299 



Pineapple, etc., and other useful plants, and the first Para-Rubber 

 trees in Malacca were planted in this Garden. Some time after the 

 abolition of this Garden, a small garden was made at the water works 

 at Ayer Keroh, where a number of useful plants were cultivated, 

 and near the same place plantations of Para Rubber and Gutta-per- 

 cha were planted. It- is interesting to note that the first practical 

 rubber estate started in the Malay Peninsula was made by Mr. Tan 

 Chay Yan, at Bukit Lintang, in Malacca, in 1896. Tin's planter 

 later opened an estate at Bukit Asahan which is probably the biggest 

 estate in the Peninsula. 



Agriculture in the Native States received its first impetus under 

 Sir Hugh Low, in Perak, in 1876. Teak was planted on road sides, 

 Coffee cultivated on the Hermitage and other hills and Cinchona also 

 tried as well as Tea, some Cocoa, and Pepper. 



At Kuala Kangsar, many of the best indigenous fruits were culti- 

 vated, Para-Rubber introduced, and one or two plants of Ficus elas- 

 tica grown as terrestrial plants instead of epiphytes as usually seen. 



In some of the gardens, Tea, Coffee, Pepper and some fruits were 

 cultivated on a sufficiently large scale to test their marketable value 

 but with Sir HUGH Low's departure nearly all were leased and soon 

 collapsed. The Kuala Kangsar Garden became the depot of ex- 

 change for all the different districts of Perak, all of which were well 

 provided with fruit trees and other economics and this garden has 

 been regularly maintained as the principal Perak Garden. The last 

 garden started by Sir HUGH Low is on the Taiping Hills, where the 

 tree Tomato and English vegetables are successfully grown. 



AGRICULTURAL PERIODS. 



The history of the progress of agriculture in the Malay Peninsula 

 may be roughly divided into three periods, both for European and 

 Native cultivations. These periods being marked by the main or 

 large cultivations of each class of cultivators. They are as fol- 

 lows : — 



European. Native. 



A. 1800 to i860, Nutmegs and 



Cloves. 



B. 1875 to 1898, Liberian Cof- 



fee. 



C. 1896 to 1905, Rubber. Pine-apples. 



Sugar and Coco-nuts (European cultivation mainly). Sago and 

 Betel-nuts ( native cultivation ) were successfully cultivated all 

 through these periods. 



The first thing that is noticeable in this is that the European 

 cultivations were all exotic, and that the characteristic cultivated 

 . plants were all introduced by the Botanic Gardens of the period : 

 Nutmegs and Cloves, by CHRISTOPHER Smith in the first Penang 

 Gardens: Liberian Coffee and Rubber by MURTON in the Botanic 

 Gardens of Singapore. Then it is noticeable that the Europeans 



Pepper and Gam bier. 

 Tapioca and Indigo. 



