INTRODUCTION 13 



CATCH CROPS 



" Catch crops, though not generally favoured, 

 in that they are apt to take too much out of the 

 soil, often help considerably in the waiting years. 

 Among the best of these are Robusta coffee, 

 limes, bananas, and native fruits. Indigo, with 

 its usefulness in green manuring the permanent 

 cultivation, is a paying catch crop, but needs 

 a considerable amount of extra capital at the 

 outset. 



PRESENT-DAY PRICES 



" The price asked for coconut estates in bearing 

 ranges from 30 to 60 per acre, and the majority 

 of them have not cost more than 18 per acre, 

 if that, to bring to the fruiting stage. Estates 

 in good condition will no doubt command such 

 prices, but to investors who are interested in the 

 industry, apart from speculation and company 

 promoting, the best advice that can be offered 

 is to start from the beginning. Land terms 

 for coconuts are more favourable than those 

 for rubber. The industry is popular with the 

 real native of the country the Malay and he 

 thoroughly understands it. Thus local labour 

 is available where often for other agricultural 

 pursuits indentured labour Tamil or Chinese 

 would have to be imported. Adverting to the 

 question of waiting six years for a return on 

 one's investment, it may be of interest to mention 



