3H 



however, have almost, if not entirely, dropped out of the business 

 which is entirely in the hands of the Chinese. Outside the island 

 very little canning is done, though there are a few small factories 

 in Penang and elsewhere. The pines used for canning are of poor 

 eating varieties, but serve their purpose for preserving very well. 



Many good table pines have, however, been introduced by the 

 Botanic Gardens of Penang and Singapore, among which may be 

 mentioned the Mauritius pine; Black West Indian (1893), Aba caxi 

 (1893), Windsor (1893), Guatemala spineless; Harvey's Mexican and 

 the Elvaston pine, Red Spanish, Green Ripley, Red Ripley, Ruby 

 pine from Jamaica and others at various dates. 



The Papaya. — This South American fruit was cultivated in Ma- 

 lacca as early as 1583 (LiNSCHOTEN) having been introduced from 

 America by way of Manilla, by the Portuguese ; several varieties of 

 more or less value have been lately introduced by the Botanic 

 Gardens of Singapore. The Papayas of Singapore are considered 

 by connoisseurs to be the finest in the world. 



The mountain Papaya [Carica Cundinamarcensis) has several 

 times been introduced by the Botanic Gardens, and attempts have 

 been made to grow it on our hills in Perak and elsewhere, but it 

 has always failed, the altitudes being apparently not great enough. 



Bananas are recorded as cultivated in the Malay Peninsula as 

 early as 1416 (Chinese Literature), and were probably under cultiva- 

 tion at a very much earlier date, as I have very little doubt that the 

 wild plantain of the Peninsula forests, known as Pisang Karok 

 (Musa Malaccensis), is the parent of a number of the varieties of 

 cultivated plantains. A great number of named varieties have been 

 cultivated in the Botanic Gardens, derived from many different parts 

 of the world and are often in request and distributed. The fruit of 

 the wild form above mentioned is yellow and full of hard seeds. 

 In size, coloring and shape it resembles the fine cultivated variety 

 known as Pisang Mas, but that is stoneless and very highly flavoured. 

 A Banana, with abortive seeds in it, Pisang Batu, is often cultivated 

 by the Malays. West Indian cooking Plantain were introduced by 

 the Botanic Gardens, in 1893. 



Oranges were cultivated in Singapore, in 1850 (THOMSON in Lo- 

 gans' s Journal Vol. IV), and probably earlier; many varieties were 

 obtained later. Cantley introduced a number of Australian kinds 

 in 1 88 1, some of which were sent to Perak, and good strains were 

 introduced by the Botanic Gardens, from India, Florida and Malta 

 and other places. Orange cultivation is, however, unsuited for the 

 greater part of the Peninsula, though good samples are usually 

 shown at the Agricultural Shows. The soil of the country and es- 

 pecially the dampness of the climate are against the cultivation. 

 They do better in Malacca where it is drier, and on an alluvial 

 flat at Kuala Kangsar, at the mouth of the Kangsar River in Perak, 

 the oranges are excellent, but most of the West Coast of the Penin- 

 sula has failed to produce good Oranges or Lemons. 



