December i, 1881.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
JOHORE AND ITS PLANTING ENTERPRISE. 
Some time ago wo acknowledged tho receipt from 
Mr. Garland of a plan of one of the planting divi- 
sions of the Johore territory— Gunong Pulai Johore— 
from which we compiled a list of estates blocked out, 
the area cleared, aud the namo3 of proprietors. Wo 
are now greatly indebted to the courtesy of Mr. E. 
A. Watson (the energetic planting pioneer of Johore, 
as he may well be designated) for a series of finely 
ezeoated surveys and plans of tho remaining divisions 
of the Johore hill country : — Gunong Panti Johore; 
Gunong Batu Bahat Johore and Chapal Enas Bedira 
districts. These plans enable us to form a very good 
idea of tho couutry in which, in the course of a dozen 
years or so, there may be found between 30,000 and 
40,000 acres undsr cultivation with coffee, cinchona 
and tea. As moit people know, the little island of 
Singapore (27 x 14 miles) is situated at the Southern 
extremity of the Malayan Peninsula, from which it 
is separated by a strait from three-fourths to a mile 
wide. The territory of the Maharajah of Johoro occu- 
pies the Southern portion of this peninsula, and the 
town of Johore itself is not more than a dozen miles 
from Singapore, there being the ferry and a drive 
across the little island between the two. The extent 
of territory belonging to tho Maharajah is not very 
well defined, boundary disputes between himself and 
his next neighbour on the peninsula (tho Rajahs of 
Muar and Pahang, who will have no white settlors) 
huviug still to be settled, but, as we have eaid, it 
is not likely that the area available for planting pur- 
poses will be found to exceed 50,000 acres. Further 
north on the western side of the peninsula we come 
to tho other British divisions of the Straits territory, 
Malacca aud Province Wellesley and tho island of 
Penang, and besides these wo have the Settlements 
under British protection with representative Resid- 
ents, namely, Perak, Solangor, and Sungei Ujong. 
There are several Ceylon colonists (including Mr- 
Downall) interested in this portion of the peninsula; 
but we have yet to seo plans of tho land blocked 
out and apportioned, in order to form some idea of 
its future prospeots as a planting territory. Mr. Low, 
the British Resident in charge of Perak, is evidently 
an official of the right stamp, determined to do all 
in his power to encourage tropic il planting enterprise. 
Meantime, wo have to call attention to Johore itself 
with its great capabilities and many advantages in 
ntnatioD, moans of transport and climate for a plant- 
ing settlement. In proportion to tho land available 
for occupation, it is evident that tho expenditure which 
will bo required on roads to give requisite means of 
transport will bo vory limited in Johore. With inoro 
than one tidal river oponing up the country to tho 
base of the hills on which ply largo boats owned and 
worked by Chinese, transport of food for labourers up, 
and of crop down whon it begins to come, will not 
be an occasion of much anxiety to the planter. As 
regards olimate, rthilo the pioneers must inevitably 
•ncountor eomo of tho risks always attendant on tho 
mning Dp of a new country, wo do not think there 
it any reason to suppose that fovor will be prevalent 
after tho clearings are planted on tho hill-sides. Tho 
really dangerous portion— the terai— of the couutry, 
at the foot of the hills, has been already occupied 
by the Chinese with their gambier plantations, and 
it is a curious fact that, as in Ceylon, so in Johore, 
where the native cultivator has ended, there the 
European colonist begins. Gambier borders with coffee 
and tea in Johore, just as the Kandyans' terraced 
paddy-fields run below the coffee-clearings in the hill- 
country of Ceylon. For situation, Johore has splend- 
id advantages in its proximity to the free port of 
Singapore with its great trade and capital; for, although 
hitherto the largo mercantile houses of tho Straits 
have taken little or no part in the planting enterprise, 
there can be no doubt that when they si-e the pro- 
duce coming in from the plantations, the merchants 
will manifest a good deal of interest in the work to 
pluckily be 0 'un by Ceylon planters. Capital will then 
not be wanting to develop the territory, at an ac- 
celerated rata. Labour has been one of the uncertain 
elements, but 60 far as contract and heavy work is 
concerned, we think Johore is well off with its Chinese, 
while arrangements are now being made for obtaining 
Indian cooly labour, which is more suited for picking 
crops and perhaps for weeding and pruning. Nothing 
can be more enlightened and encouraging thau the at- 
titude of the Maharajah towards the planters. The 
land has not only been granted on exceptionally easy 
terms, but reversing the traditional policy of his 
Government (which is to tax the land occupied at 
once) he is prepared to accept a small export duty 
on the produce shipped, so making it very easy for the 
coffee, tea and cinchona planter without much capital, 
who will only feel the burden of Government when 
he begins himself to derive a substantial return from 
his investment, 
Referring to the several districts of Johoro, so far 
occupied, we find that ' Gunong Pulai ' is the one 
next to Johore town on the North-west, the foot of 
the hills being twenty miles or so from the town. 
The range runs up to close on 2,000 feet, the forest- 
land being divided into some thirty blocks aggregating 
14,144 acres, of which about 11,000 acres have been 
taken up by European proprietors. In this district 
about 1,200 acre3 are now under cultivation, while 
preparations are being made to clear a large additional 
area. A list of the estates and proprietors in this 
division was given by us in the Observer of 2nd 
July last. 
The next or "Panti" division lies farther North 
and East. The total area blocked is 10,753 acres, of 
which it will be seen by far the greater part has 
been taken up, tho list being as follows: — 
Estates on Gunong Panti Johoke. 
a. a. r. 
T. P. 50n M. Larkon - - - 424 1 35 
68 F. Newman, J. & C. C. Aruiiuigo • ti09 0 10 
" B. Government Ktoorre - - (54 1 2 38 
T. P. 67 H. E. Bent ley - - - 247 0 0 
45 [Tnngley Estate] E. E. Everett - 302 3 11 
„ 40 D. Jones - - - 289 0 10 
„ 43 Dr. Bentley - - - 498 0 19 
41 [Sroe Menunti Estate] J. Mooyer -1,<K)I 3 11 
Government Reserve. — Flat table- 
land, elevation about 1,600 ft. high, 
surrounded on all .-.ides by preci- 
pice 2'H) 0. hitch - - 1,23(5 .! 35 
T. P. 23b G. H. H. Austen • • 289 1 4 
81 T. Moorhoose & E. A. Watson - 674 3 6 
