AND THE MALAY STATES 
83 
Speaking again of the drainage system at Lowlands, it was marvel- 
ously complete, all of the channels leading into the great agricultural 
drain that ran through the middle of the plantation, and which, I believe, 
was a government enterprise. 
In examining the plantation we walked over good paths by the side 
of the drains, crossing them on tree trunk bridges, and ended by driving 
over two very good roads that led to the heart of the planting. The 
oldest rubber on Lowlands was some five hundred acres of five-year 
FOUR YEAR OLD PLANTED “FICUS.'’ 
[On the Lowlands and Highlands estate. Showing the* Aerial 
Roots as thrown down at this age. Hevea trees in the 
background.] 
old trees, numbering 52,000. These had been later interplanted with 
another 52,000 of varying ages. There were also one hundred and twenty 
acres of two-year old trees, 18,000 in number. The largest five-year olds 
that I saw were twenty-seven inches in circumference, three feet from 
the ground, and were in a lot that was planted 20X20 feet. Speaking of 
distances observed in planting, Mr. Bailey had tried many experiments. 
He had plots 14X14, 14X28, 14X42, 14X20, and 24X24 feet. The 
latter plantings were almost all interplanted later with Ficus elastica. 
There was also considerable coffee in with the rubber, and as it happened 
to be of an especially fine quality, at that time it was paying all of the 
expenses of the planting and care of the rubber. 
