1 1 



correspondent in other points, on which, had he taken a little more 

 pains, he would not have erred. In speaking of the climate he says, 

 "This is the only point on which any doubts are likely to be raised 

 &c. " and goes on to say that "Singapore the only settlement in 

 which it seems to have been at ten; pled, can searcelv be said to have 

 a decided dry season and the failure of the experiments made by 

 the late Sir Jose D' Almeida about 10 years ago were attributed 

 to this cause.' 'Your correspondent might have said that Singapore 

 has decidedly no dry season, and not the climate, but the want of 

 a dry season, was the cause of the Cotton not ripening in sufficient 

 quantity at the same period to render it profitable to the cultivator. 



He says "the seeds introduced were those of the Bourbon cotton 

 with a long and fine staple and the Pernambuco varietv, with a long 

 but harsh and woolly staple both of which were perennials." 



I shall now proceed to give you an account of the experiments 

 made by myself, at the time that the late Sir Josi": D' ALMEIDA 

 made his experiments. We were brother labourers in the same- 

 cause, and cultivated a similar soil, and our operations generally 

 were carried out in the same manner, with only perhaps a different 

 opinion as to the kind of cotton most likely to succeed. 



I commenced clearing ground at Tanjong Katong in February 

 1836 fifteen years ago. Sir J USE first sowed the Pernambuco seed 

 about March he having at the time several plants, of that kind in 

 his garden at Kampong Glam. It was I believe originally intro- 

 duced from Rhio, and as a garden plant it throve well and produced 

 excellent cotton. The first seed 1 obtained, was from Sir Jose, I 

 put it in the ground on the 26th April, and it came up vigorously, 

 but we soon found that the young plants were very much attacked 

 by the large grass-hopper or locust, the he:.d nipped off and con- 

 sequently the plant destroyed. We then had little conical bamboo 

 baskets made, to protect the young plants, but for a time we were 

 as much troubled, with quite as active an enemy. During the night 

 our baskets were all capsized by the monkies, then abundant in the 

 neighbourhood out of sheer mischief or curiosity, lor they seldom 

 meddled with the plants further than exposing them. On the 14th 

 May I had collected a small quantity of the seed found in Singapore, 

 supposed then to be indigenous to the Island. Of this species we 

 tound several plants in front of the late Baba Whampoa's coco- 

 nut plantation fronting the beach at Tanjong Katong and a few 

 plants up the Gaylang river (undoubtedly planted there) near the 

 hut of a Malacca man, but this proved to be the Bourbon cotton. 

 It was known by the Malays as Kapas Murice. 



The Bourbon came up well and appeared to me more likely to 

 succeed. My neighbour the late Sir JoSE was still in favour of the 

 Pernambuco, and he having abundance of seed from his garden at 

 Kampong Glam, planted out several acres of it, I preferring the 

 Bourbon, had by the end of August 5 to 6 acres planted out with 

 that kind. In the mean time I had written to my brother W. C. 

 CRANE, who was then residing in Calcutta, to send me a quantity 

 of all kinds of seeds procurable from 'the Agricultural and Hoiii 



