269 
months, to gain strength and girth, and the thorough mastery of 
the ground/ 230,000 trees are over 3 years, and the remainder 
between i| and 3. 
One is quite entitled to form the opinion that in years to come, 
when such estates as these are in full bearing, Ceylon and the 
Straits will become the market for rubbers of the best quality, for it 
is well known that the greater part of the rubber supply of the world 
is obtained from jungle collection, which is bodi impure and adul- 
terated. The cultivated, clean rubber of the Straits should therefore 
find a ready and strong market of its own, and indeed the latest 
advice gives “ Fine Para Biscuit ” from IClang as having fetched 
5/1W. per lb. 
A search for “pig” in the tapioca, and a run down to the seaside 
at Tanjong Bruas, where one again sees rubber in the garden there, 
made our visit most enjoyable. 1 he piggies had not yet come out 
to feed, but the tiffin and lie-off at Bruas softened our hearts, and 
we returned fully expecting in 10 years time to see Malacca with 
rubber path walks. 
This article however poor, cannot close without a eulogy for Tan 
Chav Yak’s Kongsi, and a word of praise to Mr. VV. Egerton, 
late Resident Councillor, Malacca, who has always taken an interest 
in the estate, and encouraged the proprietors. 
GUTTA PERCHA. 
Kuala Lumpor , 
2jth June, 1904. 
Dear Sir, — With reference to Mr. Shermans’ report mentioned 
in the Agricultural Bulletin for May, 1904, (page 168) on gutta 
percha in the Philippines, the concluding paragraph contains an 
assertion, which 1 think is entirely wrong. I doubt whether such 
large areas of young gutta percha trees can be found anywhere as 
in the Federated Malay States, and what is important, areas con- 
taining naturally grown plants only. In Perak we have an area of 
2/0 acres and in Selangor 782 acres containing an average of 40 
trees to an acre of all sizes up to 30 feet in height. In the former area 
undergrowth has been cleared and the young trees freed, in the 
latter young seedlings have been taken from adjacent forests and 
planted in lines 33 feet apart at 33 feet intervals in the line. Be- 
sides these areas there are still thousands of acres rich in Getah 
Taban (Pal. oblongi folium) much of which I have seen. The men- 
tion of Bukit Timah beside these areas seems almost absurd. In 
view of the above, the statement that the Dutch will have a mono- 
poly of gutta percha in the future seems inaccurate. Unless I am 
greatly mistaken the Federated Malay States will be one of the 
chief producing countries. In our operations here we are merely 
assisting nature, we do not relv on plantations in the ordinary 
sense of the word, there being no necessity to do so, owing to- the 
