after their work is over. Their 

 working hours are from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m., from I p.m. to 5 p m. 



LAUKEHS cook for themselves, individually, or join in a kongsi 

 and employ a cook ; they live in what are called u rumah kechil '' 

 and work their own hours, their earnings depending upon their 

 own exertions. 



INDIANS. 



Statute Immigrants are provided with daily (rice) tickets 

 varying in value from 8 to 10 cents each. These tickets are given 

 them in order to insure that they have money to buy food, other- 

 wise an improvident man might spend his month's wages in a few 

 days and have nothing left to carry him on in food until he receives 

 his next wages. These tickets are collected in the "kedei," and 

 the value of them deducted from the wages due to the man at the 

 end of the month. It may happen that a man does no work for a 

 month, either from indisposition or indolence ; he has his rice ticket 

 given to him, however, every day ; but, at the end of the month, 

 there will be to his debit a sum of $3 (i.e., Io cents a day for 30 

 days) and nothing to his credit for work done. 



