3-12 



The acreage under coconuts has increased by 5,ii8 acres, under 

 rubber by 28,905 acres, and other forms of cultivation by 2,190 acres, 

 while that under coffee was further reduced by 2,546 acres. 



Coconuts. 



The area given up to coconut cultivation increased by 2,139 acres 

 in Perak, 2,649 acres in Selangor, 258 acres in Negri Sembilan, and 72 

 acres in Pahang. 



Rubber. 



The increase in the Rubber acreage was made up of 11,572 acres 

 in Perak, 11,607 acres in Selangor, 4,640 acres in Negri Sembilan, and 

 1,086 acres in Pahang. The area opened during 1909 is very much 

 less than that opened in the previous year, but it is confidently anti- 

 cipated that a very marked activity will be shown in 1910 as the 

 result of recent high prices. 



The number of rubber estates in the Federated Malay States is 

 returned as 377, their acreage being 500,431 acres, of which 196,953 

 acres has been planted up. 



The output of rubber is recorded as 6,083,493 lbs. (= 2,692 tons) 

 as against 3,190,000 lbs. (= 1,425 tons) in 1908: the percentage of 

 increase works out as follows : — 



Perak 177 per cent. 



Selangor 100 „ 



Negri Sembilan ... 40 



The lands under rubber in the several States were : — 



Perak 68,278 acres. 



Selangor 93.853 » 



Negri Sembilan ... > 31,945 „ 



Pahang 2,877 » 



Total ... 196,953 acres. 



Rubber Prices. 



There was a steady upward movement in price from 55. o^/zd. per 

 lb. in January to gs. S^d. in November: as it is estimated that it costs 

 from Is. to Is. sd. per lb: to place the rubber on the market, the prices 

 quoted give a phenomenal profit. 



Rubber Pests. 



There was no serious amount of disease on estates, though root 

 disease is still troublesome and costly. A fungal disease attacking 

 the branch and stem of the tree appeared, but was quickly overcome ; 

 white ants still give trouble, but are no longer a serious pest. 



Tapping Experiments. 



A number of tapping experiments were commenced in Kuala 

 Lumpur in September ; these are concerned with quantity only, and 

 the results will be published when the first six months are completed, 



