270 
magnificent and widely distributed crop of young Palaquium now 
existing in the forests. 
This only requires reservation, improvement fellings and trans- 
planting here and there, which can be done at small cost. The 
cost in 1904 was $4,234 for 1,052 acres and includes planting out 
about 20,000 young transplants in lines. In Negri Sembilan there 
are three known valuable areas, one of 1,536 acres in extent, and 
in Pahang extensive areas are known to contain the young plants 
in large quantities, but so far in this state we are only at the stage 
of commencing to choose our forest reserves. If the price of gutta 
percha in the future should be anything like what it was a few years 
ago, then the Federated Malay States may congratulate themselves 
on having a very valuable asset in its young gutta percha forests. 
Further particulars may be seen in paras. 44 to 48 of the Forest 
Administration Report, Federated Malay States, 1903. 
Yours truly, 
A. M. BURN-MURDOCH, ' 
Conservator of Forest. 
% 
Castle wood, 
Johor e, 22nd June , 1904. 
The Editor, 
Agricultural Bulletin. 
Dear Sir, — Will any of your readers be so kind as to tell me 
the proper way to tap and cure Gutta Rambong ? I have 5 year 
old trees measuring 2 feet round the stems and with branches cover- 
ing a circumference of IOO feet; but when tapped a single cut with 
a knife produces barely a thimbleful of latex ; and even that is difficult 
to collect as it overflows the side instead of following the cut so 
that one cannot use the herring-bone method ; and in fact a coolie 
can collect little more'than enough to pay his day’s wages. 
To cure it, I poured the latex into a pot of hot water on the fire 
and when it boiled and formed on the top of the water, I took it out 
and pressed it into biscuits. I have shipped to London on two oc- 
casions (about 20 lbs. each time) and it has sold at 4/4 d. per lb. 
and 5/' per lb. against 4 J6d. and 5/1 d. In No. x Para biscuit sent 
with it; so perhaps this simple method of curing may be as effective 
as any other —but there surely must be some more economical way 
of tapping and collecting ? 
I have, etc., 
M. LARKEN. 
