December i, 1888.] THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
409 
AGRICULTURE IN MALAOOA. 
Malay Indolkngi;. — The Malay, who is of an improvi- 
dent disposition, and entertains peculiar aversion to hard 
woi k, will never, we fear, be induced lo emulate the thrift 
of the Uhinaman. Only the other day a Malay cultivator 
of padi was spoken to 011 the subject of agriculture, and 
he was asked why he did not ongage more extensively 
iu padi cultivation. " Well, you see," he said " I have 
four koijaus of padi a year, two of these 1 keep for 
my family, and the other two I sell. A kcryan brings 
slr>, so that I get §110 for nay two koijo.aa. This means 
$7,50 a month, a sum which keeps myself and family 
iu comfort until the next harvest.'' This gives one a 
fair idea of the disposition of the Malay. It is on this 
account we assert that Government should use all its 
best endeavours to induce the industrious Chinese to 
take to padi cultivation, if it is desired to grow sufficient 
grain for home use and for exportation. 
Paddy Growing. —While we deplore the smallness 
of the area under cultivation, and the very meagre 
crop produced in the cultivated portions of the Settle- 
ments, the present occasion may uot be unfit for briefly 
pointing out why this branch of agriculture is not more 
generally successful. 
Wo frequently hear it remarked: "Why does not 
the Malay grow two crops of padi in the year?" The 
auswer to which is, because the Malay grows a crop 
of padi during one part of the year, and during the 
other part he grows what has been styled a crop of 
manure. But he has a special difficulty to contend 
against in many places, and that is the want of water. 
If padi plauting is to be made a successful and remu- 
nerative undertaking, and all available land put under 
cultivation, a proper system of irrigation must form 
the first consideration. The padi lands of Malacca 
offer no special difficulties for this work. Canals could 
be dug which would ensure a copious supply of water 
iu dry seasons, and drain off superfluous water iu 
exceptionally wet ones. Few plants, however aquatic 
iu their requirements, will thrivo wheu immersed " head 
over ears," we may say for any lengthened period in 
water. In wet seasons a large area of padi is destroyed 
by inundation, and, so long as this state of things lasts, 
we caunot wondor that, independent of the cultivator's 
iudolence, the supply of padi is limited. The irrigation 
works should be taken up by Government with as 
little delay as possible, for a proper irrigation system 
would, as wo liavo said, secure the crops against heavy 
rains or draught, and iuspire the half-hearted planter 
to go to work with greater cheerfulness and confidence. 
Caosks ok Failure. — There are very few of the 
inhabitants of this place who understand anything of 
plantiug, and many thousands of dollars have beeu wast- 
od in trying to grow crops of various kinds on ground 
which has been totally unsuitable, a result which an expert 
would have foreseen with a glance at the soil. Tapioca 
will grow everywhere, and it requires little atten- 
tion ; but the objection to it is that it impoverishes 
the soil. Wo cannot expect tapioca to be superseded 
by more desirable plants until planters acquire some 
knowledge of their habits, the treatment they require, 
mi l the most suitable soil to place them in. This is 
a difficult task, and one that would demand much toil 
and patience. But we think the llon'ble the Resident 
Councillor has hit upon the right plan, and the most 
desirable results may bo expected from the holding of 
in Agricultural Exhibition, for which a voto of $500 
has boen taken. In the meantime wo have a great 
1 ittey for the idea of having a few simple instruc- 
tions ami some general information printed in Chinese 
and Malay, and the Natives might be induced to visit 
the Experimental Gardens where copies of the iu- 
structious, Ax, could be procured, aud where tho plants 
could bo seen growing.— Malacca tfeckly Chronicle. 
.'Oth October. 
BANANA CI I.TI UK IX NIt'AU \« ; I A. 
