>3 
APPENDIX B. 
Notes on a Botanical Tour in Perak by the Assistant Superintendent 
of Forests, Penang. 
Leavino Penang at 6 P.M., on the 29th July, I arrived at Teluk Anson the follow- 
ing morning at 8 A.M., just 5 minutes too late to catch the train for Ipoh where 
proposed making my base for a few days. * 
As the next suitable train did not leave until 2.25 I drove out with Mr. L. HAW- 
KINS to see the Coffee and Rubber plantation under his charge. Hie Coffee looks 
well although there had been an unusually long drought at the time of my visit 
Given suitable soil the success of this cultivation in Perak is assured, but the present 
low price must be a great disappointment to those who invested heavily two or three 
yearSp^a j^ ubbe ^ with which a commencement has been made, and for which the 
soil appears to be adapted, look well, but a new enemy, supposed to be Mouse Deer, 
has taken a fancy to this tree and eats the tops off. All the plants so eaten sprout 
aaain still the check is considerable and if constantly repeated must eventually kill 
tlmm This is a factor that has not hitherto been taken into account in connection 
with this tree and shows that it will be necessary to keep the Malang and jungle 
growth clear, so that there be no harbour for these animals, until the tops of the tree., 
are high enough to be out of their reach, or else to fence in the area to be planted. 
The journey by train trom Teluk Anson to Ipoh occupies about three hours and 
can hardly be called pleasant during the hottest part of the day. At Ipoh I took up 
mv residence in the Rest House and the following morning started out to explore the 
neighbouring limestone or marble Hills. Quite close to the railway a Singapore Com- 
pany have commenced quarrying marble and three Italians 1 was told, have been 
recently imported from Europe for this work. Many interesting plants were collcctec 
durum ihe morning but the most interesting thing to me was the finding of several 
trees of “ Gutta Rambong ” ( Ficus Elastica ) in a truly wi d state Every one interest- 
ed in the subject knows that “ Gutta Rambong” is collected by Sahkis and brought 
in for sale, and the tree has long been recorded in botanical books as^ a native _ 
Perak but curiously enough neither Mr. Ridley nor myself had ever collected 11s 
tree in the Peninsula. All that I had seen hitherto had undoubtedly been planted 
but these trees were growing high up on the rocks and had sent their aena roo s 
down the face of the cliffs. , T , . ■ 
Every tree I saw had been tapped, and in some cases tapped to death. .1 obtain- 
ed leaf specimens only as none of the trees were in fruit. Another interesting plant 
from a botanical point of view, very abundant here, is Lowia, a genus named after 
Sir Hugh Low, a former resident of Perak and a keen botanist. . . 
On the 1st August I spent the morning in visiting some private gardens m Ipoi 
but gardening is not greatly to the fore in this town. Shade trees are bad y wanted 
all over the place for walking or driving on those intensely white and hot roads 
durino- the heat of the day is killing. A half-hearted attempt at plant, ng has been 
made in places but the fencing has not been sufficient to protect the trees from the 
ravaees of goats &c. By the 9 A. M. train I went to Batu Gajah in hopes ot seeing 
the District Magistrate and obtaining from him information as to getting men for 
croing up Gunong Bujong Malacca &c., but being a public holiday he had gone to 
?Dob° I took the liberty of inspecting his plant house and its contents, especia ly 
the plants brought down from Bujong Malacca. The European residences at Batu 
Gaiah are beautifully situated commanding a fine view of the surrounding country. 
In the hospital grounds 1 noticed the largest tree of Jacaranda mimosifolia I 
have vet seen. * No doubt it is the same age as the oldest of those planted in Penang 
hut it" is much larger than any here. All the trees of this kind in this part of the 
world are I believe from seeds or plants distributed from the Penang Gardens and the 
oldest cannot be more than twelve years planted. There is also in the same grounds 
a fine clump of Palms and a Kayu Rue {Casuarina) that look somewhat different to 
tvoical Casuarina esquisetifolia of which I obtained seeds. On the 2nd August took 
he mornL train at 6.40 to Sungei Siput and called first to see Mr . FoRREST who 
onenine out land for Coffee, Coco-nuts &c, not tar from the Station. However 
he had o-one out and the boy said would not be back until the evening, so I retraced 
throw the village and proceeded along the Kuala Kangsar road so far as 
n P ina Estate though I did not at the time know what Estate it vvas. This 
Kam ed tf be a f v ourable place for collecting so I worked around the edge of the 
cLTring collect .. living plants for cultivation and specimens for the herbarium 
