27^ 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [Oct. 1, 1901. 
■No cai± roads and no railways were in 
existence in the States in 1875 ; at the close 
of 1900 the actual cart road mileages were 
as follows— 
Cart Koads. 
Perak 
Selangor .. 
Negri Sembilan 
Pafiang . . 
Total 
Miles. 
586 
408 
249 
90 
1,333 
Lp addition to some hundreds of miles of 
liridle paths and foot tracks- The construc- 
tion of railways was first undertaken in Perak, 
wihere a short Government metre-gauge line 
of railway, eight miles in length, from the 
capital to the port, was opened for traffic in 
1885. In September, 188G, a metre-gauge 
Une, '22 miles in length, was completed by 
government in Selangor, and a line con- 
necting Port Dickson with Seremban, Negri 
Semtbilan, 24^ miles long, was completed by 
a guaranteed company in 1891 : total mileage 
up to 1891, 54^ miles. The total railway 
mileage open for traffic at the close of 
IjjOO was :— 
Miles. 
Perak 
Selangor 
Negri Sembilan 
Total 
114 
97i 
24§ Private Go. 
235i 
to which may be added 23 miles in colonial 
territory, constructed and worked by the 
Federated Malay States. It is expected 
that by 1920 the completed mileage will be :— 
Prai harbonr, (opposite Penang, Pro- 
vince Wellesley), through Perak to 
Selangor boundary, with branch 
lines to Port Weld and to Telok 
Anson port . . . . . . 213| miles 
From the Selangor boundary to 
Seremban (Negri Sembilan) with 
branih line to Kuala Klang . . 126 ,, 
From Seremban to Port Dickson 
' (SungeiUjong Railway Company).. 24§ „ 
JPpftbaible total railway mileage, Fede- 
rated Malay States and Province 
■5ye!llesley, 19Q2 ... .. 864i „ 
The length of telegraph wires under the 
QhSiVge of the Postal Departments is ; — 
Perak . . . . . . 680 miles 
Selangor.. ... .. 515 „ 
Negri Sembilan .. .. 1414,, 
Pfthang .. .. 53„ 
Total .. l,389i „ 
Education in former days was confined 
to learning to read the Koran by rote, and 
f^w of the common people could read or 
^fite. There are now 193 vernacular and 
gitate-aided schools in the Federated Malay 
states, with 8.092 scholars. To most of the 
ve!i;n?i|CUilar schools, hospitals, again, were 
formerly unknown institutions. There are 
now (srovernraent free hospitals throiighout 
^he States, exclusive of Gaol Hospitals and 
Lunatic Asylums. The Government Medical 
Staff includes fourteen European qualified 
Surgeons, a Pathologist, eight European 
Nurses, and two European Veterinary 
Surgeons. 
A regular Police Force was likewise an 
unknown quantity. The Police Force at 
present is composed of 1,970, besides Bu- 
glers, Drill Instructors, Detectives and 14 
Troopers 
The cultivation of sugar-cane is only 
practised to any extent in Perak, to whicn 
it has spread from the adjoining Colony. 
It is rapidly becoming an important and 
successful industry and it is to be hoped 
will, in time, extend to the other States 
or portions of them. A considerable amount 
of European and Chinese capital has been 
invested and machinery of the latest type 
is employed. The export of sugar from 
Perak for the last three years is given as :— 
Quantity. Value. 
Pikuls. 
1898 .. 274,720 .. 1,214,701 
1899 ... 276,689 .. 1.282,237 
1900 ... 278,156 .. 1,315,974 
829,565 
3,812,912 
Owing to the continued large supplies of 
coffee from South America, the price for 
tnis product rules so low in the European 
markets that none but the best situated 
and best cultivated estates can ever earn 
sufficient to cover working expenses. 
The European planters, with the pluck and 
determination which characterised the 
planters of Ceylon in former days, under 
somewhat similar adverse circumstances, have 
manfully turned to other forms of cultiva- 
tion, Rubber (Para and Ficus Elasticus) and 
coconuts being most in favour, while still 
maintaining, in the greater number of caSes, 
the upkeep of their coffee estates and wait- 
ing for better times. A large area has 
been planted with para rubber, which thrives 
well. Three years hence we should know 
what will be the result. The climate and 
rainfall of the Federated Malay States is 
all that can be desired for tropical agricul- 
ture, Indian labour is becoming cheap, fairly 
abundant and good, and the policy of the 
Government in investing its large mining 
receipts in the construction of roads and 
railways has afforded facilities to planters, 
which probably are not to be found in most 
tropical Colonies. An expert in the subject 
of gutta percha and rubber has been ob- 
tained from Kew, and his knowledge will 
doubtless prove of great value to the planters. 
Amongst other things he will superintend a 
Government experimental garden. ' ' 
I regret to find that Mr. Belfield reports 
that the Selangor Ramie estate has practi- 
cally discontinued cultivating that product 
for the present on account of want of de- 
mand for the fibre. Ramie is indigenous 
in the Peninsula. 
The subject of irrigation has received at- 
tention during the past year. It has been 
found advisable, owing to the small numbe^r 
of the possible rice cultivators, not to in- 
dulge in heroic schemes as a rule, but to 
assist or undertake smaller ones where cir- 
cumstances demand. The very important 
scheme sanctioned for the Krian district, 
Perak, is being ably carried out by Mr. 
R. O. N. Anderson, the Engineer in charge, 
who has bad to contend with great diffl- 
