04. fHF TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [January i, 1892. 
— IM—l—i lilll a n !■ » I M IIIIIII II MIIBI I H ill II III mi l W l l ] m mi IIII B II W II M IIIII llll II— IllWIHWWII —IIIH H llWIll lllBWl ■■IIMWIIIBIW ■■■■III I W II ■ ■III! II m ■■ 
as final Iransplacting, I may as well here explain 
wh»t I mean by that substance, this earth when well 
prepared is quite black, friable and pungent of smell, 
containing potass anil abundant small portions ot 
charcoal. It is emicently u eful in all kinds of 
cultivation, rendering friable the ht'ff clay and affording 
carbonic acid to the plants. The Chint se with good 
reason place much dependence upon it aa a manure, and 
most of them know very well how to make it, but un- 
fortunately it cannot be made in every locality as it 
requires a very large quantity of firewood to prepare it 
properly, and is only really good when made of the 
peaty substance that forms the lop surface of all the 
bottocDS between the hills that spread over nearly the 
whole isl ind of Singapore. This manure may be nselef s 
from two canses, either it over burned when it turns ltd 
and is tffete, or if not sufficiei tly bumed, when it will 
be filled witb chips and portions of unbnrned wood and 
become a source of attraction to the white ants, by no 
means desirable visitant'. The earth fo soon as pre- 
pared ought to be placed under sheds until required for 
nse, otherwise it loses much of its stimulating pro- 
perties, pnrticulftrly if exposed to heavy rains. 
The Planter having set out all his trees must not 
deem his labours completed, they are only com- 
mencing. To arrive thus far is simple and eisy, but 
to patiently watch and tend the trees for ten years 
after, requires all the enthusiasm alreidy mentioned. 
About three months after planting out, the young 
trees will leceive great benefit if a small quantity 
of liquid fish manure be given them. In the first 
six years they ought to be trenched round three timep, 
enlarging the circle each time, the trenches being 
dug close to tbeextremities of the roots which generally 
correspond to the ends tf the branches, and eacli 
new trench commencing where the old one terminated, 
they must of course greatly inori ase in ^ize as the 
circle extends, requiring a proportionate quantity of 
manure, but the depth ought never to be lees than 
two feet. The object in trenching is to loosen the 
soil and permit the roots to spread, otherwise the 
tree spindles instead of becoming broad and umbrage- 
ous. This operation might with much benefit be 
performed ere the roots arrive at the outer rim of 
the already prepared foil, instead of the usual plm 
of waiting until they penetrate the unloosened earth, 
by which many of the roots are cecefsarily obliged 
to be cut and the tree thereby checked for some 
months. The present plan of manuring has invariably 
this effect, and might be altered with decided advan- 
tage, for it can never benefit a tree ti cut and 
destroy the extremities of the rcots by which it 
is mainly supported. Were the trenches therefore 
made in an advance of the roots it would be a very 
great improvement in the cultivation. As the trenches 
are now dug for the purpose of manurintf, the usual 
mode is to throw into the bottom of the trench all 
the grass that can be collected, covered by a layer 
of earth, filling up the remainder with manure and 
earth well mixed, part of which ought to be used 
for top dresfcjng having previously scraped away the 
surface soil so as just to ex(iose the extremities of the 
roots. In time the circles exterding, will at last 
meet, and the whole of tie ground having been by 
that time gene over, the trees ought to conip'etely 
cover the ground and li p dressing will then sufiice. 
This latter would at all times be the most economical 
mode ol manuring, and might be given after every 
heavy crop, but as I before mentioned it is O'^sen- 
tially rece 6saiy to loosen the whole of the ground, or 
the thick fibious root ot the nutmeg cannot pierce 
thrfjugh, and the plant will be stunted. Some pertons 
apply their manure fresh from the stable or cow yard. 
