157 



are developed at a small depth under the soil. Three to five 

 months, according to variety and nature of soil, ai*e required to 

 produce a crop. A light friable soil is best suited. The nuts are 

 collected when the leaves begin to wither. If the seed is to be kept 

 for any length of time it must be well dried in the sun before 

 being stored. The Bambara ground-nut, the fruit of which is 

 somewhat similar to the ordinary ground-nut (Arachis hypogasa), did 

 very well and is perhaps more suited to this country as it is not 

 affected to the same extent by seasons. Ground-nuts may con- 

 veniently be grown as an intex'crop. 



T will now refer to a number of root crops, the cultivation of 

 which is sadly neglected here. It is surprising that residents who 

 have in most cases every facility for growing them do not as a rule 

 produce such foods for their own tables, particularly those any 

 distance from a market. 



Yams. 



Some 20 varieties of yams were introduced from India, 

 Ceylon and Barbados and experimented with by the Department. 

 I have no hesitation in stating that they can be successfully grov^ 

 in Malaya; the weight of individual tubers compares favourably 

 with those of other countries and no special difficulty is experienced 

 in their culture. Suitable soils are sandy loams but deep cultivation 

 and good drainage are more important than quality of soil. The land 

 should be forked or cliangkolled to a good depth in order to enable 

 the tubers to develop properly. The soil is then put up into ridges 

 3 to 4 feet apart and the seed tubers planted on the ridges at 

 distances of from 1^ to 2| feet depending on the variety. The 

 object of raising the ground is to ensure better drainage, to do 

 away to some extent with deep trenching and to make the conditions 

 for lifting the crop more easy. In this country planting could 

 be done at any time but the wet season might be taken advantage of. 

 Near each plant is placed a stick for the creepers to grow upon. 

 The stick should be from 12 to 16 feet high. A common 

 pi'actice is to plant up trees for support. It is not uncommon to 

 allow the plants to trail on the ground but this method is supposed to 

 decrease the yield slightly. The crop takes from nine to eleven months 

 to mature. At the end of this time the leaves become brown 

 and drop, and the stem dies down ; this indicates that the tubers are 

 ready for lifting. The tubers should be lifted as required, as they do' 

 not keep long when exposed to the atmosphere, but when left in the 

 ground they keep for quite a long period. The yields depend on the 

 variety grown, suitability of soil, cultivation, etc., but generally 

 speaking it varies from 4 to 10 tons per acre, approximately the same 

 as the yield of potatoes. In Malaya, yams are seldom if ever seen, 

 but in the AVest Indies, particularly, they form a standard diet both 

 for Europeans and natives, the latter living largely on this food. 

 Being more nutritious than the potato they form one of the most 



