3§2 



the area of a plant. Thus Vanilla a crop of considerable value with 

 a limited source of supply, is not successfully grown here because 

 although the growth of the plant is rapid and easy, it flowers 

 regularly and well, and appears to have no enemies, it fails from the 

 fact that the slowly ripening fruit requires nearly four months dry 

 weather in order to mature. If during this period a heavy spell of 

 rain falls, the young fruits perish, and as the plant flowers at a period 

 just preceding the wetter months here, the fruit crop usually fails. 



An ideal plant for the planter is one belonging to the class of 

 those in constant everyday u^e, which can only be grown in a 

 limite d area. Now if the areas of successful cultivation of this class 

 of crop be as carefully studied as we have data for, we shall see a 

 great difference in the values of the cultivations as studied from 

 this point of view. 



I may say, it is not very easy to judge accurately the amount of 

 suitable area for any given cultivation even approximately, in spite 

 of all reports and agricultural publications published all over the 

 world. There is a great tendency to exaggerate the area which 

 can be used. Some one for instance, reports surprising growth of a 

 rubber tree or trees in some region and prophesies a great future 

 for the cultivation. A few 7 years go by and one hears no more. 

 Enquiries show that the opinion was based on a few trees in very 

 special almost horticultural circumstances, and that the area is 

 utterly unsuitable for the plant. 



As far as tropical cultivations are concerned we may take approxi- 

 mately 20 degrees North and 20 South of the line in which we can 

 grow tropical plants with anything approaching success. This area 

 includes the Northern part of Australia, the Malay Peninsula and 

 Islands, Cochin-China, India south of Calcutta, a large area of 

 Africa, and America from Mexico and the West Indies to Rio de 

 Janeiro and a considerable number of Polynesian Islands. Now 

 taking our chief tropical crops of the first class, we see that Coffee 

 can be grown over almost every portion of this area excluding per- 

 haps the desert portions of Australia, Africa and a small area in 

 South America. 



Tea again has been successfully grown, over the greater part of 

 the same area and further North in some parts of Asia. That it has 

 not been grown in South America is due to the required supply 

 being produced in Asia, and from the fact that it lias never had any 

 market to speak of in South America. To a certain extent these 

 two products supplement each other, and when one is used the 

 other is not. 



Sugar again is one of the plants of which though the demand is 

 very large the area of cultivation is of very large dimensions, extend- 

 ing not only over most of the tropical regions but also over an 

 extensive temperate region. 



