4 
Improvement Fellings. 
20. In the Government Hill Reserve (Batu Feringgi) in I enang 
improvement fellings were carried out free of cost by the subordinate staff 
over about 68 acres of gutta-percha forest. Ten acres of gutta-percha were 
similarly treated in the Telok Bahang Reserve at a cost of $i 4 B including 
the cost of moving seedlings referred to in paragraph 18. 
21. In Malacca a sum of $205 was spent on the improvement of about 
93 acres of gutta-percha in the Ayer Krob plantation. Poles which hindered 
the development of the gutta-percha trees were felled, and larger trees were 
ringed and killed by the application of Atlas preservative. This small 
plantation promises to be an important source of supply for gutta-percha seed. 
22. In the Ayer Panas, Merlimau, Ramuan China, and Sungei Udang 
Reserves improvement fellings in favour of the regeneration of first class 
trees were carried out over about 76 acres by timber licensees. 
EXPLOITATION. 
Timber and Fuel. 
(1 a ) From Reserves . 
23. In Singapore five reserves were worked as usual for mangrove fuel 
under the coupe system, the area under exploitation during the whole or 
part of the year being 333 acres. In addition, five old coupes which had not 
been fully worked out, were open to exploitation under monthly permits. 
The 205 acres newly leased realised $25.17 per acre, compared with $25.64 
per acre ior the coupes of the previous year. 1 he estimated outturn from 
the leased coupes was 4,700 tons, and from the coupes open under permit 
880 tons, compared with 2,350 and 1,220 tons respectively in 1921. The out- 
turn from other sources was 45 tons of timber and 600 tons of fuel. The 
revenue rose from $5,003 to $5>74°- 
24. The following table summarises the results of the year’s work in 
the mangrove forests: — 
Reserve. 
Coupe 
No. 
Area in 
acres. 
Amount at 
which 
leased. 
Total 
revenue real- 
ised during ; 
1922. 
Approximate 
outturn 
during 1922. 
. 
Remarks. 
1 
§ c , 
S c. 
' 
Tons. 
Pandan 
13 
80 ! 
*2,808 
00 
200 
00 
1,560 
Old. 
Pandan 
14 
so 
2,488 
00 
+ 2,513 
00 
640 
New 
Changi 
Kran ji 
13 
30 
546 
00 
280 
Old. 
13 
30 
600 
00 
600 
00 
720 
. . . 
Seletar 
11 
18 
127 
80 
. . . 
20 
Old. 
Seletar 
12 
30 
427 
50 
427 
50 
600 
New. 
Tuas 
12 
65 
1,644 
50 
... 
880 
... 
Total ... 
... 
333 
8,641 
so 
l 
yj 
-A 
i O 
50 
4,700 
... 
Pandan ... 
Pandan 
9 
11 
80 
80 
5 
40 
00 
00 
20 1 
160 1 
Open under 
Pandan 
12 
80 
. . . 
145 
00 
580 y 
monthly 
Tnas 
9 
65 
* . • 
20 
00 
80 [ 
permits. 
Changi 
12 
16 
... 
10 
00 
40 J 
Total . . . 
... 
321 
... 
220 
00 
880 
... 
25. The outturn of timber on payment from the reserves of h enang, 
Province Wellesley, and the Dindings fell from 1,114 to 649 tons, the bulk 
of the output being in the form of poles. 1 he market foi tnmei from the 
Dindings is in Penang, and, as the demand almost ceased, work m the re- 
served forests was as far as possible closed down. The outturn of firewood 
from the same Settlements rose from 4,078 to 5>59^ tons, owing entirely to 
* Includes $200 paid for extension of contract. t Includes $25 forfeiture of deposit for tender. 