There ih no question that fresh manure enriches ground 
more- than that which has undergone perfect decom- 
position, but unfortunately fresh manure when brought 
into eoulact with the roots of the tree destroys them, 
the ends li'acken and decay, and in this state, if there 
be white ants in the ground, lht;y very soon attnck 
and kill it altogether. Manure is he^yond all other 
consiilerations the n oat important to the welfare of 
ancBtoto; it is that which gives r|uantity and quality 
of produce, and without it a plantation cannot be 
carried on. The want of it muet limit the cultivaliou 
in the Straits, and will yet bring up many a planter, 
who having got his plantation to look well up to 
the eighth year with very little manure, thinks he 
can go in the same manner. But trees grows readily 
up to the 7th or 8th year; — it is then (hat really 
good cultivation begins to tell, and, even with the best 
care, trees receive a check upon their first shewing 
fruit, but the skilful Planter about this period will 
redouble all his etergies, knowing that he is near 
to his reward, and will lose it entirely if he omits 
to do so. The Liitmeg tree likes well all sorts of man- 
ures, but that which ia best for it seems to be the well 
rotted stable and cow yard manure mixed with vegeta- 
ble matter, and when the trees is in bearing the outer 
covering of the nut itself is about one of the very 
best things to be thrown into the dung pi^. Dead 
animals buried not tco near the roots are very accep- 
table to the tr-'es, also bl od, fish and the oil cake 
inoported from Java, but the greatly lauded manure 
of the prese-it day. Guano, I decidedly object to. 
Having tried several tons of it, I nm of opinion that 
it is the least beneficial substance that can be given 
to tlie nutmeg tree. It ceriainly causes the tree to 
assume a deeper tint ei foliage and at fir t to throw 
out young shoot", but there seems to come a very 
unpleasant reiction afterwards, and I am inclined 
to think the equality of the produce is deteriorated; 
at least such is my conviction on the subject that 
I shall never try it as manure again. With respect 
to the best mode of preparing and keef ing manure 
I am disposed lo the plan of placing it in pits, 
although in Europe ptscking it in heaps is I believe 
gcneriilly preferred, but our climate here is so desic- 
cating- that manure thus exposed will lose too much 
of its moisture to ferment properly, nnd the loss will 
also he much greater. Besides if it be not required 
for immediate use, it keeps much better in a pit 
covered over by a coating of earth to prevent eva- 
portition. When required for use it ought neither 
to be too dry nor wet, the best state is that of an 
homogeneous black paste. Eqnil parts of this sub- 
stance and burned earth, such as already described, 
is the stuff to produce nutmegs, and he that -jses 
most will get mo t. Slovenly cultivation is the most 
expensive in the end, and by far the least satisfactory. 
Tin Mining in Peeak. — In the report on the 
Kinta district for September, we have first an aooount 
of an " amok" as follows :— 
On the 3rd a Malay named Puteb Jafar stabbed his 
wife, brother-in-law, and brother at Ohumor. Tha 
first two died within a few days. Puteh Jafat was ar- 
rested at once and handed over to the Police ; he ac- 
knowledges the crime, but gives no reason for it ex- 
cept that he bad fever at the time. 
Then comes notice of a rush into tin mining : — 
On the 9th I visited the village of Mambaug di Awan, 
in Kampar, on the Dipang-Tapsh road, which has 
during the last two months grown trom a little cluster 
of huts into a large and flourishing mininir village with 
154 shops in it. It has bten laid out by the Assistant 
Penghulu Imam Prang Jebeiumun in 60 ft. streets 
withthe usual blocks of tea 20 ft. buildine lots, and is 
now one of the most thriving places in Kinta. There 
has been a regular rush into this part of Kampar, and 
over 1,000 acres cf mining land have been taken np in 
the neighbourhood of the new village. Such mines as 
have been opened show very good prospects, especially 
that lately openad by I\Ir. Cologan fv.r the French So- 
cie'6 des Btain. The proRri ss made lately iu the 
mukim of Kumpar has been extraordinary, and, from 
the most backward mulrim in Kinla, it is fast becoming 
one of the most prosperous. 
Again : — 
Mr. Ortlepp, who is locking after the Menglemba 
Lode Company's concession, has supplied me with par- 
ticulars of the sale of the last shipment ot lode ore 
which the company made to England. 100 tons of the 
ore contained l'}j per cent of oxide of tin and 25 per 
cent of arsenic, and realized £7 lOs a fo This is a 
VI ry satisfactory resu't, and promises well for the 
future of ItrJe-mining in the country. 
The tin andubaicoal duty for the month amounted 
to 1^42,912 94. 
