402 
when  he  has  obtained  it.  Such  education  might,  however,  go  hand 
in  hand  advantageously  to  all  concerned  with  the  scheme  I have 
proposed,  and  the  Experimental  Plantations  Department  should  be 
prepared  to  supply  the  best  varieties  of  a particular  product  at 
nominal  prices  and  give  all  information  respecting  its  cultivation. 
Compulsory  measures  have  been  suggested  to  me  by  one  or  two 
prominent  Malays  and  others^  but  I am  of  opinion  that  this  would 
simply  result  in  driving  the  natives  from  the  soil. 
II.  Such  then  is  briefly  the  scheme  I have  the  honour  to  sub- 
miC  in  the  hope  that  you  will  give  it  your  kind  consideration  and 
take  such  action  as  vou  may  deem  advisable. 
I have,  etc., 
STANLEY  ARDEN, 
^ S II peri  lit  oil  dent,  Experiment  at  Plantations. 
The  Federal  Secretary, 
Kuala  jAimpiir. 
Notes  on  the  above. 
There  can  be  no  doubt  that  in  the  matter  of  cultivation  by 
natives,  a good  deal  more  could  be  done  than  is  at  present 
effected. 
It  is  useless  to  try  to  induce  a Malay  to  cultivate  a crop  for 
which  he  cannot  readily  find  a market  where  he  can  get  a good  price 
for  his  produce.  As  a rule  Malays  will  cultivate  crops  at  least  to 
some  extent  where  they  have  a chance  of  disposing  of  the  produce, 
and  it  is  not  their  natural  indolence  alone  that  prevents  them 
from  doing  so.  There  are  many  cultivations  where  little  and  sim- 
ple apparatus  for  preparing  the  product  are  required  wTich  would 
be  very  suitable  for  Malay  cultivation,  and  which  would  be  cer- 
tainly taken  up  by  them  if  they  had  a chance  of  a market. 
Mr.  Arden  gives  a case  in  which  a Malay  had  a difficulty  in 
disposing  of  his  sago  in  any  w’ay  but  bringing  it  down  personally  to 
Singapore,  and  Mr.  Baxendale,  in  the  last  number  of  the  Bulletin 
gave  an  instance  of  a somewhat  similar  nature  in  the  matter  of 
cotton.  I may  mention  another  instance  to  show  the  great  diffi- 
culty there  is  at  present  in  getting  a valuable  trade  product  taken 
up,  and  put  on  the  markets  in  England. 
Some  years  ago  an  enquiry  was  made  concerning  a brush-fibre 
to  replace  the  Piassava  of  Brazil,  then  becoming  scarce.  The 
matter  was  brought  to  my  notice  by  Mr.  Bulkeley  (see  Bulletin, 
Old  Series,  p.  58)  who  was  interested  in  the  business,  and  was 
then  visiting  Singapore.  After  showing  him  all  likely  fibres  which 
could  be  obtained  here,  he  selected  those  of  the  sugar  palm  Arenga 
saccharifera,  known  here  as  Kabong,  and  Tali  hijau,  as  being  well 
suited  in  every  respect,  and  was  prepared  to  take  large  quantities 
if  the  fibres  were  sorted  according  to  size.  I therefore  induced  a 
Malay  to  enter  into  the  business,  and  to  procure  the  necessary 
quantity.  As  the  man  had  to  travel  about  to  collect  the  fibre  an(| 
