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3 
sufficiently weedeo and tended for the plants to grow up and establish themselves. 
Moreover from the number of exotic species selected the plantations were mostly of 
an experimental nature. 
In Penang no attempt was made to artificially re-stock forest areas on a large 
scale. Mr. CURTIS writes that no planting wad done, partly on account of the ex- 
pense, but mainly becaus- Vre was reason to bei'eve that efficient protection during 
a sufficiently long period all that was require o re-stock the lorest. 
From 1895 up to the ( resent, existing rese ,s have been protected and some 
further reservations have been made, chiefly in the findings and Province Wellesley. 
No planting has been done and the reserves have been gradually closed entirely to 
the extraction of all timber and forest produce of all kinds. The Collectors of Land 
Revenue are responsible for the upkeep of the boundaries, protection and closure. 
Present Policy. 
There can be no two opinions as to the soundness of the policy which has secured 
to the Colony 88,336 acres of forest reserves, to be maintained permanently under 
forest growth. 
The reserves are distributed over the different Settlements as follows : — 
Settlement . 
Acres. 
Malacca 
... 49,478 
Singapore Island 
... 12,428* 
Penang Island 
... IO,I 22 t 
Province Wellesley 
... 6,308j 
Dindings 
... io,ooo§ 
88,336 
The appended Maps|[ and statements show the positions of the different reserves 
and their areas.. 
The reserves thus formed occupy more than 9 percent, of the area of the Colony 
which is 1,525 square miles ; and in Malacca they cover i2‘6i% of the total area of 
the Settlement. Certain additions will no doubt be made to the reserves in both Pe- 
nang and Singapore: and the area of reserves in the Dindings will eventually stand 
at a much higher figure than at present, when surveys are made and the areas come to 
be accurately computed. The progress made in selecting, suitably demarcating and 
protecting these reserves from encroachment and theft is highly satisfactory and 
creditable to the Government as well as to the Department which carried out most 
of the reservations, and to the Collectors of Land Revenue who have supervised their 
protection since 1895. 
Protection from fire has not been effective in some places and more attention 
should have been given to this important matter in Singapore, where experimental 
plantations, made at considerable cost, have been constantly burnt over and destroyed. 
I he improvement of the reserves by means of planting the more valuable indige- 
nous trees ( ( h ) of Mr. C'ANTLEy'S recommendations) has not been successful, or un 
dertaken upon right lines. The introduction of the more valuable hard woods into 
a mixed forest by planting is not easy; and, indeed, may be said to be impossible un- 
less the complete removal of the existing crop over more or less considerable areas be 
first undertaken, so as to admit of a complete young growth only springing up with 
the trees planted. 1 lie plants it is desired to raise may be delicate and shade requir- 
ing and it may be necessary to rear them by means of nurses or under a shelter wood, 
but even then their eventual development will depend on the gradual removal of such 
aids, and the area will come to be stocked with the planted species and such 
growth as may have sprung up with it. These considerations lead in most in- 
stances to the systematic planting up of compact areas, after the clearing off of 
whatever may be the existing growth. Exceptionally, as with teak planted by the 
Karens in Burma, means may be found to artificially increase the proportion of trees 
of a valuable species in a forest by dealing with isolated patches, but this is not the 
case as a rule and it may be accepted that, when costly planting is required, it should 
be arranged with the definite object of creating a new crop over a considerable and 
previously fixed upon area. The tract operated upon should be divided up into 
— — — — — — ~ — ■— ■ ■ __ > 
* Exclusive of Selitar extension. 
)i Pulau Jerejak 830 acres. ‘'y. 
? >1 Experimental Gardens 4 acres. 
§ Very roughly estimated. 
Attached to bound copies of Report only. 
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