448 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[December i, 1884. 



ably warm. The word was then given to " turn on 

 the water," which was done, and the little steam- 

 engine began to work furiously. The expectant crowd 

 around looked on with breathless interest as one of 

 the hoses slowly began to rill out. Then the other 

 hose followed suit, a little slosver. At last, both 

 were full, and one expected every second to see 

 two bright jets of water flashing in the rays of the 

 setting sun ; but no such thing followed ; the only 

 appreciable result being two small flat and stale 

 streams of water, dropping straight down from the 

 mouth of each muzzle on to the boots of the men 

 who held them. The orders was then given to roll up 

 one hose, which was done with a great deal of screwing 

 and unscrewing, rolling and unrolling, free perspiring 

 and hand-dirtying on the part of the "firemen," 

 together with a frequent tramping in and out of 

 several two-inch puddles, quite regardless of shoe- 

 leather. Well, the water was turned on to 

 the single hose, and the result was a small jet of 

 water, thrown some 10 to 15 feet beyond the length of 

 the hose. After the man with the wet boots had 

 amused himself by wetting a few natives, who 

 invariably came within range, the hose was rolled up 

 and packed on the engine, to drag which back to the 

 police station several natives were captured from the 

 crowd. Then the gallant "firemen" dispersed, and for 

 some little time afterwards might be seen at hotel 

 bars, and such places, refreshing themselves after 

 their arduous exertions. Truly, the whole thing was 

 edifying, and though, at present, I should not think 

 the " V. F. B." would be of great assistance inputting 

 out a decently large fire, still, their drill is amusing. 

 Let it not be thought I am making fun of them, or 

 running them down. Quite the contrary. The move- 

 ment is a very laudable one. and should be encouraged. 

 With more attention to the matter of drill, aud an 

 overhauling of the little fire-eugiue I have no doubt 

 they will soon render very valuable assistance when 

 their services are required. 



The journey from Penang to Perak is performed 

 by small steamers which leave the latter place at 

 9 p.m., and arrive at MataDg (Larut) in Perak, at 

 about 6 a.m. the following morning, and from thence 

 the traveller can proceed to his destination in a 

 two-wheeled gharry, drawn by one of the ponies 

 before mentioned. The cost of the passage in the 

 steamer is only one dollar, and the accommodation, 

 for Europeans, consists of a long-armchair under an 

 awning on deck, in which to pass the night, with a 

 cup of hot coffee in the morning, shortly before 

 reaching the landing-stage. For nativeB the accom- 

 modation is the " softest plank" they can find for 

 themselves, and they lie thickly around one : which 

 fact, and the rainwater trickling through a rather 

 leaky awning, are the ouly disagreeables I have to 

 chronicle. For ladies, I believe special cabin accom- 

 modation can be secured in the largest boat on the line. 

 From Larut, a drive of eight miles, mostly through 

 low-lying, marshy country, briugs one to Thaipeng, 

 which is fairly large town, and the residence of the 

 Assistant Resident. The Resident of Perak has his 

 head-quarters at Kwala-Kangsa, about 22 miles from 

 Thaipeng— a much smaller place than Thaipeng is at 

 present; hut one which will, in course of time, outgrow 

 the latter and become a very large town ; for it is 

 connected by river with the principal tin-mines, and it 

 will undoubtedly be the centre of the coffee and tea 

 industries of the future. 



Coffee grows well and luxuriantly in Perak, bears 

 heavily, and is, apparently, free from leaf-disease. Tea 

 flourishes, and the rainfall and soil on the hills are 

 all that could be desiied for successful and remuner- 

 ative cultivation. Suitable laud for other products, 

 such as cocoa, tobacco, rubber, vanilla, pepper &o, is 

 available, The jungles contain valuable timber, and 



the climate is a healthy one. Labour is dear at present, 

 about double the Ceylon rate ; but it will be very much 

 cheaper shortly, as a law was recently passed which 

 permits free immigration of Tamil labour from the 

 southern coast of India. 



I would not have it understood that I am advising 

 Ceylon men to come and settle here. I merely speak 

 of the country as I have seen it. It has undoubtedly 

 great advantages, and great capabilities; but for anyone 

 to start planting here, as everywhere else, capital is 

 indispensable. It would be of no use for men to come 

 over "on spec," as employment is not easily obtained ; 

 but a man with, say, £1,500 — might certainly, in my 

 opinion, go farther and fare worse. 



There is very little more which I can tell you about 

 the place, at present, except that it is "growing." 

 Under the Administration of the present Resident, a 

 progressive policy is being followed, and amongst other 

 important, and useful public works which are being 

 undertaken, mauy roads are now in the course of 

 construction, which will open up the countiy to a 

 large extent. You will hear from me again later on. 



Kakep. 



♦ 



ENSILAGE IN INDI4 AND THE TROPICS. 

 We have seen so many doubtful statements regard- 

 ing the process of preserving fodder by pressure in 

 air-tight pits, that we have long refrained from quoting 

 any of the accounts which have reached us in the papers 

 with which we exchange. But we feel bound to make 

 an exception in favour of a communication to the 

 Madras Mail, from Mr. H. L. Johnston of Beypoiv. 

 The cost, in this case, seems trifling, and there is the 

 statement that coarse grasses mixed with better kinfla 

 hud been greatly improved by the process. Those 

 planters upcountry, therefore, who live near patanas 

 could cut and mix the natural grasses with guinea- 

 grass, Eeana luxurians, &c. Interest in this matter has 

 diminished since estates have almost universally given 

 up keeping cattle for mauure. But, besides milch cows, 

 there are still bullocks for cart traffic on a good many 

 estates. The account we quote may also be useful 

 to estate owners and native cultivators in the low- 

 country as well as the high : — 



An Experiment in Ensilage. 

 Mr. H. L. Johnston writes from Beypore : — 

 '• Saurkrout ! Saurkrout ! ! What is good for man is surely 

 good for beast; I'll try it anyhow." So spoke a German 

 farmer one very wet summer, some eighty years ago. 

 Substituting grass for cabbage, leaving out the peppercorns, 

 and using a hole in the ground for the family crock or barrel, 

 a very good fodder was obtained. Such has been given as 

 the origin of ensilage. The preservation of fodder in silos 

 by this system is extremely simple, and should demand the 

 attention of all who beep cattle, more especially planters, 

 and those who maintain larye herds for breeding or manurial 

 purposes, aud who have doubtless; in common with myself, 

 experienced the difficulty and expense of keeping cattle in 

 anything like fair condition during the hot months, more 

 particularly iu those, dist riots w here annual forest fires occur;, 

 The following details of an experiment made last year may 

 be interesting to those who wish to give 11k plan atrial. 



I excavated a pit 10 feet by feet by feet, in fairly hard 

 soil, rough plastered the iuside with ehunani, ami roofed it 

 with oadjans ; 



Costing ... ... ...R12 S 



Cutting, filling, and weighting ... „ a S 6 



Total ... „ 18 1 

 All grass was purposely cut, and carried in pouring rain. 

 The pit or silo was first fulled in July and weighted ; sinkage 

 two-thirds. In August it was filled up at iutervals and 

 finally closed; nearly four tons of stones, earth, &c. piled 

 on tin' covericie hoards, and tin- silo left till April this. year. 

 The sinkage was then found to be 20 iuches. About three 



