derived from the wild jungle plants. Phe Malays an 1 Dyaks merely 
cut the long climbing stems and beat and pull off the spiny sheaths 
with sticks, lay them out to dry for a short time and then coil them 
up and bring them down for sale. ' In a few places attempts have 
been made to cultivate rattans for profit, chiefly in Muar, Johor 
and I am informed also in Borneo. 
The plant cultivated in the Peninsula is Rotan Scgar. I he seed 
is raised in a bed, till the plant is about 6 inch* s tall and then 
planted out. This rattan seems to do better in tolerably dry spots, 
damp or wet ground not suiting it. lake all rattans the growth is 
rather slow, at first, but it does not appear to make a bush at first 
of short stems as ‘the Dwmonorops and Plectocomias do. Seeds 
obtained here from Muar in 1902 have now developed into 
plants about 5 feet tall. Rattans undoubtedly make the best 
growth in open jungle as they certainly grow faster when they can 
climb. The best way to grow rattans would certainly be to plant 
them out in open woods, with sufficient trees for them lo climb, but 
enough light for them to develope .well. Though rattans should 
be cut before flowering it would of course be necessary to leave 
some stems in a plantation to reproduce. In many species a large 
number of shoots are first thrown up forming a bush, later some or 
all of these develop into climbing shoo’s, but it is not till the bush 
is fairly large that the climbing shoots begin to develop, then the 
rattans begin to come faster, and there are a considerable number 
produced, each shoot climbing. The slender Calami as a rule make 
but small bush, i.e. y each shoot starts climbing almost at once. 
The preparation of ordinary rattans for the market is very sim- 
ple, the canes as brought in being washed in a running stream, and 
well rubbed with sand till they are quite smooth, they are then 
straightened by being pulled round posts fixed in the ground and 
eventually tied up in bundles. Malacca canes and others generally 
intended for walking-sticks, are smoked as described later. 
The greater number of the canes exported from Singapore are 
obtained from the Malay Islands, especially Sumatra and Borneo. 
The uses of rattans are very varied, bor walking-sticks, the 
Malacca cane Calamus scipionum, 6. ornatus, C.aquatihs, and 
other smaller species are used. For basket work, chairs, tames 
and furniture generally, the Rotan Segars, Rotan Bakau. For 
fenders for ships, cables, bridges, chicks, floor-coverings, baskets, 
saddlery, rattans of various kinds are extensively used. 1 he shields 
of the Malays in old times were often made ot coiled rattan. In 
housebuilding, fish-traps and fishing stakes, a great quantity is used, 
both in the form of split rattan, and whole canes. Split rattan is 
necessary fpr attap-making to fasten the pandan leaves togethu . 
In Europe “crushed cane”, rattan waste cut into small bits is 
used for stuffing cushions being apparently preferred to coir. 
The uses being almost endless, And the demand being \ ery fcT ea \ 
both for local and foreign consumption, it is not to be wonc ere a 
that the supply of an almost exclusively jungle product is not 
adequate for the demand. Sooner or later it will be doubtless re- 
quisite to institute plantations of rattans on a large scale, o supp \ 
