Ill 



Miscellaneous. 



THE FUTURE OF THE RUBBER MARKET. 



The last year's production in the Federated Malay States may be estimated 

 at 300,000 lb. The total world's consumption as found in the official statistics of net 

 imports of the seven great rubber-consuming countries, —viz., United States, 

 Germany, Great Britain, France, Belgium, Austria-Hungary and Italy- was 

 137,530,458 lb., or 01,397 tons. These official figures fall short of the total world's con- 

 sumption probably as much as 15 or 20 per cent, but if we take these approximate 

 figures we find that the Federated Malay States in 1005 produced l-200th part of the 

 world's consumption. Taking the area planted in the Federated Malay States on 1st 

 Jan., 1906, at 40,000 acres, this will give us at 100 lb. per acre in 1912 a yield of 4,000,000 

 lbs., or 1,785 tons, that will be if the consumption remains stationary l-34th of the 

 total consumption. But the world's consumption, by official statistics, is : 



Year. lb. tons. 



1903 ... ... 112,860,478 ... ... 50,384 



1904 ... ... 123,817,903 ... ... 55,275 



1905 ... ... 187,330,458 ... ... 61,397 



an increase of 10 per cent, roughly per year, so that in 1912 we may expect at the 

 same rate of inci eased consumption 70 per cent, more than in 1905— i.e., a demand 

 for and perhaps a supply of 232,288,000 lbs, or 103,700 tons, and of that we could only 

 supply l-58th part. Thus as far as statistics show the price of rubber is not likely to 

 seriously decrease owing to over-production, and very much larger areas will have 

 to be planted before the production is in excess of the demand. 



SUGAR. 



Sugar cultivation is the only agricultural industry, with perhaps the excep- 

 tion of tapioca, that is decreasing. This is due to various causes. The price of sugar 

 does not give, except to. the most enterprising and modern planter, a sufficient profit. 

 The rise of rubber has led a good many sugar planters to transfer portions of their 

 land to the rubber planter or to plant rubber themselves. The ease with which the 

 planting can be done on sugar estates after the sugar canes are cut, and the saving 

 of time in comparison with felling, clearing, draining and planting .jungle land, has 

 proved attractive to the rubber planter, whose chief desire with, the present market 

 prices of rubber and high values for rubber trees even recently planted is to find the 

 quickest methods of getting plants into the land. 



COCONUTS. 



This important cultivation with an acreage nearly three times as great as 

 that of rubber, is dealt with fully in the report of the Inspector of Coconut Planta- 

 tions, Mr. L. C. Brown, whose energetic crusade against the enemies of the coconut 

 palms have been of great value to the States. By personal instruction and 

 encouragement of sanitary cultivation he has raised the standard of cultivation, and 

 native coconut planters are now beginning to see for themselves the value of such 

 methods as the Inspector of Coconut Plantations preaches. The policy of such an 

 appointment with a staff to take care of the health of a staple cultivation is wise and 

 far-seeing, and is in fact an insurance against the failure of an important source of 

 wealth to the country. Though the acreage of coconuts is three times that of rubber, 

 yet, calculating on the high values placed on land already planted in rubber, the total 

 capital value of the latter cultivation in the Federated Malay States is probably a 

 little greater than that of the coconut plantations. Last year the capital value of 

 coconut plantations was greater than any other industry, but rubber planting has 

 increased so rapidly that even though the area of coconuts shows the creditable 

 increase of 10 per cent, i.e., 10,000 acres, the younger industry is in regard to total 

 value the greater. 



