CHAPTER XVI. 



CULTIVATION m SINGAPORE. 



Climate of Singapore — Soil — Nutmeg Planting — Appearance of the Tree — 

 Over-Manuring — The Nutmeg Disease — Its Causes — Ruin of the Planters 

 — Occasional Spontaneous Recovery — Cotton— Coffee — Cinnamon— Sugar- 

 Canes — Gutta-percha — Gamboge — Gambler and Pepper — Pruit Trees — 

 Cocoa-nut — TJie Cocoa-nut Beetles — Sago Plantations. 



The cultivation of the soil in Singapore Island has been 

 carried on with great industry and enterprise, and for a 

 while with success; but unfortunately, after hundreds of 

 thousands of dollars have been spent upon it, the planters 

 have learned, too late, that neither the soil nor the climate 

 of Singapore are favourable to the growth of those produc- 

 tions, such as nutmegs, cloves, cotton, sugar, coffee, &c., 

 upon which such vast sums have been expended and ulti- 

 mately swallowed up, bringing their proprietors in many 

 instances to ruin. 



The climate of Singapore is very peculiar, and is marked 

 by an absence of seasonal change, which, however beneficial 

 it may be to man, has an evil influence upon plants. There 

 is no regular recurrence of summer and winter — no distinctly 

 dry season and wet season, but a remarkable equality all the 

 year round ; added to which, the rains, instead of coming at 

 definite periods, are capricious in their fall, and therefore 

 defeat the prognostications of the planters. The tempera- 



