THS TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [July a, 1888. 
requisite thinnings the young trees have grown up 
weakly, and are of little value in consequence. This 
is, of course, due to the want of the necessary es- 
tablishment to look after the trees until they have 
became well started ; but it is none the less an un- 
fortunate ciroumstance. As a rule, it is desirable to 
take up large areas rather than small for re-afforesta- 
tion — say, not le6S than 500 acres— to fence it in 
properly in proportion as it is planted, and not to spare 
labour until the young trees are well established. 
Small areas incapable of extension are costly in su- 
pervision. Indigenous timbers should be cultivated in 
preference to exotic, except in special localities. The 
mainstay of our work for some years should be 
the planting of the species which are known to thrive 
and produce good serviceable timber in the localities 
where they are to be planted. Many of our forests 
have been overworked, and require rest ; foriustance, 
in parts of the Eastern Province, it will be the duty 
of the Forester to make a careful survey of such 
forests, so as to determine the period of rest, to 
examine what prospects there are of seedlings of 
the better species growing up, or, if not, what areas 
should be replanted, and with what species. I do not 
quite share the view held by Mr. Vincent that repro- 
duction is generally bad in this country. On the 
contrary, I have been much surprised at the way in 
which satin and halmilla, two of our most important 
trees, reproduce themselves vigorously in unex- 
pected places, such as on the borders of cheua 
lands or in places where the leaf canopy has 
been destroyed, and light accidentally let into 
the forest: given, of course, that the conditions 
in other respects are favourable to the growth 
of these species. Io some of the ebony forests, too, 
the reproduction is satisfactory. All that is required 
is the establishement necessary to assist the saplings, 
and by fellings to preserve them from being choked 
by inferior species. "With respect to the conservation 
and working of the forests, we s&ail, until the surveys 
and demarcation are complete, have to limit our cul- 
tural operations of the system known as that of 
natural regeneration, whereby the trees are only grad- 
ually removed as they arrive at maturity, so as to effect 
the regeneration of the forest by seed in the natural 
way, and to afford protection for a time to the young 
growth. "With this cultural treatment we must 
oombine the mode of working by compartments, 
whereby all the different compartments included 
in a forest are worked annually in rotation and given 
complete rest during the remainder of the period, 
so as to admit of their being properly protected 
during the years of reproduction. By this arrangement 
timber-cutters and coolies will be prevented from indis- 
criminate felling over the whole forest, which has done 
so much harm in the past. 
(d) Extra Establishments. — As it is most important 
to check the illicit felling, which goes on unimpeded 
more or less over the whole Islaud, it is proposed to 
augment the present establishment by adding to it river- 
watchers, forest-rangers, and forest-guards, in order to 
help in the detection of these malpractices, and to 
bring tbem to official notice. 
F. C. H. Olabke, Actg. Conservator of Forests. 
Office of the Conservator of Forests, 
Colombo, April 14th, 1888. 
♦ 
PEOGBESS IN NOETH BORNEO. 
The North Borneo Herald of 1st May, opens 
with a brief but telling review of the pro- 
gress of the Colony during the six years 
of its existence. We append the more interest- 
ing portion of this review, summarizing the table 
furnished by the Treasurer, Mr. Cook, as follows. 
Mr. Cook shows that 1883 was the first complete 
financial year of the Company. The revenue which 
was then 50,738 dollars rose to bo $142,687 for 
1887 and is estimated for 1888 at $157, G82, or 
say R350,000, about the revenue of the Colombo 
Municipality. It is still, therefore, " the day of 
BmftU things " with this " New Oeylon " of 31,106 
square miles, and an estimated population of 
150,000 ; but there is the promise of grtat things 
in the near future. One good sign is the bringing 
down of Expenditure — which was five times the 
revenue in 1883 — to within the current means of the 
Government for the present year. The imports of 
the Colony have risen from 429,000 dollars in 1883 
to a value of a million dollars last year, and the 
Exports from 159,000 to 535,000 dollars. Mr. Cook 
summarizes the principal products as follows : — 
Beeswax, birdsnests (edible), blachan, brassware, 
bricks, camphor, coconuts, coffee, dammar, fish salted, 
fruits, gutta percha, hide, indiarubber, ivory, live- 
stock, old jars, pepper, rattans, rice and paddy, sago, 
seed pearls, sesik tingeling, sharksfins, shells — tortoise 
and others, tobacco, trepang, bilian, cedar and many 
varieties of other woods 
Most sensibly have the North Borneo Company 
taken warning by our bad example in Ceylon, and 
by the exhortations we have so long offered : 
they treat the proceeds of their land-sales not 
as current revenue, but as belonging to capital 
account. Up to the end of last year, it seems, 
120,000 acres have been sold for agricultural pur- 
poses, and during the first quarter of this year no 
less than 158,365 acres additional have been applied 
for — doubtless chiefly for tobacco cultivation. We 
now quote from the main portion of the review 
under notice : — 
The British North Borneo Company has now been 
in existence for nearly 6 years, and our readers are 
fairly entitled to know what progress has been made 
and to ask the Company for some account of the 
undertaking entrusted to them by the Eoyal Charter 
dated 1st November 1881. By this Royal Charter, 
the Cession to the British North Borneo Company 
of that part of North Borneo between Kimanis on 
the Nortru-West Coast, and Sibucco river on the 
East Coast, was confirmed, and the Company allowed 
to possess and govern the country. In 1884 the 
Company made an addition to their territory by che 
acquisition of Padas district (Province Dent) thus ex- 
tending their Southern boundary to Si-Pitong and 
making the total urea 31,106 square miles, with a coast 
line of 987 miles. 
The first and most important movement was the ap- 
pointment of competent Officer?, and in this the Com- 
pany was singularly successful, especially in securing 
for the post of Governor, "William Hood Treacher, 
then administering the Government of Labuau. Tlis 
gentleman's intimate acquaintance with the Natives 
of North Borneo, from the proud Sultan, Datus and 
Pangerans to the humblest of their slaves, made him 
eminently suitable for this high position. In London 
the Directors were also fortunate in having, as adviser 
ana Manager, William Maunder Crocker, a successful 
Resident in the Sarawak Service. Mr Crocker has just 
returned to London after a year's Administration of the 
Government of the Country. This additional ex- 
perience will make his services the more valuable. 
Harbours and stations had now to be selected, the 
juugle cleared and houses built. In the Bays of 
Sandakan, Gaya, Maruda and Silam (Darvel Bay) 
the finest harbours were found. At Sandakan, 
Papar, Kimanis, Gaya, Kudat (Maruda Bay) and 
Silam, stations were successively opened, Consta- 
bles were recruited daily from the material at hand — 
Sumalis. Nubians, Indians (Sikhs) Dyaks, Malays 
and Sulus. Every steamer arriving, brought immi- 
grants, rice, provisions and building material to supply 
the wants of the pioneers who kep* playing the axe 
and hammer. These stations soon began to show their 
importance. Natives drew near, to benefit by the pro- 
tection and presence of the white man, a;.d their houses 
son appeared round the Company's flag. S f ores 
O Bees, Police Courts, Barracks, rL-spitals, and Gaols 
Chinese and other shops were hastily erected ; boats' 
appeared briuging the produce of the surrounding 
country and seas ; sales of land were made to efger 
buyers, trade and civilization had begun. 
i'li Company so n found it possible to collect a 
revenue from the sources allowed them viz ; — A duty on 
