591 



affecting the position of the general high standard of quality for the 

 States which the experienced planter is endeavouring to attain, as 

 also the theft of the rubber with the difficulty of tracing the culprits 

 on account of the natives having trees of their own, but from the 

 neglect in the treatment of the trees, as from this cause the chances 

 of disease or fungi appearing become greater. 

 I now refer to the four States separately. 



State of Perak. 



The total area under coconuts in the State at the end of 1907 I 

 estimate, approximately, at 57,766 acres, the district of Lower Perak 

 alone contributing over 30,000 acres. These figures show an increase 

 of 4,37 J acres over the preceding year, made up from the various 

 districts as follows : 



District. Increase. Total acreage 



Lower Perak ... 621 acres 30,621 acres 



Krian, Selinsing and Selama... 1,814 ,, ... 10,140 



Matang and Larut ... 170 „ ... 6,773 „ 



Kuala Kangsar (Upper Perak) 233 ,, ••• 5,919 ,, 



Kinta ... 1,533 4,313 „ 



4,371 „ 57,766 „ 



Loiver Per ah, — In this district 621 acres were planted up with 

 cocoanuts during the year — Bagan Datoh and Strathmashie Estates ac- 

 counting for 357 acres. Very few cocoanuts were planted in, and no 

 copra was exported from, the up-river mukims during the year, but in 

 most of the other mukims the natives have started planting nurseries 

 with a view to opening up more land in 1908. 



The crops throughout the district were good, and considerable im- 

 provement is noticeable in the general upkeep of the plantations, except 

 perhaps in the mukims of Bagan Datoh and Rungkup, where, owing to 

 the prevalence of malaria, the natives have of necessity been obliged to 

 neglect their holdings. I regret to report that in September, 10,000 

 trees at Bagan Datoh and 5,000 at Kayan were seriously damaged by 

 a fire that broke out, and I feat* very few will recover. The fire, I un- 

 derstand, originated among some lalang at the extreme boundary, to- 

 wards the end of a very severe drought, and owing to the amount of 

 dry rot on the surface crept underground and destroyed many trees 

 even among holdings that were being well maintained. It was indeed 

 a most unfortunate incident and resulted in a heavy loss to those 

 concerned, as some of the trees had just come into bearing, but I am 

 pleased to say that notwithstanding the damage they have suffered the 

 owners are again planting up the land with cocoanuts. 



I am pleased to report that the Penghulus of Utan Melintang, 

 Sungei Durien, Telok Anson and Telok Bharu gave my Sub-Inspector 

 much assistance. 



Krian and Selinsing. — During the year no less than 1,814 acres 

 of land were planted up with coconuts, and the plantations show some 

 improvement in upkeep. 



