November i, 1881.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
4i7 
when the Hushes are ascertained to lie weakest. So 
much for the plucking. Now with regard to the extent 
of cultivation. This is a rock on which many enter- 
prises have split in India, and we should be sorry 
to see the promoters of ten gardens in Johore come 
to grief from the same cause. The expenses of clearing 
the land, planting, and cultivation, will necessarily 
be very heavy, on account of the dearness of labour, 
and a return must not be expected within three years. 
That period of time must therefore bo at once provided 
for as outgoing. We would therefore suggest that any 
one garden be not opened out to a greater oxtent, under 
any circumstances, than 200 acres. This will afford 
ample means of testing the full capabilities of the 
place, and will tax the resources of ordinary associa- 
tions quite sufficiently. When that amount yields 
well the garden can be extended gradually in a way 
to leave a good interest on the capital from the balance 
between the returns and expenditure. Nothing like 
failure from exhaustion of capital must be risked, 
for the speculation, with care, is certain to be a 
success. If this is exercised, and Indian labour is 
allowed to bo introduced, it will not be long before 
English markets have a good supply of tea from the 
Malay Statts. There is an ample field for it here, 
as well as in Australia, and locally. The demand 
for lea is growing all over the world, and as new 
countries are opened up, so will the consumption in- 
crease, especially for those kinds which are well grown 
and carefully manufactured. 
AClilCUI/l'LJUK IX TUAYAXCOKi:. 
, 20th August 1881.) 
and insignificant, agriculture 
•y of Travaucore. Almost 
(Colonies and bu 
Manufactures being I 
is the priucipal indu 
every on" secures for himself a small area of laud, 
sufficient at least for the site of a dwelling, and small 
garden arouud it. Indeed, in some parts of Malabar 
there are scarcely any compact towns, each house 
being separate, and situated in its own grounds. Agri- 
culture is carried on with some measure of practical 
skill and success derived from lengtheued experience, 
but with most primitive instruments, aud needing 
much improvement as to manuring, rotation of crops, 
and the preparation of produce for the market. With 
ogress in these respects, two 
tive Govern- 
at Madras, who, it 
return to iutroduce 
il products are rice, 
irioaccous roots for 
cultivated by Euro- 
a view to national progre 
studeuts have recently beer 
ment to the Agricultural 
is hoped, will be able 01 
more scientific methods of 
The principal native agr 
coconut, and other pnbns 
food, besides coffee, whic 
peon planters with the aid of uative labour. Fruit- 
treea dsn are grown more or less by every one, and 
invariably planted as the beginning of an estate when 
wast" land is cleared. 
Rico is grown chiefly on irrigated or swamp land, 
though dry or "hill" rico is also grown wherever the 
■oil is sulllciently rich to givo a crop, and the rain 
sumciontly abundant to bring it to perfection. Most 
of the lauded wi dth of the country consists of rice 
or "paddy" lands, which vary greatly, however, in 
quality ami produce, ami consequently in value. The 
price of "paddy" lands varies according to the soil, 
facilities for irrigation, distanoe from the centres of 
population, and the r •turns they aro capable of yield- 
ing Some are worth only «>0rs. to lOrs. per para,* 
others cost up to 70rs. (say, £24 to 656 per acre). 
A para oi land ia equivalent to from one-eleventh 
to ono-oij{hth of an acre, according to locality. It is 
rjpumed hero to be equal to one-eighth Of au acre. 
105 
The Government compensation for rice lands taken 
for public purposes is only 14rs. per para. Land may 
be said to be worth generally about L5 years' pur- 
er 
or plains 
supply for 
the valley 
soils and 
lands in '. 
fold. The 
dcteriorati 
il for rice is found ii 
>y water-channels, ofte 
ited t< 
Drodu 
valley! 
thirty. 
d th 
n less than in former days, 
which the old people ascribe to diminished attention 
to sacred rites aud duties, but which arises from 
exhaustion of the soil through want of proper culti- 
vation. In the southern districts, where tillage is 
more careful and manuring better attended to, and 
the sun hotter, the clouds and rainfall b-ing less, the 
increase has sometimes been known to be forty fold ; 
but farmers think they are well off" with fifteenfold 
at each harvest — i.e. twice in the year — and through- 
out the greater part of the country seven or eight- 
fold, or in the south twelve to fifteenfold must b': 
put down as the usual return. Of course, in unfavour- 
able seasons the crop may be almost nothing. As it 
costs at least two paras? of grain in wages to sow 
one para of seed, a return of at leist three times tue 
seed sown is necessary to repay expenditure. A ten- 
fold increase would be 80 paras, or 32 bushels of 
"paddy" or rice in the husk. When cleaned of the 
husk, this is reduced to half the quantity — say l(j 
bushels — weighing on an average 64^ lb. per bushel 
when raw. Old rice would be lighter, down to about 
59 lb. The produce, therefore, of an acre of good 
rice land may be averaged at 1044 lb. Paddy is 
usually sold at 12 chuckrams per para. The Govern- 
ment rate for commutation of taxes payable in kind 
is 7 chuckrams. When slightly boiled and beaten 
from the husk, the price is 32 chuckrams per para, 
or about 2§rs. per bushel. The total acreage of rice 
land under cultivation in Travancore is not cxictly 
known, but a fresh survey and re-assessment are about 
to be undertaken. The survey of eighty years ago 
places it at about 400,000 acres ; but since then much 
waste land has been brought under cultivation, and 
the total acreage cannot probably be taken at less than 
500,000 acres. Whereas at the beginning of the cent- 
ury Travancore exported large qu-.ntities of paddy 
and rice (in 1843 no less than 281,000 candies of 
654 lb. each), and imported but a small quantity, the 
case is now totally reversed— exports being only about 
70,000rs. to S0,000rs. in value, and imports (duty 
free) having risen from 4], lacs of rupees seven years 
ago to 13.j: lacs in 1S79. The produce of the country 
is, therefore, not sufficient for home consumption at 
the present time. This arises not only from the 
diminished production already refeired to and from 
increase of population, but also from the general im- 
provement of the circumstances of the lower castes, 
who can now afford to eat more rice in place of, or 
in addition to, fruits and vegetables, coarse roots, and 
inferior grains. 
Supposing the cultivated area of rice to be 500,000 
acres, and the joint produce of the two crops fifteen- 
fold, or 1,566 1b. per acre; this divided among»t a 
population of 2 .J millions would givo 312 lb. of rico 
per head per annum for consumption. Imported rice 
to the valu-» of 13J lacs of rupees would give (at a 
chuckram per pound) 15 lb. per head additional. The 
consumption in Ceylon of rice (and tiuo grain) is 
estimated at 5 bushels, or over 300 lb. per head, bo- 
sides fruits, vegetables, and roots ; and in Bormah, 
t A para of seed is a variable quantity, the t rni 
being applied to tho amount of gram neoestary to sow 
a para of land. It may bo taken at two-fifths of a 
bushel. 
