354 



DICKSON ON COLONEL ABBOTT'S REPORT 



"The plants should be placed at about three feet apart, or 

 a little more to allow the spreading ; and. after the growing 

 season, the whole of the superfluous shoots should be cut down 

 to the root, so as to ensure the full strength of the roots 

 running to young shoots the next growing time. 



" This, in fact, is all the cultivation and labour the plants 

 require ; they are so hardy that neither hot nor cold, wet nor 

 dry, much affects them ; and no such culture and care as are 

 necessarily bestowed upon sugar, rice, indigo, or other crops, 

 need be applied to the rheea. It would be the easiest, 

 cheapest, and least laborious crop in all India, and the 

 natives would, perhaps, for these most enticing reasons, 

 sooner appreciate the value of this plant tnan might be 

 anticipated. 



"It is clear they would give it a preference when once 

 known, and the competition thus occasioned would gradually 

 cheapen the production. 



iC One of the elements of estimating the cost of production 

 has been derived from Mr. Morrell's knowledge of the actual 

 expense of the cultivation by native labour of an acre of land 

 laid down to other crops. Sugar is by far the most expensive, 

 for it requires fresh ploughing every year, fresh planting, 

 cleaning, etc. ; yet the total cost per acre is only £6. 



"The cost of the rheea would not much, if at all, exceed 

 half of this for native labour. 



tl The estimate of production made by these gentlemen is a 

 good ton per acre per annum. Dr. Watson thought two 

 tons could be obtained. After all, it is only an estimate thus 

 got at. 



et They examined the rheea plants growing in the open air 

 in the Botanical Gardens, Regent's Park, and found there 

 were about twenty-seven young shoots on it of one growth. 

 They cut some, peeled them, and weighed the skins thus 

 obtained, and the calculation made from it was as follows : — 



