64 
formation of a Forest Department here some slight modifications 
will be found convenient. 
With respect to the reclaiming of abandoned mining land, I would 
first urge that if possible the miners on abandoning the land should 
be compelled to level the large spoilheapsas these are very trouble- 
some to deal with in planting. I have examined the abandoned 
land at Pudu and notice that there is but little lalang there, but 
that the ground is being covered with a vegetation of common 
grasses, weeds and small shrubs, and I think it is clear that there 
will be no great difficulty in replanting it now with trees if suitable 
kinds are used. I should recommend the following trees for these 
places : — 
Kelat (Eugenia lineata), Bintangor Bunga (Calophyllum inopyl- 
lum), Tembusu (Fagraea fragrans). These trees are useful tim- 
bers, the latter one of our most valuable kinds of which there is 
but little in the State. Also the following inferior timbers which 
would serve to cover the ground and aid in forming humus;— Ru 
(Casuarina), Jambu Ayer Laut (Eugenia grandis), Ketapang (Ter- 
minals Catappa), Gelam (Melaleuca). 
This latter to be planted where water has accumulated. The 
trees should be planted in blocks at first pretty close together, so 
as to form small woods and eventually the interspaces would fill 
up or could be planted up. The trees would have to be protected 
against the attacks of goats and cows till they were grown up 
sufficiently. Seeds or young plants of the trees above mentioned 
could be procured from Singapore. I he expenses need not be 
very heavy especially if the seeds are raised in nurseries near the 
places to be afforested. 
H. N. RIDLEY. 
June 15th, 1896. 
RED BEETLES IN COCONUTS. 
Mr. DUN MAN who owns large Coconut Estates in Singapore 
writes; “ There are still a few red beetles about Tanjong Katong, 
I have recently got half a dozen on the old worn out trees on the 
outskirts of the ‘"grove”. Considering that 4 years ago we had 
to cut away some 15 or 20 acres of trees for this reason, it is mar- 
vellous that there are so very few of them about.” The greater 
part of these beetles came, I think, from the small native gardens 
in the Gaylang and Rochore district. The one or two trees in 
each little patch, having been attacked, the owner never thought 
it worth while to do anything to the tree to save it, and simply 
gathered what nuts there were till the tree was dead. All these 
infected trees were destroyed by the Inspector, and the breeding 
ground of these red beetles was practically cleared away. Hence 
the disappearance of the pest. — (EDITOR). 
