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tacked by red bug, they like the others suffered badly from the pod 
destroying caterpillars, which of course being inside the pods could 
not be destroyed by spraying. The soil and constant wet of the 
Peninsula makes it at least in the Southern part quite unsuitable for 
the plant, but the pests alone would be sufficient to destroy any 
chance of successfully growing the plant on a large scale. 
COTTON CULTIVATION IN THE FEDERATED 
MALAY STATES. 
Sir, — I have the honour to submit, at your request, a short report 
on the cultivation of cotton in the Federated Malay States. 
2. But little progress has been made in this direction at the 
Experimental Plantations, Batu Tiga, and the results so far obtained 
are far from encouraging. The Egyptian variety was tried last year; 
the seeds germinated very well and for a time the young plants 
looked very promising; but, during the long spell of wet weather 
which followed, they were attacked by a mite, and a large percent- 
age destroyed. The plants which survived the attack were allowed 
to remain with the object of procuring seeds from the more robust 
plants for a further trial. During the unusually dried weather ex- 
perienced during the early part of the present year, these plants 
improved considerably, and are now fruiting though the crop is 
poor and the cotton much stained. A picked sample of this cotton 
is being forwarded to the Imperial Institute for valuation and report. 
3. About an acre of land was planted early in the present year 
with 1 Upland, ’ ‘ Sea-Island ’ and Egyptian varieties, but not more 
than about 1 per cent, of the seed germinated, and it is impossible 
to estimate from the few remaining plants, what the result would 
have been had the seed been good. 
4. Another batch of seed, consisting of some 22 varieties, has 
been recently planted. These have germinated well and so far are 
apparently free from disease. 
5. There appears' to be little to add to my letter No. Ex. Plants 
121/03 of October 30th last, when I pointed out that the uncertainty 
of the seasons, the peculiar susceptibility to pests— both insect and 
fungoid — and the limited labour-supply, are in themselves sufficient 
to deter agriculturists from embarking upon this cultivation. 
6. Experiments on a small scale are being continued at Batu 
Tiga, and if the work results in the establishment of a type suited 
to the conditions obtaining in the Federated Malay States, it is 
possible that natives and Immigrant coolies may (with Government 
Assistance) take up the cultivation of cotton ; but it is, I think, prac- 
tically certain that it will never pay for European supervision, the 
profits being too small and the venture too risky. 
