and Magazine of the Ceylon Agricultural Society.— August, 1912. 181 



land and people, no Government was behind 

 them to aid and encourage, or suggest remedies. 

 The nolicy of the new Government is to combat 

 and eradicate these evih at once and establish 

 a system of experimental stations to advance 

 the cause of agriculture in the country. 



China has over 400,000,000 people. More than 

 one-half of them live in the depths of abject 

 poverty. This is not due to indolence ; in tact, 

 the Chinancan is one of the most industrious 

 of all the Oriental races. Where it requires 

 four or five native servants in Ceylon to do the 

 work of a bungalow, and even more upcountry, 

 one or two Chinamen will do all such work 

 and more, with accuracy and amazing skill 

 aud they, are the most silent workers in the 

 world. We are not defending Chinese lab- 

 ourers against Sinhalese or Tamil ; but we 

 are inclined to believe our natives could learn 

 some valuable lessons from the Chinese 

 in points of industry, order and system. Dr. 

 Elliott, president of Harvard College, when in 

 Ceylon, made the remark, en route upcountry, 

 to a well kuown Ceylon agriculturist : " If the 

 Chinese had jour country, there would not be 

 a yard uncultivated, where anything could be 

 made to grow, and they would turn the island 

 into the hnett garden in world." 



In China the people would have done this 

 very thing, had they had the opportunity of 

 securing laud from the Mauchu government, 

 and any support in its development. Now that 

 the new government encourages and wdl aid in 

 the agricultural pursuits of that country, we 

 may look for marvellous results in the next few 

 years. Not only will large areas be developed 

 into farms and vegetable gardens, but tea, coffee 

 and sugar are being pushed with great energy, 

 and millions of capital are awaiting the results 

 of the experimental stations in pi .nting through 

 the various districts where these products can 

 be made to grow. North and north- wett China 

 have a temperate climate, with cold winters, 

 much the same as in Eugland, while in south- 

 ern, south-eastern and south-western China, 

 the climate varies fiora a semi-temperate to 

 almost tropical, so that nature has provided 

 bountifully both as to climate and soil for the 

 development of the country. With this develop- 

 ment, China will take a very important position 

 in the producing countries of the world, and 

 many natio.is will have to look to their laurels, 

 lest the Chinese people surpass them in the 

 agricultural pursuits of the ,future. 



RUBBER IN THE F.M.S. IN 1911. 



THE DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE'S 

 REPORT. 



In the report of the Director of Agriculture 

 for 1911, from the pen of Mr Lewton Brain, 

 published in the FMS "Gazette," wefind a most 

 important contribution to "current rubber 

 literature." The Director, although a com- 

 paratively young man, and le3s than two years 

 in the Colony, comes to his work without any of 

 the prejudices brought by prospectus writers, 

 promoters, sellers of ostatts, or boomers of 

 estates in which they already hold shares. 

 What therefore he has to say, unprejudiced as 

 to cash, and from the scientific and oconomic 

 point of view, possesses more than a passing 

 interest : — 



The year has been one of quiet and steady 

 development, altogtther a much more satis- 

 factory state of affairs from the agricultural 

 point of view. The market price varied from 4s. 

 fid, to 7s. 4d. and though showing a wide varia- 

 tion, the tendency towards the end of the year 

 was to stability, and forward sales indicate an 

 equal steadiness. 



Mr Brain gives these prices of cost of pro- 

 duction in cents as returned. 



Perak Selangor N. Sembilan Pahang 

 High 2 40 3.78 2.46 1 



Low .19 .28 .24 .60 



These figures are supposed to be inclusive of 

 the entire cost of the area in bearing, but not 

 the upkeep of the untapped area, but evidently 

 this is not strictly adhered to. On a good es- 

 tate the cost of production per lb. should nob 

 exceed Is. 6d. per lb. 



Acreages. 



The land opened for rubber in the Federated 

 Malay States during 1911 reached the enormous 

 total of 107,200 aores ; this is more than double 

 that opened during 1910, which again was higher 

 than any previous year. The largest increase 

 is recorded in Perak, where 40,791 acres were 

 opeDed as against 15 61-2 in 1910 ; the 1911 open- 

 ings, in fact, increase the total Perak acreage 

 by about 50 per cent. In Negri Sembilan 

 the proportionate increase was enormous, 

 rather more than 66 per cent. ; 30,480 acres be- 

 ing oper.ed in 1911 as against 44,868 previously. 

 It is possible that part of the total increase 

 shown is due to a more thorough census having 

 been taken this year, but this will hardly ac- 

 count for more than a fraction of the total. 



