526 



The portion of the experiment station which is being formed into 

 an arboretum will be of great value in the trial of various useful and 

 ornamental trees introduced from other tropical countries. 



Climate and Condition of Chops. 



The climatic conditions during the year do not call for any special 

 comment. No abnormal drought or rainfall has to be recorded. The 

 conditions for rapid vegetative growth are almost unique in Malaya — 

 viz., alternating sunshine and rain with an equable temperature and a 

 moist, humid atmosphere. 



The general health of cultivated plants was good ; locally diseases 

 by animals, insects, fungi and other causes did some damage, but there 

 was no special outbreak of new disease or recrudescence of any already 

 known pest. With definite knowledge of the various diseases already 

 known, which attack our cultivated plants and increased experience 

 in methods of dealing with them, the danger of any pest sweeping 

 over a cultivation unchecked and seriously crippling the industry is 

 greatly reduced. 



It is, however, well that the constant fear of attacks by insects, 

 fungi or other causes should haunt the cultivator. The paradise of the 

 man who fears no devastating pest is but a fool's paradise, and the 

 condition of the planter who by watchfulness and forethought prevents 

 any evil getting the better of his plants or minimises their effects is in 

 the end pleasanter and more profitable. 



Statistics of Agriculture. 



The compilation of accurate statistics of agriculture in Malaya, 

 which was undertaken when the department was instituted, takes up 

 a large amount of time which might be spent on useful technical work. 

 In order that progress or retrogression may be recorded and the po- 

 sition of the various industries accurately known, it is necessary to 

 have such figures, and unless care is taken that they are reliable they 

 are misleading and useless. 



The statistics published in last year's reports were in the case of 

 Malacca inaccurate. This was due to the fact that a very large acreage 

 of agricultural land is in the hands of Chinese, and the forms issued, 

 which were printed in English, were not understood. 



The Eesident Councillor of Malacca kindly drew my attention 

 to the fact that Chinese estates were in many cases left out, and this 

 error has been rectified by using in the case of Chinese estates all over 

 the Peninsula forms printed in Chinese. 



The figures in the various tables have been compiled with care, 

 and if any error exists it is probably not more than five per cent. 

 During the year various enquiries have been made from England and 

 America as to the relative reliability of various estimates and records 

 which are obtained from Government and planting sources. One 

 mistake which is constantly recurring, and leads the rash estimator of 

 future rubber outputs into serious exaggeration, is the confusing of 

 the terms "alienated," "planted," and "opened" land. 



Land alienated for agricultural purposes, of which there is prob- 

 ably 1,000,000 acres in the Peninsula, applies only to land which 



