Turning now to planting matters Cheng and Jelutong divisions continued to be rested during the year under review and the whole of the output was obtained from an average of 428 acres of Paya Rumput division. In July of this year a commencement was made with reopening Cheng and Jelutong and 85 acres of Cheng division were brought into tapping again after their three years' rest, on the A.B.C. system over half the circumference of the tree, with most gratifying results as regards yield. Further areas will be gradually brought under the knife but, as the Company has no need to push for crop, this will only be done as and when the trees are properly ready. On the score of economy no cultivation work of any sort was undertaken during the year, but in the coming year a gradual programme of silt pitting will be inaugurated.
The cost of weeding, including the cost of digging lallang and planting Mimosa, was 8.69 cents per acre per month as compared with 16 cents for the previous year. The whole estate is clean, except for harmless grasses which are being encouraged to grow wherever possible. These weeds serve the double purpose of preventing wash and enriching the soil by holding up the leaf fall. Thinning out, which from now onwards wil] be done on the basis of the yield from individual trees, will not be restarted until the third round of yield tests on Paya Rumput has been completed, and this should be in the very near future.
Health on the Estate was, on the whole, good, except during May and June, when a slight epidemic of Influenza & Malaria was experienced. The Estate is practically clear of surface timber and remains very free from pests and diseases. Only.99 trees were lost during the year, of which 53 trees were lost through windfalls. The labour force consists entirely of Tamils and no difficulty was experienced in maintaining a sufficient force throughout the year.
Mr. Harland returned from his home leave on January 8, and took over the management of the Estate from Mr. J. A. Owen who had been acting for him during his absence. Your best thanks are due to these two gentlemen and also to our Straits Agents, Messrs. Harrisons, Barker & Ca., Ld., for the very efficient manner in which they have conducted the affairs of the Estate, thus enabling it to, survive the very acute period of* depression from which we are just emerging:
There were no! questions, anid the formal resolutions—were adopted.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.