SUGAR CULTIVATION 189 



I would not advocate violent or sudden changes, 

 except in principles of government : alterations in 

 the details and matters of practice may be intro- 

 duced as slowly as is thought advisable, but what 

 would have been the condition of Java now had it 

 continued under English rule, with Sir S. Raffles, 

 or such men as he, or even inferior men acting on 

 his principles, as governors ? 



I have already, at page 4, mentioned the peculiar 

 system of sugar cultivation adopted in Java, but 

 having received the following detailed notice re- 

 specting it from a gentleman well acquainted with 

 the eastern part of the island, I submit it for the 

 information of those who may be interested in the 

 subject. 



In the Sourabaya Residency the different sugar mills that have 

 contracts with Government have from 100 to 175 junks each. 

 A junk contains . . 4 bouws 



A bouw . . 500 square roods 



A rood . . . 12 Rhynland feet 



A Rhynland foot . . 1.03 English feet. 



Therefore one bouw is rather more than If English acres.* 



The Government plant and take care of the canes; they com- 

 mence planting generally in the month of July, and finish by 

 the 15th September. The canes in this Residency are planted 

 at 3 x 1| feet apart, but in Passarouan and Probolingo at 3 x 2- 

 In Sourabaya one cane-shoot only is planted, in Passarouan and 

 Probolingo they plant two transversely. 



In the month of May the canes are taxed as first, second, and 

 third sorts. 



* Accurately, 1 bouw = 1.754 English acres. 