I uder the title of Banana Cultivation on the Rama 
Rti'ei; in t! ■ r'f.i /.' - . Republic of Nicaragua, 
a Consular Keport specially devoted to ' this subject 
luu receutly hem issued from tho Foreign Office, of 
which the follow tug is tho substauoe: — 
n 
This trade, it seems, has entirely sprung up during 
the last few years, the first shipment of Bananas for 
exportation having been made in 1883. The river 
Rama flows from the junction of two small (streams, 
the rivers Escoudido aud Scquia, to tho Bluefields 
Lagoon, on the Atlantic coast, a distauce of some 
ninety miles, and previous to the yoar 1883 tho 
banks of these rivers were uncultivated aud uuiu- 
habited. About that time the Mosquito Fruit Com- 
pany cleared a tract of laud, with a frontage of three 
miles, on the river Rama, aud comiueuced the culti- 
vation of Bananas. The first shipment, consisting of 
about 500 bunches, was made iu the latter part of 
1883, the fruit being sold at the vessel's side at the rate 
of 50 cents (Nicaragua!! currency) per bunch. The 
success that attended this first attempt induced many 
persous, including several foreigners, to commence 
the cultivation of Bananas, and now the whole of 
both banks of the Rama River, commencing from 
about 20 miles from the Bluefields Lagoon up to the 
junction of the rivers Bscondido and fiequia, aud such 
parts of the last-named rivers as are navigable for 
canoes have been cleared and cultivated. The banks 
of the Rama River, for about twenty miles from 
Bluefields, are not adapted for cultivation, being too 
low and swampy. The followiug figures will show the 
rapid growth of the exportation of Bananas from 
this country: — In 1883 the number of bunches ex- 
ported was 8000; in 1881, 40,000; in 1885, 45,147; 
iu 1886, 154,431; and in 1887, 255,332. 
To ship the Bananas during the year 1887 there 
were six steamships, each making monthly trips to the 
United States, where the whole of the fruit is sold ; 
two of these steamers carrying their cargo to New 
Orleans, three to Baltimore and Philadelphia alter- 
nately, and one to New York. These steamers have 
not only to be fast, to enable them to arrive at their 
destination before the fruit ripens — as it has to be 
cut whilst still green, aud handled with the greatest 
care, tho slightest bruise leaving a black mark, and 
consequently depreciating the value of the fruit — but 
tho steamers have also to be of light draught, to 
enable them to pass the bar of Bluefields Harbour 
which has only some 14 feet of water. Ouce inside 
tho bar, the steamers proceed up the Rama River, 
which has a considerable depth of water — in some 
places as much as 50 feet — and, calling at the various 
plantations on the river bauks, purchase the Bananas 
that may be ready. In consequence of the greater 
part of the planters refuting to accept the low prices 
offered by the steamers, many of the vessels have 
been withdrawn, leaving, at the present time, it is 
stated, only two steamers making monthly trips — both 
to New Orleaus — aud in consequence a largo quantity 
of fruit has ripened in the hands of the planters, 
and has rotted for want of means of transportation. 
A plantation of 10,000 Bananas would cost, inclu- 
ding clearing the ground aud plantiug, about 10,000 
dols. currency. It would commence to give fruit in 
nine or twelve mouths after planting, aud would taut 
about five years; after that time the ground becomes 
exhausted, and the fruit so poor as to be unmarket- 
able. The Bananas grown ou the Rama River are 
the ordinary yellow Banana, about 6 to 8 inches long, 
and a red variety known as the " Patriots." This 
is smaller than the yellow form, but has a sweeter 
and finer flavour. 
Wheu the Bananas are stowed away iu the steamers 
they havo to be kept shaded from the sun, aud the 
temperature whilst in the tropics must bo kopt as 
low as possible by means of a freo circulation of 
air; but iu spite of all precautions, some bunches 
always ripen and are lost during transit, and in some 
few cases owing to the steamer having beeu obliged 
to batten down her hatohes from heavy weather, or 
other causes, the whole of the cargo has boen lost. 
Accordiug to the rules of the trade, eight clusters, 
or bauds (as they are technically called) to a bunch 
forms a whole bunch; bunches having from five, and 
under eight clusters, or hands, are counted ns half- 
bunches; and, as a rulo, the steamers refuse to take 
at any price bunches having loss thau five clusters. 
J. K. Jackson.— Qaiiieners' Chronicd. 
