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AGRICULTURE. 2 
Its is just a year since the great fall in the 
price of rubber ended. From that time until 
the outbreak of war in August the rubber- 
! planting industry has had a period of market 
that can only be described as satisfactory to 
the fully financed estates : but for those in¬ 
completely developed estates which during 
the fall by choice or force of circumstances 
used income as capital, the year has been a 
difficult one, resulting in a general arrest of 
further planting and, in Malacca, in the 
surrender to Government of lands lying un¬ 
planted. The surrender has not, however, 
been wider than was expected: and the ces¬ 
sation of planting rubber seems generally 
desirable at the present in view of the inevit¬ 
able over-production. 
The amount of rubber exported from 
Malacca in 1918 totalled 9,881,200 lbs.; the 
value was $10,$25,988, little moro than that 
of the 5,648,266 lbs. exported in 1912. 
Consequent on the fall in price great and 
successful efforts have been made by tbe 
planting community of Malaya to bring down 
their costs, and in this they have been prepar¬ 
ing for the increasing struggle against other 
rubbers on the world’s markets. In respect 
of this struggle the position of the Malayan 
industry appeared satisfactory when the 
outbreak of war in Europe suddenly stopped 
sales: the calamity now gives some advan¬ 
tage to the countries competing by means of 
wild rubbers, for they have no cost of culti¬ 
vation and their assets are conserved while 
the markets are stagnant. It is extremely 
difficult to estimate in advance the effect of 
the war: for though access remains to the 
American and English markets which buy 70 
per cent, of the world’s produce, the selling 
power of the manufacturers in the present 
crisis is not ascertainable. 
There has been very little increase in the 
cultivated area of Singapore, but most of the 
land under cultivation has been kept in ex¬ 
cellent order. Large areas under rubber are 
no w beginning to approach the tapping stage 
and the low price has served as a check on 
the tapping of immature trees. 
The coconut industry has had a prosperous 
year : prices have been high and the crop of 
nuts good, so that the quantity of copra and 
coconut oil exported has been relatively large 
and the return in money still larger. But the 
outbreak of war severely affects the north¬ 
ern Settlement, whence 80 per cent, of the 
exports used to go to ports now closed to 
trade, and much of the rest to ports, 
such as Marseilles, whose mills are idle. 
As coconut forms an ingredient in foodstuffs 
an early recovery at least in part is probable: 
but it appears that England has been ^°Jiy 
largely dependent on tbe Hamburg refineries 
for pure oil, thereafter made into butter 
substitutes at home, so that she is not fully 
equipped to take up the whole trade.' . , . 
* — '1 mm C - WF 
Large areas of land continue to be taueu 
up in the Dindings for the cultivation of 
coconuts, and some additions to existing 
plantations were made in Singapore. In Ma¬ 
lacca also more attention was paid to this form 
of cultivation and copra to tbe amount of over 
57,000 piculs, of a value of about $610,000 
was exported in 1918. 
The market for tapioca throughout the year 
has been bad and its cultivation has been 
much reduced, particularly in Malacca. As 
a catchcrop under young rubber it is no 
longer needed in many estates. Province 
Wellesley was more adversely affected by the 
low prices than Malacca. 
The rice harvest of 1913-14 was every¬ 
where good except in a very small area of 
Malacca which suffered from the past neglect 
of the sawahs, dating from the rubber boom, 
and tbe change in the nature of streams 
owing to the clearing of hills. The prospects 
of the crop of 19L4-15 are not yet assured. 
Rain did not fall when the land should have 1 
been ploughed, and the coincidence of the 
Mohammedan fast much delayed ploughing. 
In Malacca the extent of rice fields cultivated 
will be greater this year partly owing to the 
influence of the District Officers and 
Penghulus and partly owing to the fact that 
the reduction in the wages for tapping rubber 
trees has caused a number of Malays to 
return to the cultivation of their padi fields 
and kampongs. 
The fruit crop has everywhere been 
excellent. The growing of vegetables in 
catch-crops on the southern estates of 
Province Wellesley appears to be a success. 
There seems to be a slight extension of fruit 
and vegetable growing about Singapore, 
The pine apple industry in Singapore is in 
a satisfactory condition, and much new land 
has been planted to make up for the removal 
of the crop from the large rubber estates: 
there is however little suitable land now 
available. The crop) b'as been satisfactory. 
There was one serious outbreak of plant- 
disease, namely, that of the coconut moth, 
bruckartona catoxantha, at Serangoon in the 
last two months of 1913 and the first of 1914. 
The pest was arrested and destroyed by a 
parasitic fungus. 
Coconut beetles were rather numerous at 
one time in Singapore island, but have been 
got under. Migratory locusts have caused 
uneasiness in Malacca, but as a matter of 
fact have done extremely little injury; they 
are however on the increase in the Negri- 
Sembilan-Malacca region.- and as their 
capacity for destruction is known from ex¬ 
perience elsewhere, it would not be right to 
ignore the possibility of danger from them. 
A special officer is now in charge of locust- 
destruction in Malacca. 
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