NOTES ON ECONOMIC PLANTS. 301 



ALLIGATOR Pear [Per sea gratissima). — This highly es- 

 teemed fruit tree is now in bearing in the Nursery. About 

 two years ago when only a small plant it was removed from 

 the Botanic Gardens where its growth had stood stationary 

 for some years, but since being planted in more congenial soil 

 it has grown with great freedom. 



Date Palm {Phoenix dacty lifer a). — Being often asked as 

 to the possibility of dates being grown in the Straits, I may 

 observe that our climate is altogether unsuitable for the cul- 

 tivation of the plant or any of its varieties, of which there are 

 over a hundred. The date grows well only in hot, dry climates, 

 in localities where its roots can find a sufficiency of moisture. 

 The plant exists in this Colony. 



Common Fig {Ficus carica). — The common fig ripens fruit 

 in the Straits very freely, but is much subject to attack from 

 insects. A few drops of kerosine oil applied to the parts at- 

 tacked will keep the ants away for about a week when another 

 application becomes necessary. The underground portion of 

 the stem is generally the part attacked first. Fruits which have 

 attained full size but are backward in ripening may be brought 

 to maturity in a few days by the application of a little olive 

 oil to the extremity of the fruit. 



NATIVE FRUITS. — It is notorious that the supply of native 

 fruits, such as Durian and Mangosteen, is not sufficient to meet 

 the local demand, and still orchards are not being extended 

 with any great rapidity. So far as I have been able to discover, 

 there seems two causes for this. The first is, that nearly all the 

 land accessible to small cultivators on which fruit trees can be 

 grown easily in Singapore and Penang is already under cul- 

 tivation ; and the second appears to be, that the growers in 

 Malacca where land is available and who are chiefly Malays, 

 are indifferent to money-making further than sufficient for their 

 daily requirements. 



Ihe foreign demand for Mangosteen plants has become 

 somewhat excessive since the tree has been found to fruit in 

 East Africa and East and West Indies. 



Oranges. — Every effort has been made to get together as 

 large a collection ot orange plants as possible in the hope that 



