742 
THS TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. [May 1, 1903. 
plnnting readers; moi'e especially the reference 
to Cardaiuoms, Pepper and Orange cultivation 
taking the plnce of colfee : — 
The extent actually cultivated with coffee 
(58,393 acres) declined by over tv,'o thousand acres 
0M5i.f; lo the relicquishnient of tuined coffee 
garOtna owced by native planters, though the 
area caUivated under European niethods exhibited 
a slight extension. Some idea of tlie depressed 
condition ot the planting coniniunity nsay be 
gatbeied from the fac!; that of the totalhokling 
under the coffee tenure only seme 57 percent is 
now actually under coffee, cardamoms and oranf-es 
having taken its place over an area estimated at 
some 12,000 acres, while another 31, 000 acres consists 
of abandoned coffee and unplanted jungle. Special 
concessions and reductions of assessment liave been 
found necessary in regard to large areas ; during 
the year under report alone, such reductions were 
sanctioned in respect of some 1,700 acres and orders 
were awaited in regard to similar proposals affect- 
,ing a further extent of '■2,800 acres. Prices revived 
somewhatas compared with the low rates prevailing 
in the previous year, but the variation, in no case 
nia'erial, was more than neutralised by the un- 
favourable season, heavy rain in the blossoming 
time having affected the crop so seriously as to 
reduce the outturn to little more tiian half the 
nornial fii^ure. 
The cultivation of cardamoms enjoyed no more 
favourable conditions. Tlie outturn was normal, 
but prices continued at the low figure whicli has 
for years past practically ruined the industry, nor 
were the numerous leductions and remissions of 
assessment continued from previous years effica- 
cious in reviving the prosperity of the cardamom 
growers, whose operations extend over an aggre- 
gate area of upwards of sixty thousand acres, 
of which, however, only a portion is actually 
cultivated. 
The only other agricultural features of the year 
■which call for notice are (i) the increased attention 
devoted to orange-growing and the cultivation of 
pepper, chiefly on or near estates formerly worked 
only for coffee, (ii) the fall to normal rates of the 
prices of the principal food-grains, and (iii) a 
reduction in the mortality among cattle. Season- 
ally, the period under report was on the whole 
normal. 
For further extracts bearing on planting in 
Ooorg, see page 7'M. 
ECONOMIC PRODUCTS IN THE 
STRAITS. 
EXTEAGTS PEOM ANNUAL REPORT ON THE 
BOTANIC GARDENS, SINGAPORE, FOR 
TDE YEAR 1902. 
Pasa Rubbee. — The demand for seeds and plants of 
thid tell off materially as many of the trees planted in 
the Native States Rud Malacca are fruiting pow, and 
the planters are now anppl} ing themselves. The num- 
ber of oeeCs sold or otherwise distributed was 126,210 
young plants. Owing to the drought the crop wafs very 
late and smaller than neual ; expeiiments were m:ide 
in tappiup; but were not completed as owin^ 'o the 
drought, the h.tex escsped very slowly and in small 
quftn'titieB. Experiments were made in mannringyoung 
plants in pots, wnh VHrions kinds of manures, includ- 
ing lime, cowduiig, burnt earth, pondrette, etc. The 
evidence, was in fuvour of burnt earth and cowdung ; 
limo and poudrctte seemed not to benefit the plants 
at all. 
Beucea Sumateana.— This new dysentery ciug was 
introduced to Singapore from Pahang in 1892, by my- 
self, and its nse incases of dysentery described in the 
bulletin of this year. There w. sa fairly good demand 
for it, from varied carts of the world especially India, 
and a piece of ground was planted up with it. The 
shrub fruited in 6 months after planting, and grew 
very re&dily. A bag of ten pounds weight of seed was 
sent to Messrs Burroughs and Wellcome, for experi- 
ment. 
Among the plants of economic value received during 
the year were two species of Anona from Mexico with 
edible fruit, Eagenia owariensis " Nsali " with eatable 
fruit, the NyassLand Coffee, and the "Masauda," — an 
Artocarpns with edible seeds, and some Amomuma 
from Uganda, the Eotan Scgar. Calamus sp. from 
Muar, the best rattan in the Peninsula : Seeds ofBam- 
busa spinosa, Dendrocalamus strictns and 16 bags of 
Swietenia Marcroihylla from Calcutta, Copernicia 
cerifera Wax Palm, from Gtiiana, Javanese vegetable 
seeds from Mr Oohen, American vegetable seed from 
USA Department of Agriculture. 
The chief demand for economic plants besides Para 
rubber, was for Fruit trees and Vanilla. 
INSPECTION OF COCONUT TREES, 
During the year notices to cut down infected trees 
were served on 238 persons and 1,039 dead trees and 
35 piles of rubbish were destroyed. There were no 
prosecutions. The number of red beetles especially has 
greatly diminished in Singapore, so that it was some- 
time before 1 could get a couple for a correspondent in 
Madagascar who wished to see it. 
FOR BOTANIC GARDENS, PENANG. 
Coconut Tbee Peeseevation. — The Inspector of co- 
conut trees complains that in too many cases persons 
summoned for infiinging the Ordinance are let off with 
a caution, or fined in so small amounts as to be non- 
deterrent. In view of the increasing importance of 
coconut cultivation, and the necessity for keeping the 
beetle in check, for which it has recently been found 
necessary to take steps in the Federated Malay States 
on the same lines as in the Colony, I think too lenient 
treatment is a mistake, 
The number Notices, issued are shown below 
airs 
Name of Dis- 
trict 
CS Id's 
m (U <U 
O u 
u 4) fiP'O 
Prov. Wellesley, 
N. District ... 
Prov. Wellesley, 
C. District . . 
Piov. Wellesley, 
S. District . . 
Penang Island. . 
480 
149 
49 
380 
O fl ffl 
. o n3 
o a 
2,770 
1,089 
231 
3,716 
— "3 ir 
O =8 
168 
103 
35 
389 
£ • o 
a 
Sis 
o iz; 3 
89 
54 
383 
185 
22 85 
70 696 
S 3 
O H 
S 
$ 
15 
83 
Nil 
68 
Total .. 1,058 7,806 695 235 1,249. 101 
Paba Rubber.— Para Rubber still holds the field and 
bids fair to recoup Agriculturists some of the money 
that has been lost in oth r cnltivationp, The largest 
tree in the Waterfall Garden, of which mention has 
been made from year to year in annual reports, has 
been tapped for the seventh time, the yield of dry 
rubber being 2 lbs. 13J ozs. which makes a total of 
18 lbs. 7 ozs. from this tree in seven years, or an 
average of 2 lbs. 10 oz per year; and I see no reason 
why this average should not be maintained or even 
exceeded without injuring the tree. According to a 
note in the Agricultural Bulletin, two of the oldest 
Para rubber trees in Perak that had not previously 
been tapped gave 50 lbs. of dry rubber at one tapping. 
Mr. Stanley Ardec, Superintendent of Experimental 
Plantation Selangor, has Just published his report on 
tapping of trees in various manners and at different 
B-ges, and I believe the conclueions arrived ftt cpincide 
