172 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
The liLing, once acquired, like other habits, sticks, 
and the craving of the European becomes as strong 
as that of the Asiatic. The Malay, who owns some durien 
trees, builds himself in the fruit season a hut near 
the trees, perched high up on poles, and jealously 
guards them fr; m all intruders, of which there are 
many of the animal kind. Bears, monkeys, squirrels, 
elephants, horses, cattle, goats, pigs, are all fond of 
this extraordinarily offensive but fascinating fruit. 
Tigers even, of which there are many in the country 
are credited w'ith liking it; but that is a statement 
not verified, and it is sun .i j.seJ Str'pes is more after 
the animals looking for tils liult than after the fruit 
itself. The produce of half-a-dozen durien trees w'ill, 
with sundry other aids, keep a Malay family in com- 
fort for a twelvemonth. 
Pepper of excellent quality is produced largely in 
the Malay StateSj inside and outside the Confedera- 
tion, and forms a considerable part of the export 
of that spice to Europe from the ports of Penang 
and Singapore. It may not be generally known 
that the black and white pepper of commerce come 
off the same vine, and that the white is made so 
either by steeping in water and rubbing off the black 
skin, or by decortication in special mills on the 
banks of the Thames. The latter is the white most 
prized by sausage and such like manufacturers. 
Sumatra and some other of the islands of the East- 
ern Archipelago also contribute to the pepper supply 
of the w-oi'ld, but none produce a finer quality than 
Perak, if we except a small Malay State called Trang, 
north of Keddah. 
Nutmegs and cardamoms grow wild in the jungle, 
and are collected by the Malays for sale. 
The indiarubber tree (ficus elaslica) is a well- 
known forest tree, attaining immense diraension.s. 
The Malay has no idea of the slow process of milk- 
ing the tree, hut cuts it down, wdth the result that 
it is in a fair way of being exterminated. The snne 
fate is threatening the gutta-percha trees, of which 
there are several varieties in the forest. 
Sugar is grown extensively only in one district 
(Kvian), but if there were any improvement in the 
price othm- distiicts could giovj it as extensively. 
It is a cultivation much in favour with ihe Chinese 
and wha.tever they taka up and gives a fair profit is 
sure to be persevered in and rapidly extended 
Tobacco has not been much grown, and lacking 
probably the finer soil and more suitable climate of 
Sumatra, where the finest known leaf is produced, it 
is not likely this product will ever be extensively 
grown in the Malay States. 
Such are the prospects in Perak for the future 
advance of the State in tropical agriculture. The 
cordial supnort aud encouragement of the Government 
is all that* is needed to bring the State into the 
front rank for the production of most of the products 
mentioned, and probably for a good many more. 
Having touched on the Perak of the past, of the 
present, and of the probable future, I mayfi ly con- 
clude my remarks by the enquiry bow this future that 
lies before the country is to be hastened and brought 
into opera.tion. Not, I may answer, by the pre-ent 
system of an imperium in imperio, but by placing more 
power in the hands of the immediate and active head 
of the Confederation, and so enabling him to pledge 
a year’s revenue of the combined Stati s, say ten 
million dollars (as it will be a year hence if it is not 
now) for a loan to extend railways and roads,* pro- 
ceed with irrigation works, and give encouragement 
to planters and settlers to engage in the cultivation 
of coconuts, coffee, padi, sugar, pepper, and all the 
other products of export and commerce. 
The tin mining industry is so viell established 
that it does not require special encouragement, but 
the gold mining, confined to the more isolated 
districts of the North of Perak and Pahang, requires 
extension of communications in these directions 
before any progress of consequence can be made. 
IVere this reasonable newer given the Resident 
* A loan of 5 million dollars has been sanctioned by 
the Secretary of State for railway construction in the 
Federated Malay States, — E d. 7AI. 
[Sept, i, 1897. 
General, and a forw.srd policy inau^uiated, another 
thing would happen in a few years, the Malay States 
outside of and surrounding the Confedeiacy, Ivelan- 
tin and Tienganu on the East, .Johore on the South, 
Reman and Keddah on the North, would have to 
fall into line and come into the Bund, and so 
fulfil the dream of those who have foreseen the 
unity of the whole of the Malay States of the 
Peninsula for general purposes and the common 
good, under the sheltering wing of the great Empire 
of the East and the West. D. M.vckay. 
— Inverness Courier, June 22. 
PLANTING NOTES. 
Coffee Growixo. — “In a recent number 
of tlii.s magazine” — ‘The Hawaiian I’lanters’ 
(Monthly’ — “a writer stated the cost of Iiringing a 
coffee plantation into bearing at ten dolbirs per 
.acre. Ten |ioniuls are nearer the average cost 
to the end of ilie third year, as may be seen 
in an .article oti coffee in tliis niimlier.” Tlie 
article is one we copied from ,a New South Wales 
journal by Dir. G Skedton. Our contemporarv must 
remember iliat the cost vaiies with tlie charge 
for land, for labour and food. In Ceylon i:i old 
(iay.s the cost varied from £.5 to £30 !— the latter 
where the land cost R200 or more jier acre. 
A P.VR.VDISF, FOR COFFKE AND C AC AO. — Mr. 
G. W. Ward in the London Dallij Mail give.s a 
glowing account of the growth of coffee ami cacao 
around llarrar in Eastern Abyssinia — see page 
16(5. We presume Dir. Wanl imist liave 
accompanied Dir. Ilennell Kodil’s mission to 
King Dleiielek. Of course, Abyssinia is the 
native home of coffee— so that we are prepared 
to hear ol bushes or trees doing wonders in the 
way of crop; hut it is a snrjirise to hear that 
cacao has also found ,a home in this region and 
is pro.siiei'ing exceedingly. It is certainly a great 
])ity the disti'ict slioulil not have gooil govern- 
ment and be open to Biitish colonization. Per- 
liaps King Menelek might Ije tempted l)_y .some 
exchange in the Soudan region? 
Soap Manufactured in Fi,n— Why not in 
Ceyi.ON ? — A c.orrespondent writes : — “Some weeks 
ago I wrote to yon wondering why we had no 
soap mannfactory in Ceylon, mentioning that 
such existed in far away Fiji. I enclo.=e an ad- 
vertisement cut out of a Fiji ))aper to show you 
rvhat kinds of soaji are manufactured”: — 
TO SrOr.EKEEPEE.S, TKADEP.S, ETC : 
LIST OF PRICES OF SOAP AS MANUFACTURED BY 
SUVA SOAP AND OIL COMPANY. 
Per case. 
No. 2 Blue Mottled .. .. 21/6 
No. _1 Blue Dlottled . . . . 26/- 
Extra Specie!, Blue Mottled .. 29/6 
Household, No. S .. .. 19/6 
Household, No. 2 .. .. 20/6 
Household, No. 1 .. .. 22/- 
Golden Crown DTellow .. .. 23/- 
Double Grown DTellow . . . . 24/6 
Extra Special Yellow . . . . 29/6 
To be obtained at above pi ices from all Merchants 
and from 
The Suva Soap and Oil Co., Suva. 
Messks. E. Bentley and Co., Levuka. 
It is certainly rather absurd that a minor colony 
like Fiji should he making its own soap, while 
Ceylon with its wide.spiead coconut plantations, 
pays a^ ay every year as much as 11200,000 for 
.soap. Half, if not ! wo-thirds, of this at least 
( light to be saved by a local manufactory properly 
conducted. 
