265 
is knocked off by the cockle shells and falls as a fine powder 
through the interstices of the basket on the cloth. It is pounded 
up to make it evenly fine, and when made into cakes is put in a 
cloth and steeped in warm water and then the cloth is squeezed 
till the dragon’s blood makes the firm hard block which is ex- 
ported. 
F H. N. RIDLEY. 
FEDERATED MALAY STATES. 
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE INSPECTOR OF 
COCONUT PLANTATIONS FOR THE YEAR 1905. 
The area under coconuts at the end of 1905 the Federated 
Malay States may be estimated approximately at 100,000 acres, 
apportioned to the four States as follows : 
Perak 
... 
50,700 acres 
Selangor ... 
... 
18,800 „ 
Negri Sembilan ... 
... 
16,000 ,, 
Pahang 

14,500 „ 
On more than half of this 
its value in my opinion 
dollars. 
acreage the trees are in bearing, and 
may be estimated at about 17,000,000 
Increase, 1905. — After deducting some 700 to 800 acres of 
coconuts (planted originally among the rubber in some European 
estates in Selangor and Perak, which were destroyed to make 
room for the latter in 1905), there still remains the substantial 
increase of 10,000 acres in the cultivation as compared to the 
preceding year. This, I think, may be considered quite satis- 
factory, seeing that the extension is almost entirely confined to 
native holdings and indicates that the cultivation of the coconut, 
which is particularly suited to their wants, continues to find 
favour among them. I anticipate every probability of as much, 
if not more, land being opened up during the current year. 
The State of Perak contributes chiefly towards the area 
planted up during 1905, Bagan Dato, Runkup and Utan Melin- 
tang, in Lower Perak, accounting alone for no less than 5,000 
acres. These mukims, as I have mentioned before, contain by 
far the finest contiguous block of coconuts in the States, and 
although many of the trees are still young the greater number are 
in bearing. In fact, the district has, during the year. under 
review, made immense strides and the output of copra was nearly 
double that of the previous year. I was therefore very pleased to 
learn that the Government has this year made provision for 
commencing the proposed circular road from Utan Melintank to 
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