THE TROPICAL AQRIOULTURtST, 
[FEBKUARy I, 1892. 
558 
haa taught ua to regard the arkati, perhapa niijuatlj, 
“ Likoatabled wolvep, or tigexa at their prey, 
Doing abborrad ritea to Hecate 
In their obaonred hnnnta of inmost bowora.” 
la it really tmo that they have “ many baits, and 
guileful aptlla 1’ inveigle and invite th’ unwary aereo 
of them that pnaa unweeting by the way.” Wo al- 
moat wonder that a Commiasir.n, with Mr. Cook’s 
local agent for chairman, has not been appointed to 
Bit on the arkati. Then wo ehould probably hoar the 
arkati’s view of the matter. — Pioneer. 
[There is much in the above which will bo of 
apeoial interest to the ton planters of Ceylon in tho 
present crisis. — En. T, yi.] 
AGRICULTUKE IN SIAM. 
In tho Consular report on tho trade of Siam during 
the past year, Mr. Beckett gives an iutcreeting des- 
cription of the mode in which agricultural opetsliona 
are carried on in that country. 
The ayatem of ngricnltnre, he soya, is of Iho most 
primitive deaoriplion. Al tho eommenoement of the 
rains, ahont the first week in May, the Brahmiuioal 
cuatom* is atill followed of formally insugurnting the 
rice-planting scaeon with sundry open eir cero- 
moniea. An inaugnrator having been choaen by lot 
from amongst eoveral nobles of rank, a bullock of tho 
best breed ie aolected and docked wilh eweet-tmelling 
flowers, and the whole prooeation moves towards the 
plain of the paddy fields. Tho chofen chief then haa 
placed before him three strips of cloth of different 
breadthe, whioh be takes np and uufolde one by one. 
If Ihe cloth thus taken is not more than fLurcubila 
broad, rains will come early and water will be plenli- 
fnl : if nr t more than five oubita broad the water 
Bupply will be up to tho average ; and if air cnbila 
bron^ water will bo scarce. This done, the master 
of ceronioniCB proceeds to aland by Ihe plough with 
bullocks yoked, and with it makes a oircult three timea 
in anccesBion round a plot of Government paddy-land, 
which an elder prceent then bowb with rice. After 
which. Brahmin prieata place on a table near 
by three kiuda ot grain, with frnits of nil kinds, 
and the bullock having been taken from tlio 
plough is allowed to cat of them. Of which- 
ever kind of fruit or grain tho animal cats, that 
kind will be most plentilul during the coming year. 
This concludes the ceremony, and from this date Ihe 
Bgrioalturiata are permitted to plough and cnllivate 
their rice-plots. 
Of paddy-land under rice tillage there arc two kinds, 
one called “ Khu Kho,” extending from Nontabuti on 
the Northern outskirts of Bangkok to Baknam on the 
south, and the other “Fnk Loi,” from Nontaburi, 
northward to Inlaburi, a short distance south of 
Chaiuat. The rioe obtained from the former is the so- 
oalled naanen, or garden rioe, sown in nun erics and 
planted out by hand. Tho annual tax on each rai, 20 
fathoms square, Of this land is 21 atts 9d. Each rai 
is again subdivided into fonr parts called ” ngan,” of 
100 square fathoms each, on whioh the tax is 8 atts 
(3d.) on each “ ngan ” 'below three. Tho rice reaped 
from the “Fak Loi” land ia named “ na miiang,” or 
field rice, whioh ia sown bread-cast an.! left to grow as 
sown. The lax is Ifi atts (6d.) on each rai, and 8 atts 
(3d.) on each “ngan" above two. It ia impoa-iblo to 
ascertain the area of land in Siam under rice oultivn- 
tion, owing to the uiisyttematio manner in which tho 
laud taxes are collcotcd. 
