314 



The inspector considers that the increase in coconut ciihivation, 

 in all the circumstances, is by no means disappointing, and he is 

 hopeful of a further extension of this profitable industry. 



Coffee. 



The area under coffee has again further decreased, being now 

 only a little over 5,000 acres. It is not improbable that, except as a 

 catchcrop to some more profitable form of permanent cultivation, 

 this industry will shortly die out entirely. 



Experiment Plantations. 



The stations at Kuala Lumpur and Batu Tiga were kept in good 

 order, the land at the former place being nearly all planted up. 



Weeding Experiment. 



The results of the weeding experiments at Batu Tiga show that 

 the plants on the clean-weeded plot have made a much greater ad- 

 vance during the year than those on the other plots. 



Other Rubbers. 



• The purple Manicoba has made very little progress during the 

 year, but other kinds of Manihot are doing fairly well ; Castilloa did 

 not do very well, but it has been planted in a new position and pro- 

 mises better. Seeds of Ecanda rubber {Raphionacive utilis), a rubber 

 received from Kew, failed to s^erminate. 



Camphor. 



The camphor trees at Batu Tiga and Kuala Lumpur continue 

 to do well, and the growth is considered by experts, acquainted with 

 the Japanese camphor plantations in Formosa, to be quite equal to 

 the growth in that island. 



A series of distillations were undertaken during the vear, the 

 results of which are said to be very encouraging. 



West African Oil Palm. 



Several plants of the West African oil palm are now in fruit in 

 the Public Gardens and at Batu Tiga: samples of oil of good quality 

 were prepared for the Agri-Horticultural Show. Seeds of two of the 

 best varieties were obtain from Lagos : some were retained and plant- 

 « ed, the rest were distributed among planters in the Federated Malay 

 States who had expressed their willingness to give the cultivation 

 a trial. 



Cover Plants. 



Various experiments in connection with cover plants as aids to 

 weeding have been carried out, including Ahrus precatprius, first 

 brought under notice for this purpose in 1908, 



