214 
As  to  Suoar,  the  larger  estates  in  Krian,  the  principal 
sugar-growing  district,  are  reported  to  have  had  a fairly 
prosperous  year;  but  the  fall  in  the  price  of  sugar  and  the 
increased  price  of  firewood  appear*to  have  borne  hardly  on 
the  smaller  estates.  The  value  of  the  export  from  Krian 
for  the  last  three  years  is  as  follows: — 
igoo.  igoi.  jgo2. 
White  Sugar  .-'?373)077  $34^346  'S369.954 
r>rown  „ ...  94^^897  1,13^,322  1,218,836 
Total  31 5,974  Si, 479, 668  rSi,588,790 
Gutta  Percha. — As  regards  the  important  subject  of  State  gutta- 
percha producing  forests,  the  exploitation  of  which  will  be  a Gov- 
ernment monopoly,  the  Conservator’s  report  is  very  hopeful,  and 
a handsome  revenue  may  be  expected  in  the  future.  The  natural 
reproduction  of  the  gutta-percha  yielding  trees  is  satisfactory,  and 
“ considerii'ig  that  absolutely  nothing  has  been  done  in  the  past  to 
“keep  the  regeneration  of  this  species  the  abundance  of  young 
“growth  is  extremely  fortunate  and  shows  that  gutta-percha  trees 
“are  better  able  to  hold  their  own  than  any  other  forest  tree.” 
Re-afforestation. — Steps  are  being  taken  to  more  systematically 
plant  up  deserted  mining  land  with  Ficus  elastica,  Casuarina  and 
other  trees. 
o 
REPORT  ON  THE  SELANGOR  EXPERIMENTAL 
PLANTATIONS  FOR  THE  YEAR  1902.  ’ 
* * * * * * 
2 Owing  to  the  prolonged  delay  which  occurred  in  acquiring 
Delay  in  acquir-  the  site  for  the  Experimental  Plantations,  I regret 
ing  the  site.  that  more  progress  cannot  be  shown  for  the  year 
under  review.  The  land  kindly  offered  by  Mr.  Bailey,  on  behalf 
of  the  Selangor  Rubber  Planting  Syndicate,  as  a site  for  the  Experi- 
mental Plantations,  and  recommended  by  me  on  the  27th  March, 
1901,  owing  chiefly  to  legal  technicalities  which  arose  in  reference 
to  the  transfer  of  the  land,  did  not  become  available  until  1 ith 
September,  1902,  and  the  serious  delay  which  occurred,  although 
unavoidable,  was  nevertheless  regrettable. 
3.  While  negotiations  for  the  transfer  of  this  land  to  Govern- 
Xurser  site  ment  were  proceeding,  a small  piece  of  Govern- 
ment land,  3J  acres  in  extent,  lying  off  the  Daman- 
sara  road,  was  cleared  with  the  intention  of  starting  nurseries  and 
getting  together  a collection  of  plants  ready  for  planting  as  soon 
as  t’.ie  land  was  ready  to  receive  them.  In  June,  permission  was 
obtained  to  enlarge  this  nursery  site,  and  an  additional  7 acres  of 
jungle  was  felled,  burned,  cleared  and  the  land  drained,  and  later 
an  additional  6J  acres  was  cleared.  This  will  become  part  and 
])arcel  of  the  Experimental  Plantations,  from  which  it  is  divided 
by  the  Damansara  river. 
