soir.. 



.#V*jV* XptyT T "SOIL*;* V 4 ilMj ■ ll 



The Soil of Penang is, for me most part, decomposed 

 granite. The alluvial sail* owing to HuMibaeiice of 

 large, rivers, is confined almost entirely to some tracts 

 of lowah iug rice swamp. The lauds skirting the hills 

 [id by g£ntle undulations towards the sea, except- 

 ing where interrupted Iry the swamps alluded to, The 

 fiosioftlie.se lands, generally considered, is of a lighter 

 quality anil is inferior in feriilin to either the hill 01 

 Vice lands, and the deficiency must he supplied by 

 romp osftl Tlie narrow rallies which penetrate the 

 motrntaftfe havt* slopes covered w ith a description tA 

 mould Holding a middle rank bciwixt these two, 

 The soil on die hills is formed of the most recently 

 deenmposed granite, "and the proecs. of disinteg&tioti 

 proceeds, in some places, with a rapidity that w mid qo( 

 be suspected by a person unacquainted with trie nature 

 of that rock under certain circumstances. But as it is 

 of unequal composition the soil partakes also of the 

 frregularitys Where quart/ prevails, as a component 

 part of the granite, a sandy gritty soil must fx: ev, 

 I ted ; where Ms-par is superabundant, a rich white 

 clay v ill be profchici d ;ind w here mica is in excess, the 

 resulting soil will he tinged of a red or dark brown 

 colour, owing t" fhe tfbti contained in mat substance 

 h lining oxydized. The granite which, Oil disinte- 

 gration, yields the bcSt sniL will therefore fee tfial in 

 which mica and felspar predominate. The advantages 

 of cultivating the hills consist in the general good qua- 

 lity of their soil — in the constant supply of moisture' 

 in the shape of rain and mist, or clouds, and in elevation 

 above the heated and drying air of the valley. The 

 disadvantages are the deterioration — unless pains be 

 >k i by encouraging the growth of I rinding grasses 

 —of the soil bj tbe rain washing or filtrating it away ; 

 the impracticability of effectually using the plough and 



