Jan. 1908.] 



5 



Saps and Exudations. 



each of these countries, where the development of the planting industry has been 

 placed on a par with a rapid expansion of the tea industry in India and Ceylon, 

 observations may be confined to what is being accomplished in the Federated 

 States of Malaya, where for the most part the trees are maturing and have scarcely 

 yet begun to yield. At the end of 1905, there were about 40,000 acres planted with 

 rubber, and by the close of the year following this had increased to more than 

 85,000 acres, with between six and seven million trees. On January 1st last there 

 were nearly 86,000 acres, half of which had been opened during 190(5 on 242 different 

 estates. The output of dry rubber was about 130 tons in 1905 and 385 tons in 1906. 

 The reason, that, while the average has more than doubled, the number of trees 

 has not proportionately increased is that the number of trees planted per acre 

 during 1906 was not so great as previously. With the present yearly increase of 

 about 10 per cent, in the consumption of rubber— a rate which is likely to be 

 exceeded as soon as prices become easier— it must be many years before the supply 

 can become equal to the demand. If the whole of the rubber now planted in these 

 States should grow vigorously, without the loss of a single tree, until the end of 

 1912 (when all the trees ought to be in bearing and yielding throughout the high 

 average of 1^ lb. per tree), the Federated Malaya States will then be supplying 

 only about one-seventeenth of the world's estimated requirements at that date. 

 This figure — which, by the way, is given by Mr. J, B. Carruthers, the Director of 

 Agriculture and Government Botanist of the Federated Malaya States — is calcu- 

 lated at the present 10 per cent, rate of increase in consumption, and makes no 

 allowance for a probable higher rate. But meanwhile casualties amongst the trees 

 must occur, for drought, excessive moisture, insect, fungoid, and bacterial pests 

 with other accidental causes, such as sudden winds and fire, have all to be taken 

 into account in reducing output. 



AVERAGE VIELD PER TREE. 



In going carefully through the figures compiled from the annual reports of 

 the numerous rubber plantation companies of Malaya issued during the past six 

 months, it is found that in the great majority of cases the yield of rubber obtained 

 exceeded the estimate. The average yield per tree in the Federated Malaya States 

 appears to be just over one lb. of dry rubber per annum. In the case of estates 

 having older trees this quantity is exceeded, and if labour were always available 

 to tap the trees to a limit, no doubt considerably higher average would be obtained. 

 On the Consolidated Malaya Rubber Estates, where 32,693 lbs. of rubber was 

 harvested from 11,348 trees, the average was 2 - 88 lbs. per tree. 



In the case of the Highlands and Lowlands Estate an average over 38,639 

 trees of nearly 2k lbs. per tree'is reported, while a yield of over 7 lbs. per tree was 

 obtained from 807 trees widely planted to occupy 16 acres. The result of three 

 tappings of these 807 trees was : First tapping, 2,500 lbs. ; second 1,469 ; and third 

 tapping 1,773 lbs.; a total of 5,742 lbs. But such results must be regarded as quite 

 exceptional ; although the returns indicate the immense superiority in the growth 

 and yield of trees which are given plenty of space. This fact is being slowly 

 realised by planters in the States, who nevertheless require considerable convincing, 

 as, naturally, they desire to get their rubber into the market as early as possible 

 in order to benefit by high prices. They realise that they have a sure market now, 

 and perhaps feel a little uncertain respecting the future, so that one appreciates 

 their motive in having close-planted trees during the first few years of bearing. 

 Their view is that by the time the close-planting begins injuriously to affect the 

 yield they will have made their money. But it is always possible, of course, for 

 estates with a large acreage to combine the two systems, thus keeping a reserve 

 of open-planted trees which would doubtless, by their increased yield in future 

 years, make for the deficiencies of the close-planted. In this connection, however, 



