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fine growth would lead one to suppose that they would be. Doubt 
has also been expressed as to whether the soil, except that actually 
on the sea-board, is suitable. The Selangor Planters’ Association 
Annual Report however states, that on a small holding in the 
Klanang District, trees from 11 to 12 years old, have yielded an 
average return of over 51 nuts per tree, although this plantation 
was opened by Malays and considerably neglected during the first 
eight years of its existence. Such a return is under the circum- 
stances decidedly satisfactory, and your Committee are of opinion 
that the cultivation will always be a remunerative one as long at it 
remains possible to keep the beetles under, without incurring a 
prohibitive expenditure in doing so. 
Gutta RambONG (Ficus Elastica). — 'The unsuitability of this tree 
for planting amongst Coffee, to some extent accounts no doubt for 
the preference shown to Para. Nevertheless when put out on soil 
which it likes, growth has been very fine, but it has shown ifjSelf to 
be a tree which will not flourish anywhere and everywhere, and for 
it to make a vigorous start it appears essential that there should be 
a fairly rich surface humus or lots of ash after a recent burn. On 
rain-washed and impoverished bill-sides, it sulks from the day it is 
planted, but grows splendidly on practically bottomless peat, if 
well drained/ Mr. Derry of Perak has interested himself more 
than anyone in this variety of rubber, and is very sanguine of its 
eventual success, though he thinks that “perhaps eight years may 
have to elapse before the tree can be profitably tapped. In Malacca 
4-5 years old trees are however being worked by a Chinaman who 
professes to be quite satisfied with the results, but his figures of 
yield and cost are considerably involved and difficult to follow. In 
Perak two iq year old trees each yielded 25 lbs. in one year, and 
of these Mr. Derry reports “the tapping was far short of being 
exhaustive.” The\alue of this rubber is slightly less than Para, 
and the method of collection differs, in that the latex of the “Ficus” 
appears to coagulate on the trees, whereas that of Para runs freely, 
down the cuts made in the bark, into tins. 
HEVEA BRAZILIENSIS. 
Para Rubber. — With the decline in the price of coffee this pro- 
duct have been largely planted throughout the Federated Malay 
States, and when kept clean of weeds has everywhere come on in 
a fashion which clearly indicates that soil and climate agree with 
it admirably. T he wintering habit of this tree, which is almost 
universal, seems to afford a further proof ot this country suiting it. 
Some experimental tapping of young trees, which has been under- 
taken, goes to show that in 4 to 5 years from planting about 6 ozs. 
of dry rubber may be regarded as the average yield of the best 
grown trees, and some 6 year old trees have yielded over a pound 
at their first tapping. The coming year will undoubtedly provide 
many returns of experiments for comparison, but at the present 
juncture very few Estates have any large number of trees ready 
for tapping. 
r/a* 
