The estate under review was converted from coffee to rubber, beginning in the earliest years of hevea planting in the Orient and to-day is completely developed and brought to a high state of organization. In 1918 it had the highest production in Java of both rubber and coffee. While the production of rubber is the first consideration in this plantation, coffee has been used as a catch crop-an interplanted, temporary culture producing during the years in which the ultimate culture is maturing. There still remain about 1,000,000 coffee trees, which are gradually being cut out.

Planting of rubber trees on the estate began in 1902 and has developed as follows:

1 Bouw equals 1.7537 acres: gross acreage, including paths and roads; 146 trees to the bouw or 83 trees to the acre.

: Part in bearing.

Sisal planting on this estate has been as follows:

The various cultures of the estate are distributed as follows:

Coffee is interplanted with the rubber, while sisal is planted on soil not suited to the cultivation of rubber. The area in rice is given over to the natives to cultivate for their own benefit, while the teak is grown for the timber, which is used on the estate, and the bamboo is cultivated for use in building houses for the natives on the estate.

This estate is located at an altitude of from 1,000 to 1,125 feet and in view of the high production the record of rainfall is interesting.

The production per tree for the period since 1913 shows a constant increase, which is not due to the varying climatic conditions but to better methods of cultivation, the improvement in the organization and skill of the labor, and the increasing maturity of the trees. The annual production per tree since 1913 has been as follows: 1913, 2.3122 pounds; 1914, 2.7004 pounds; 1915, 2.9655 pounds; 1916, 3.1975 pounds; 1917, 3.5561 pounds; 1918, 4.6449 pounds; and 1919, 5.5117 pounds.

The total production of 1919 was 1,645,509 pounds of dry rubber, 1,974 piculs (268,464 pounds) of coffee, and 1,596 piculs (217,000 pounds) of sisal hemp.

The 1919 production of the various grades of rubber on this estate is shown in the following table:

PRODUCTION OF VARIOUS QUALITIES OF RUBBER ON THE ESTATE IN 1919.

In 1918 the percentage of first-quality rubber was 84.07, while 11.55 per cent was second-quality rubber; 4.38 per cent was "scrap.' The percentages of second and third qualities were lower in 1919 for the reason that there was better weather for tapping-less rain in the mornings between 6 and 11 o'clock."

ESTATE EXPENDITURES.

The following table shows the expenditures on this estate on account of rubber during the year 1919:

107538-22-3

1 Exclusive of capital charge.

This is the rank tiger grass, called "lalang" in British Malaya and "cogone" in the Philippine Islands. It is the greatest enemy of planters in all cultures in the oriental Tropics.

No fencing is done except around nurseries and other areas from which cattle are excluded. Owing to scarcity of subsidiary coin after July the banks sent only paper money to the estate, which had to be changed in the local money shops, and the charge was excessive although unavoidable. The balance was charged to coffee and sisal as follows: 1,974 piculs of coffee at 13.80 guilders per picul, 27,241 guilders and 1,597 piculs of sisal at 11.27 guilders per picul, 17,999 guilders; total, 45,240 guilders. Cost per pound of rubber produced, delivered for shipment at Soerabaya.

The cost shown in the preceding table is exclusive of interest on capital. The capitalization is combined with that of another estate, the two together having an area of 6,009 bouws (10,658 acres), and the issued stock amounts to £248,000. This is a very low figure, and in estimating the capital charge it would be safer to consider an estimate given by a competent authority, who places the capitalization per bouw, inclusive of costs of factory, buildings, roads, and other equipment, at 600 guilders for first-class estates and 1,000 guilders for mediocre estates.

As this estate is considered to be one of the first estates in Java the minimum figure may be taken. Using this figure the valuation of the estate alone would be 2,099,400 guilders. Interest at 6 per cent (125,964 guilders) would increase the cost by 7.65 cents, making the total cost of production 37.73 guilder cents per pound.

The same authority gives the estimated production per bouw from the twelfth year of age as 900 pounds for first-class estates and 600 pounds for mediocre estates, giving a production cost per pound (exclusive of interest) of 30 and 50 guilder cents, respectively, for the two classes of estates.

EXPORTATION OF RUBBER.

The following table shows the exports of hevea rubber by countries of destination from the Netherlands Indies:

EXPORTS OF HEVEA RUBBER FROM THE NETHERLANDS EAST INDIES.

EXPORTS OF HEVEA RUBBER FROM THE NETHERLANDS EAST INDIES-Continued.

As noted in the introduction, considerable attention was given in the early years of rubber planting in the colony to the cultivation of Ficus elastica, ceara, castilloa, and other varieties. The areas in these rubbers have either been replanted or the owners have ceased to tap. Their disappearance in the returns is shown in the following table:

EXPORTS FROM THE NETHERLANDS EAST INDIES OF RUBBER OTHER THAN HEVEA.

The varieties of rubber shown in the preceding table have not appeared in the export returns since 1916.

RUBBER EXPORTS FROM THE STRAITS SETTLEMENTS.

Exports of plantation rubber from the Straits Settlements are shown in the following table: