IO 
to deal at some length in successive annual reports, appears now in the regular 
monthly issue ot the Agricultural Bulletin so that it is unnecessary to do more than 
refer briefly to the more important points in this branch of the work. 
Para Rubber. 
(4. Para Rubber still holds the field and bids fair to recoup Agriculturists some 
of the money that has been lost in other cultivations. The largest tree in the Water- 
iall Garden, of which mention has been made from year to year in annual reports, 
lias been tapped for the seventh time, the yield of dry rubber being 2 lbs. i^{ ozs : 
which makes a total of 18 lbs. 7 ozs. from this tree in seven years, ur an average of 
2 lbs. io oz. per year ; and I see no reason why this average should not be maintained 
or even exceeded without injuring the tree. According to a note in the Agricultural 
Bulletin, two of the oldest Para rubber trees in Perak that had not previously been 
tapped gave 50 lbs. of dry rubber at one tapping. Mr. STANLEY Arden, Superin- 
tendent of Experimental Plantation Selangor, has just published his report on the 
tapping of trees in various manners and at different ages, and I believe the conclu- 
sions arrived at coincide in all material points with my own experiments, which 
though dealing with only a few trees have been spread over a much longer period. 
Ihe extension of plantations is pushed on, especially in the Native States, and it is 
proposed to commence tapping this year on two Estates that 1 know of, hut I fear 
that the return from very young trees will be disappointing after deducting cost of 
collecting; ‘ x S 
Ramie. 
* 5 - A short note on Ramie in the Agricultural Bulletin somewhat revived the 
interest in this fine fibre producing plant, and has resulted in eliciting some inform- 
ation that may be of practical value. 
A correspondent in Scotland who is thoroughly conversant with the methods of 
cleaning and preparing this fibre, and to whom a parcel of ribbons was sent for 
treatment, suggests that the kind we sent, and which 1 believe to be the same that 
has been planted on the two or three estates in which the cultivation on ramie has 
been attempted on any considerable scale, is a very inferior variety which he terms 
black ramie. It is a very strong and quick growing form and on this account it has 
no doubt been selected in preference to others, but if our correspondent’s views are 
correct this is its sole recommendation. We have in cultivation in the nursery here 
a smaller and shorter variety with hollow stems which will, I have little doubt, give 
more than double the weight of fibre from an equal weight of stems as compared with 
the large growing kind. The nature of the stem too, I think, simplifies the decorti- 
cating process, for instead of stripping the bark from the wood, which is never a 
complete process, there being always a certain amount of fibre adhering to the wood, 
that cannot be removed with the bark, by simply beating the stems while in a green 
state and washing in water, every particle of fibre is obtained. From this variety 
two pounds weight of green stems without leaves gave 4 oz. of roughly cleaned fibre 
which hAs been sent home to ascertain what further loss occurs in completing the 
process of preparing the finished article, and the approximate value if shipped as per 
sample. 
Gfutta Purcha- 
16. Gutta Percha trees growing in the Waterfall valley, from which a good 
crop of seeds was obtained in 190J, produced not a single fruit this year though one 
tree flowered freely. Imported saplings both from Borneo and Sumatra are decided 
tailures, and until seeds are obtainable the cost of forming large plantations is too 
great to justify the undertaking. This however is a matter to be dealt with more 
fully in a report on the Forest department which I have been asked by the Chief 
Forest Officer to write, and I merely refer to the subject here as the preparations 
of Gutta Percha plants for planting in the Forest reserves has hitherto been done 
in the Botanic Gardens. 
Imperial Institute. 
17. Early In the year samples of different kinds of “Gutta Percha” including 
“ I aban Puteh ” from Perak were forwarded to the Scientific Department of the Impe- 
rial Institute with the request that these might be examined and their commercial 
value reported on. 
Later, a case of Blumea balsamifera, and seeds of Hevea brasiliensis, was sent. 
