British Resident's Office, 
T clip in g, $th April, 1892. 
To the Colonial Secretary, 
Sir, — I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter, Gov. 
. regarding the extension of the cultivation of padi and the introduction of other grains 
in the Straits Settlements and Native States, and calling for reports from District 
Magistrates. 
2. r caused copies of your letter to be extensively circulated, and now enclose 
reports and replies, as noted in the margin. In order to avoid any longer delay in 
complying with the Governor's instructions I forward these reports in original, with 
the request that they may be returned to me. 
BENDANG. 
3. Some idea, a very rough one, can be obtained of the acreage of bendang, or 
land suitable for wet rice fields, in Perak from the following table, but the return is 
approximate merely, and it is more than probable that, with scientific irrigation, a very 
much larger area can be made available : — ( 
District. 
Under Bendang 
Cultivation. 
Remaining available 
for Bendang. 
Acres. 
Acres. 
Krian ... 
40,000 
60,000 
Selama ... ... * 
1,000 
Not returned. 
M atang ... 
10,000 
100,250 
Larut ... ... ... • . . . 
9 T 75 
73-390 
Upper Perak ... 
1,300 
300/500 * 
Kuala Kangsar 
4,000 
10,000 
Kinta ... 
A few hundred. 
10,000 
Batang Padang 
“ Small extent.” 
‘ f Many thousands.” 
Lower Perak ... ... 
2,000/3,000 
“ Unlimited.” 
- — — j 
It may be noted that the yield of padi per acre varies from 525 to 900 gantangs, 
and, taking half the figures for rice, it would be quite safe, to say that there is land 
enough available in Perak, exclusive of ladang, to produce from 200,000 to 300.000 
tons mbre rice than is at present raised. 
4. The recommendations of the District Magistrates all point to the policy 
of Government opening up the available, but still uncultivated, 'bendang land by the 
expenditure of public funds on bridle-tracks, roads, irrrigation works, drains, water- 
gates, and so forth. This expenditure would prove remunerative by attracting rent- 
paying padi cultivators from neighbouring unprotected Native States" of the Peninsula, 
from Sumatra and from Banjermasin (Borneo), and, eventually, by keepino- i n the 
country a considerable portion of the large sums, said to have amounted to $1,531,249 
m *890, now expended by the inhabitants of this State in the purchase of foreign rice. 
5- _ In this view I fully concur, and though, during the continuance of heavy 
expenditure on railways, the Government of Perak is not in a position to lay aside 
any large sum for giving to it effect, still the matter might well be taken into imme- 
diate consideration, and the District Magistrates be instructed, in consultation with 
the District Engineers of the Public Works Department, to prepare reports on. the 
question, specifying the acreage of land they recommend should be opened, with maps 
and estimates of cost. 
6- I he majority of the District Magistrates recommend, as a further induce- 
ment to new settlers, that land should be leased rent free for three years, after which 
the customary quit-rent of 50 or 60 cents an acre would be payable annually. 
* At Jali, a new station in disputed territory. 
i. District Magistrate, 
Krian, 9, 1, ’92. 
ii. District Magistrate, 
Krian, 19, 1, ’92. ‘ 
iii. .Dist. Magst., Tipper 
Perak. 20, 1, ’92. 
iv. Dist. Magst., Lower 
Perak, 5, 2, ’92. 
v. Assist. Dist. Magst., 
Selaina, 15, 2, ’92. 
vi. Distinct Magistrate, 
Kinta, 15,2; ’92. 
vii. Dist. Mag., Matang, 
24, 2, ’92. 
Tin. Dist. Mag., Batang 
Padang, 14, 3, ’92. 
is. District Magistrate, 
Kuala Kangsar, copy 
enclosed, 1, 4, ’92. 
x. Assistant Indian Im- 
migration Agent, 6, 
2, ’92. 
xi. Supt. Gold. Planta- 
tions, 15, 2, ’92. 
xii. State Com. Lands, 
20. 2, ’92: 
xiii. Mr. T. Hill, 25, 
1, ’92. 
xiv. Mr. Kho Bu Ann, 
24, 2, ’92. 
