6 



all through July and until the last few days of August, made irrigation 

 of certain parts of the district of Parit Buntar and Bagan Serai rather 

 low and in some cases the people started their semais too soon, and 9,0 

 lost them altogether from want of water. A few others had semais 

 carried away by the floods after heavy rain in September. The result 

 was that a few people who waited until October to plant were unable 

 to procure any semai at all. The area not planted for the above 

 reason was, however, very small. 



From September onwards there was a plentiful supply of water 

 everywhere. 



Reports from all the Mukims, except Kuala Kurau, agree that 

 there was a prospect of a better crop that season than in either of the 

 preceding two. The yield per acre in the first class Padi lands 

 would be well above the average, and the area of third class land 

 under cultivation had largely increased. A few years more work 

 on the irrigation of Krian will tend to make Padi cultivation less 

 dependent on rain. 



Another most important adventure, which would never have 

 been undertaken in Krian except for the impetus given to Rice 

 growing by the irrigation works is the building of a fine Rice Mill 

 at Kuala Kurau by Towkay Heah Swee Lee, Member of Council. 

 This mill is provided with the most recent inventions in milling machi- 

 nery, chiefly supplied by Scotch firms. Mr. Hale expects that by the 

 time it is ready for work it will represent an outlay of not much less 

 than $200,000. The irrigation works in Krian have cost the Govern- 

 ment of the F.M.S. over a million and a half dollars. 



It is regretted that there has not been any large areas of fresh 

 land planted with coconuts. The appreciation of rubber has stopped 

 this cultivation to a large extent and native cultivation cannot wait 

 the time required for a crop. 



There is a very satisfactory increase in the areas planted with 

 Para rubber and there still continues to be a steady demand for new 

 land. In Larut there were only two estates exporting rubber— namely 

 Yam Seng Estate and Towkay Kwa Chu Seng's Estate at Kamunting. 

 Other estates are reported as having made good progress. 



The feature — and it is a very satisfactory matter to have to 

 record, concerning the cultivation of rubber in Krian— is the steady 

 planting up of rubber on old sugar estates worn-out and effete old 

 concerns, which were becoming a curse to the district. In nearly all 

 the large estates the area planted up with rubber has increased. 

 The sugar-cane has disappeared and sugar mills are gradually being 

 closed down. Tapping has begun on 'J ali Ayer, Gula and Kalum- 

 pong Estates. Selinsing Estate is also tapping. It is perhaps the 

 most satisfactory item of progress that these sugar estates, held for 

 the most part by old-fashioned Penang Chinese, should pass into the 

 hands of energetic rubber planters. Young rubber, Mr. Hale says, 

 on well-managed estates in Krian, will, he is sure, compare very 



