July i, 1893.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
FRUIT CULTUEE IN NORTHERN INDIA. 
The following interesting notes on this most im- 
portant subject have been furnished by the Rev. 
M. M. Carleton. 
ll»3ults of experiments made in liorticrdture at Ani, 
a village at 4,500 feel, in Kulu subdivision, 65 miles 
from Simla, 
I. First experiment in apple cultivation. After 
ten years the whole experiment has proved well nigh 
a failure. American apple trees, as well as English, 
are not prolific in this climate at 4,500 feet. A 
few apples were obtained, and the growth of the 
trees has been all that could be desired, but apples 
brought from England or Scotland, or from the 
northern part of the United States and Canada, 
will not be profitable below, 6,000 feet. As an ex- 
ample of one variety, I introduced the Porter apple 
tree from New England, a standard apple for the 
last fifty years, both in Canada and New England. 
The trees grew finely, they are the finest in my 
orchard. They are now eight years old, but they 
have never produced even a blossom. This result 
is the same when trees from New England and 
Canada are transferred to the Southern States, 
especially Florida ; they grow well, but never produce 
fruit. „ , . 
II. Experiment No. 2 with Kashmir apricots haa 
proved a remarkable success. The native apricot in 
this warm valley was not prolific, and, from analogy, 
we concluded that the place was too warm for the 
Kashmir, or English, variety. We, however, intro- 
duced ten trees from the Government Garden at 
Lahore. They grew very yigorously, and began to 
bear fruit the fourth year. They are even more 
prolific than the native variety in Kulu Valley. The 
fruit ripens about the 15th or 20th of June. I should 
advise the extensive cultivation of the Kashmir and 
English apricot in all the lower hills. The successful 
introduction of the famous Kashmir-American fruit- 
drying machines into Simla would enable enterpris- 
ing persons to establish a very profitable industry 
in preparing dried appricots for the Indian markets. 
III. Experiment No. 3 with American grapes has 
proved an unqualified success. My first experiment, 
made fifteen years ago, was with grapes from the 
Government Gardens of Lahore. The variety was 
called the Black Hamburg. After twelve years' 
experiment they proved an utter failure, scarcely a 
single cluster of grapes in the 12 years. About 
nine years ago 1 sent to America for a variety of 
hardy prolific grape, grown on the northern limit 
of grape cultivation, where the spring opens in May 
and frost comes in September. I held the opinion 
that such a variety would ripen in July before the 
heavy rain, because the spring opens the last of 
February or the 1st March. My experiment proved 
that the American grape in these lower hills is a 
great success Only one vine lived of those I first 
received ; that is about eight years old, and now, 
to-day (May 7) there are about 701b. of green grapes 
on the vine. A few such vines around the houses 
of intelligent zemindars in the Simla district would 
give a handsome return, especially in the Simla 
market, in the month of July. 
IV. Experiment No. 4 with the common Hi- 
malayan walnut is also a success. Very tine large 
trees in ten years, and very fruitful. In thirty-five 
years a grand change in the use of the walnut has 
taken place. In former times in Kashmir, Chumba 
and Kulu, the only use of the fruit was the pro- 
duction of oil to adulterate ghi. But now the de- 
demand for walnuts in the plains is greater than 
the supply. On account of the valuable timber the 
cultivation of the walnut should belong to the 
Department of Forestry. But in California the 
horticulturist has captured the species, on account 
of its valuable fruit. They have introduced the 
celebrated Persian walnut, and find it one of the 
most profitable fruit trees. We are surprised that 
the Department of Forestry have done little or 
nothing with the walnut in the Simla District. 
V. Experiment No. 5 with the European orange 
has proved that the variety commonly called the 
Maltose orange can be grown in the lower bills, aa 
high up as 4,500 feet. In California orange cultiva- 
tion is extending up the rich valleys of the Pacific 
slopes, and I see no reason why in these lower hills, 
orange cultivation should not be a success. This year, 
from one tree eight years old, we gather 220 oranges. 
They were of the crop of 1891, but they were 
taken from the tree February 25th. We follow 
the custom in California and Florida and keep the 
fruit on the trees till the new leaves appear, the 
last week in February. We have noticed one re- 
markable fact in this connection. In the winter of 
1890-91 we had two snow-storms, the snow began to 
fall in the night, and it remained on the orange 
leaves till 8 a.m. next morning. I could not dis- 
cover that the fruit was in the least injured, though 
after the snowstorm the leaves most exposed were 
somewhat injured. The crop of oranges should be 
gathered about the 1st of March, and kept in a dry, 
suitable place till the season opens in Simla. I 
learn that oranges sold from the Government Garden 
in Gujranwalla and other gardens usually fetch from 
five to eight rupees per hundred, and it Is quite 
certain that Maltese oranges sent to the Simla 
market in April, where there is little fruit for sale, 
would fetch eight, and perhaps ten rupees per 
hundred. An orange tree eight years old tnat gives 
an annual crop of over 200 oranges could give the 
owner a profit of 16 rupee*, and that on only 10 
feet of square ground. — Horticidtwal Times. 
SUGAE AND PADDY CULTIVATION IN 
THE PERAK. 
From a Report by Mr. E. W. Biroh of a trip 
through the Krian District, given in the Perak 
Gazette, we extract as follows ; — 
I was shown the Tamil Mission, which Father Fee 
BBHsted with S4,000 by the Government, created. It 
numbers 130 families, or 650 souls. They have brought 
into cultivation 715 acres, and I have given instrac- 
tioni that their holdings are to be now democrated 
and certificates of title to be issued at a qait-reot of 40 
cents per acre, as was promised when the asreeqieat 
with Father Fee waa entered into. There ia a chapel 
in the village, and the oammuaity is reported to be 
happy and oontonked. Their padi crops are very good 
and are sufficient for their own wants. 
At 11-30 a.m. we left in the launoh for Ka\Ia Kurau. 
The Kurau ia a fiue river, and we passed eeveral sugar 
estates oa both sides of the river. On the left banlr 
goini; down we landed and inspected Jin Wee'i estate, 
where there are 1,300 acres under cane. It ia 
kept in excellent order. It is about three miles from 
hereto Gula estate. The oanes were exceedingly fine, 
and I went to the mill to see them orushed. The 
small mill only was working, as the other is andet- 
going repairs. It will soon be in order again, and 
then they will work both mills night and day, and 
expect to have enough canes to feed them. New and 
expensive brick and tile buildings to provide vata 
for the extra boiling are being erected. Mr. Baird, 
an engineer, lives on the estate and was ao good as 
to take us over the works. From his house the whole 
estate can be seen, aud beyond it for miles back the 
stretches of sugar-cane aDd the chimneys of other 
estates. The system of canals and water-gates is very 
good, and it is exceedingly satisfactory to see this 
permanent form of cultivation being carried on so 
briskly and extensively. 
It appears to me that a great Gold for enterprise 
and capital is open to any one who would start a 
central factory and advance to, and buy from small 
cultivators. The Perak Government for a small quit- 
rent would, I imagine, give away land in square blooks 
of say 10 acres or so to planters, and if there was 
a market near at band to take the oanes, paying for 
the juice by measurement, I feel sure that the same 
confidenee in the minds of the sugar growers would 
be created as is the case with the tin minert who 
deal with the Straits Trading Company. 
Quite recently Messrs. Stewart and Kennedy 
have obtained a grant ol 6,000 astei of laud foi 
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