156 



the mechanical condition of both light and heavy soils and this 

 combined with the improved tilth should compensate for the material 

 removed in one or two harvests. This would apply to other cereal 

 crops but not to the same extent with root crops. The growing of 

 this cereal, or others mentioned below, might be seriously considered 

 by those who have the necessary requirements for their proper 

 culture. I might add that the Department of Agriculture will 

 be pleased to assist as regards procuring of seed and advice as 

 to planting. 



Rice. 

 I do not propose to deal with this cereal as its importance 

 in Malaya is well known but I would like to mention that hill 

 padi and other native food crops, such as millet. Job's tears, etc., 

 open up more possibilities than has hitherto been supposed. 



Job's Tears. 

 Thrives well in this country and is cultivated to some extent by 

 the Malays. The grain of the cultivated variety is said to be sweet 

 and wholesome and amenable to ordinary methods of milling. 

 Certain forms of the grain are roasted, then husked and eaten whole 

 and used to some extent as a substitute for rice. 



Millet. 

 A fairly good crop from a small area of the common millet was 

 harvested at the Kuala Lumpur Government Plantation. The seed is 

 sown broadcast on prepared land and lightly covered. The crop 

 takes about four months to mature. The grain is considei-ed 

 digestible and nutritious and is eaten whole, being cooked like rice. 



Ground-nuts. 

 The Spanish pea-nut, small Japanese, Senegal, Mozambique 

 and Tambo ground-nuts have been experimented with at the Kuala 

 Lumpur, Government Plantation at diiferent times with varying 

 degrees of success. The time of sowing and harvesting are most 

 important factors as regards yields. Planting must be done during 

 a wet period but at such a time that the plants reach maturity in 

 the dry season. I may safely say that a good yield will not be 

 obtained should the crop be lifted during the wet season, the seed at 

 such a time is not fully ripened and most subject to rot. Harvesting 

 in dry weather is essential. Pi-evious to sowing, the land requires to 

 be lightly forked or changkolled, but not too deep, as the nuts would 

 then be liable to be formed at a greater depth and thus increase the 

 cost of lifting. The nuts are shelled and the seed sown at distances 

 of 18 inches apart each way. Personally I favour planting on ridges 

 as I think a more reliable and constant crop is obtained than on the 

 flat, the nuts are not so liable to rot and- the cost of lifting is less. 

 Little after-cultivation is necessary beyond surface weeding but this 

 must be carefully done, so as not to interfere with the nuts which 



