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those of the other Malay States. The padi crop for the year 1324 was 

 an exceptionally good one as is fully testified by the large amount of 

 padi exported and the low price of rice which has obtained locally 

 since the crop was reaped. A large area of new padi land was opened 

 up and it seems that this form of agriculture is about to develop 

 extensively under the new condition of Government. Although more 

 copra was manufactured than during last year, the coconut crop was 

 not up to the average, and this seems to have been the case elsewhere 

 judging by the high prices which were paid in Singapore for copra. 

 The number of young coconut trees planted was less than at any time 

 during the past three years, available land being now all required for 

 rubber. The planting of rubber has quite caught the fancy of the 

 Malay cultivator. Stories of the large profits to be secured from rubber 

 and of the great areas which are being devoted to this form of agri- 

 culture in the Federated Malay States, have reached Kelantan, with 

 the result that everybody who has 'a piece of land lying fallow now 

 wishes to see it covered with Para rubber trees as soon as possible. 

 For this purpose a considerable number of seeds and young plants 

 have been imported from Singapore and from the Perak State. Seeds 

 were preferred, the plants supplied by the rubber estates being too 

 highly priced to suit Malay ideas, but lately large numbers of young 

 plants have been brought into the State for sale by Chinese growers 

 and these, being much cheaper than the plants formerly obtainable, 

 have come very much into demand. What will be the outcome of 

 these small plantations it is difficult to foretell. The possibility is that 

 many of them will come to nothing, but it is also clear that in a few 

 years' time there will be a considerable number of trees in the State of 

 tappable size though probably of slightly inferior rubber producing 

 quality owing to want of sufficient care during the early stages of grow T th. 

 There should however be a regular supply of rubber and if the price of 

 the article is maintained there should be a good opening for a rubber 

 buying agency to take the produce of the lands off the Malays. — 

 Times of Malaya, 



DISTILLED SPIRITS INDUSTRY 

 IN THE PHILIPPINES. 



By Daniel T. Brown, Internal Bevenue Agent. 



The manufacture of distilled spirits in these islands is to-day in a 

 healthy and thriving condition. The industry is not a big one, nor is 

 it a new one. As far back as the year 1712 the Governor of the Islands, 

 Don Martin de Urzua, we find, had a monopoly of the business of 

 distilling spirits from the sap of the nipa palm and the sap of the coco 

 palm, and farmed it out for the sum of P10,000.00. Since these early 

 times there have been many steps in its development, the latest 

 and greatest stride forward being the regulation and control of the 

 industry by the present Government, as provided by the Internal 

 Eevenue Law of 1904. This law has put the business on a stable 

 foundation. During the year 1905 there were removed from the 

 distilleries for domestic consumption over 5,000,000 proof liters ; in 



