405 



fine growth would lead one to suppose that they would be. Doubt 

 has also been expressed as to whether the soil, except that actually 

 on the sea-board, is suitable. The Selangor Planters' Association 

 Annual Report however states, that on a small holding in the 

 Klanang District, trees from 11 to 12 years old, have yielded an 

 average return of over 51 nuts per tree, although this plantation 

 was opened by Malays and considerably neglected during the first 

 eight yea s of its existence. Such a return is under the circum- 

 stances decidedly satisfactory, and your Committee are of opinion 

 that the cultivation will always be a remunerative one aslong at it 

 remains possible ts keep the beetles under, without incurring a 

 prohibitive expenditure in doing so. 



GUTTA RAMBONG (Ficus Elastica). — The unsuitability of this tree 

 for planting amongst Coffee, to some extent accounts no doubt for 

 the preference shown to Para. Nevertheless when put out on soil 

 which it likes, growth has been very fine, but it has shown itself to 

 be a tree which will not flourish anywhere and everywhere, and for 

 it to make a vigorous start it appears essential that there should be 

 a fairly rich surface humus or lots of ash after a recent burn. On 

 rain-washed and impoverished hill-sides, it sulks from the day it is 

 planted, but grows splendidly on practically bottomless peat, if 

 well drained. Mr. Derry of Perak has interested himself more 

 than anyone in this variety of rubber, and is very sanguine of its 

 eventual success, though he thinks that " perhaps eight years may 

 have to elapse before the tree can be profitably tapped." In Malacca 

 4-5 years old trees are however being worked by a Chinaman who 

 professes to be quite satisfied with the results, but his figures of 

 yield and cost are considerably involved and difficult to follow. In 

 Perak two 19 year old trees each yielded 25 lbs. in one year, and 

 of these Mr. Derry reports ''the tapping was far short of being 

 exhaustive." The value of this rubber is slightly less than Para, 

 and the method of collection differs, in that the latex of the ''Ficus" 

 appears to coagulate on the trees, whereas that of Para runs freely, 

 down the cuts made in the bark, into tins. 



HEVEA BRAZ1LIENS1S. 



Para RUBBER. — With the decline in the price of coffee this pro- 

 duct have been largely planted throughout the Federated Malay 

 States, and when kept clean of weeds has everywhere come on in 

 a fashion which clearly indicates that soil and climate agree with 

 it admirably.. The wintering habit of this tree, which is almost 

 universal, seems to afford a further proof ot this country suiting it. 

 Some experimental tapping of young trees, which has been under- 

 taken, goos to show that in 4 to 5 years from planting about 6 ozs. 

 of dry rubber may be regarded as the average yield of the best 

 grown trees, and some 6 year old trees have yielded over a pound 

 at their first tapping. The coming year will undoubtedly provide 

 many returns of experiments for comparison, but at the present 

 juncture very few Estates have any large number of trees ready 

 for tapping. 



