3 
PROTECTION OF FORESTS, 
10. I lie forest laws remained unaltered, but changes are necessary in 
oulei to prevent unavoidable waste of timber and other forest produce by 
licensees. An assimilation of the laws of the Colony to those of the 
Federated Malay States with a. careful avoidance of complexity is indicated. 
11. I he number of offences reported, none of which were serious, rose 
irom 64 in 1922 to 98 in the year of report, of which 95 were concerned with 
the unauthorised removal or appropriation of forest produce. The rise is 
accounted for chiefly by the increase to 22 in the number of undetected cases, 
principally in Province Wellesley. It is certain that there were far more 
undetected cases even than this: the temptation to commit small thefts is 
considerable and the chances of detection are small ; and places on the 
coast are difficult to patrol with a limited staff. Two cases were pending at 
the beginning of the year. 
12. Convictions were obtained in 39 out of 43 cases disposed of in court, 
the fines inflicted amounting to $541 in addition to $447 compensation for 
damage to the forest. Compensation amounting to a total of $474 was 
accepted departmentally in 24 cases, and 1 case dealt with departmentally was 
acquitted. Sales of confiscated property realised $14. At the close of the 
year 10 cases were pending. 
13. The death of the trees over an area of about 800 acres in the Tanjong 
Burong Reserve in the Dindings was further investigated, and the cause is 
thought to be the deposit by the sea of a layer of mud at the foot of the 
trees. Seedlings grow freely on the top of the mud. 
14. Taban layers and seedlings suffered from the attacks of mouse-deer 
at Ayer Kroh. Seedlings were also destroyed or badly damaged by mole- 
crickets, and were partially defoliated by Rhodoneura. Taban seed was 
taken by squirrels, which were shot with salutary results. 
15. Climbers, resam, bertam, palas and other weeds were dealt with as 
far as possible in operations for the improvement of the growing stock. 
16. Some damage was done to taban at Ayer Kroh by a whirlwind, which 
blew down a number of trees. 
IMPROVEMENT OF THE FORESTS. 
Natural Reproduction. 
17. The year was not a good one for seed. A small supply of taban 
seed was obtained from Pulau Jerejak. At Ayer Kroh the results were 
better; 117 taban trees seeded and 80,540 seeds were collected, of which 
3,640 were used locally and the remainder sold for $384, the cost of 
collection being $41. 
PLANTATIONS AND CULTURAL OPERATIONS. 
18. In Singapore the Para rubber trees in the Bukit Timah plantation 
tv ere let from May to November, and the plantation at East Seletar from 
May to the end of the year. The receipts are credited to the Agricultural 
Improvements Deposit Account. 
19. In the Telok Rahang Reserve in Penang 371 taban seedlings were 
moved from overstocked to blank areas. Of the seedlings so transplanted 
in 1922 84 per cent have survived. An experimental planting of bamboo 
stumps in the same reserve was partially successful. About half the 
stumps were alive and healthy at the end of the year, and the experiment is 
being continued. 
