89 
the present condition of the kampongs. The Asiatic does not see 
the necessity for treating a disease which does not often kill the tree 
and which is not eradicated by the most careful and steadily 
continued treatment. He regards the measures required of him as a 
nuisance, since they involve work to which he is not inclined, and 
also as being inefficient inasmuch as they do not result in the 
disappearance of the disease from his plantation. As a result he 
prefers paying a small fine of from $2 to $10 inflicted on him by the 
magistrate to expending the same sum in carrying out the treatment 
required. 
The alternative course of action open to the inspecting officer— 
namely, of carrying out the work in the small holdings and recovering 
the cost would involve the employment of such a number of gangs of 
trained coolies and trained mandors, as is at present entirely 
beyond the resources in European supervision of this Department. 
All that can be done at present is to use coolies to treat the disease 
in such of the small holdings as are most seriously infected and 
have been most consistently neglected. 
The satisfactory treatment of pink disease in the kampongs in 
general can, in the writer’s opinion, only be attained as a result of a 
comparatively lengtlily educational process which will gradually 
accustom the owners to do what is required of them and lead them to 
recognize that the measures are for their own good. A state of 
things ultimately should be obtained comparable to that which 
exists in the routine control of coeonub beetles. Attempts to hasten 
unduly the educative process necessary are certain to be without 
effect, and only patient and continued efforts will have a lasting 
result. 
The degree of attention paid to instructions varies considerably 
in different States. In Perak where the disease is most prevalent the 
instructions receive but little attention. In the one badly infected 
district of Selangor instructions are often obeyed fairly well 
especially when a large fine is inflicted from time to time. In the 
Negri Sembilan the disease is much less prevalent and often disappears 
entirely for a portion of each year even in those districts which are 
comparatively the more infected. The occasional cases ‘found have 
mostly been treated as required. In Pahang work is being some- 
what newly commenced and not much can be said about it at present. 
Lalang . — Shortly after inspection work commenced, it became 
evident that the lalang so often present on small holdings should be 
removed, irrespective of whether these contained rubber or cocouuts, 
more especially when they bordered on clean estates or other clean 
holdings. In this case also it was decided to commence by giving 
advice only, until the small owner should become more accustomed 
to an idea which is entirely contrary to his usual liappy-go-lucky 
methods. 
4 <? 
