Perak.—

The resources of this almost unknown and entirely undeveloped area of the Malay peninsula have during the past year attracted some attention in Ceylon, where land for planting is now said; to be difficult to obtain on remunerative terms. Perak has been visited by Mr. Handy side, a Ceylon planter, who has formed a high opinion of the capabilities of the country. The papers which have been communicated to me on the subject include a report from this gentleman, printed in the Singapore Daily Times of October 23 of last year, from which I extract a few paragraphs.

"Anyone entering Perak the usual way, viz. by Laroot, will be disappointed with the soil, especially on the plains, for the first 20 miles inland. It is poor for agricultural purposes, but rich in tin. * *

"On nearing the capital, Kwala-Kangsa, 23 miles from Laroot, the soil, and I may say climate, improves very much; from white sand it gradually turns into a rich brown alluvial, especially on approaching "the banks of the Perak River, on page 46 both sides of which sugar, tobacco, tapioca, cacao, cocoa nuts, Liberian coffee, cardamoms, paddy, maize, &c. could be grown to pay well * * * Good as the soil is here, it cannot compare with the rich limestone chocolate coloured land of the Kinta, Epan, Gaping, and Kampar districts, some 20 miles further cast. I have seen nothing like it in Ceylon for depth or quantity. A great portion of it is still in virgin forest; in some parts of which I saw the cardamom of commerce flowering under shade. * *

"Before coming to Perak I was of opinion that, being near the equator, coffee would need a higher elevation than Ceylon; since then I have seen reason to alter it. The monsoons are not so well defined; the rain is better distributed throughout the year, but there are generally a few dry months between January and March. I now think that coffee can be successfully grown at from 500 to 800 feet lower than in Ceylon in the open. * * *

"The coffee-trees growing under shade at a few hundred feet have a rich dark green foliage and very healthy appearance. * * * The Liberian kind at Taiping looks very healthy." [The plants were received from Singapore, to which place they had been transmitted from Kew.]

"Having been pretty well all over the country and studied its climate and resources, I consider that I am under the mark when I say that there are on the hills of Perak 500,000 acres (considerably more than in cultivation on Ceylon hills) suitable for the cultivation of coffee, tea, and probably cinchona, not to speak of all the low country products."