The Siamese ngrionlturisl has no idea of the rotation 
of tho crops. If he has not aufficiont capital of his own, 
ho obtains at high interest an advance large enough 
to cover tho expenaos of plauting, ploughing, ond har- 
rowing during the S'X _ montiia in whioh he 
ia compelled to work. During the romsining six 
months tho generality of husbsndracn in Siam dis- 
sipate their earnings in the local gambling houses, 
* Brahmina and Brahmiuicalouatoma in tho Buddhist 
country of Siam just as wo have tho mainly Hindu 
Beruhora in Ceylon. — Eh, 2'. A- 
The ownership of land is mostly hereditary, remain- 
ing in the hands of one family for many genera- 
tions. European traders, as u rule, refrain from 
making advances to the agriculturisU, on aoconnt 
of the inseourity of tho investment. Bice is sown 
year after year on the same ground. Irrigation is 
almost totally disregarded. If tho rioe-Iand ia adjacent 
to ono of the numeruus creeks, cither natnral or 
aitifioial, iuterscoting the country, the owners may 
consider themselves fortunate ; bnt there ia no oo- 
operation amongst thoso whoso rice-plots aro at a 
(listaiioo from the waler-coureos. The Siamese peasant 
is slow to take np new methods, and even if European 
machinery were to be introduced, ho would look on 
tho experiments with distrust. He is equally careless 
about bis grass or pasture land, taking r.o trouble 
to sow good seed or hedge round a grazing ground 
of his own ; but allows his cattle to roam at will over 
the tbioly populated country districts. The pasturage 
is tho eemmon property of the village. The cattle 
graze there until tho rice-crop haa been gathered, 
when they are tamed ent to browse on the stubble. In 
addition to rice, teel-seed, hemp, tobacco, sugoroane, 
cotton fruit, and vcEctstblos aro also oultivated, 
Hamp grows oxtonsively in the distiicte of Petchaburi 
to tho south-west, and is tended by the Laos and 
Siamese peasants of that province. A tax is levied 
equal to ono-fiftb of the va'ue. The drug is amokad 
largely by tho paddy oultivatlora. Tobacco is grown 
in 42 districts ofSiam, and Uono.of the most important 
Iccul Industrie*. 
The Siam tobacco plant is sown in Soploruber by tho 
rhinc.ac cultivator, and the leaves are gathered in 
December. After gathering the leaf isloft to ferment 
in some dark place during three or four days, and 
lubaeqncntly brought to a oertnin degree of ripeuoas 
by exposure to the night dews. In Deli, the difficulties 
cnoountrred are the lack of proper coolie labour and 
attacks on ihe plants snd leaves by eartli-grubs. In 
Hiam, if planting wore to las undertaken by Europeans, 
the same wonld bo found. The Siamese coolie is 
lazy and antrustwotthy, and Ohincso conl l only bs 
engaged by paying them in proportion to the re- 
sults of their work, and by cultivating good relations 
with the local governors. The quality of Siam tobacco 
iliffcrs acoordiug to the districts m which it grows. lu 
many oases the salt absorbed interferes with the burning 
properties of (be leaf. The best loaf comes from the 
Betchabnn, from Ksiiburi and from Nakhonsawan. 
The coffee shrub ie as yet bat little cultivated in 
Siam. The slopes of the bills at Chantabun and Korat 
are spoken of as highly favourable to the growth of the 
I erry ; and in view of tho ooutemplated railway 
to tho latter place, plantera might considtr, Mr. 
Bcokolt thinks, the venture worth at least a 
trial: The low-Iyiug laud in and around Bangok 
is well adapted for the oulturo of frnit, 
C'f wliich the most common varieties aro Mango, 
durian, rambutan, pommelow, orange, jack fruit, 
lusngosteon, bananas, custard and piue-applos, and 
many others. Blantationa of fruit-bearing trees aro 
S'lbjeot to annual taxation, assessed ouoe in each reign 
on a scale based on the cironmfcrouce and height of 
the tree.*. The asscBiment is made regardless of new 
trees that may bare been planted, or old trees that 
may have died oft during the interval. The con- 
sumption of fruit is almosl entirely local, the pro- 
duce being hawked about on river and land, ohieily 
by women. 
If, ooutiimes Mr. Beckett, ogricultnre in Siam is one 
of the most primitive oliaruotor, the oonditiouof local 
industries is still leas developed, being confined to 
weaving of silk and ootton native cloths, tho manu- 
faolure of native paper from bark of the “ khei” 
treo, the making and culonring Of tiles for use on 
tho numerous lomplo roofs, and the manufacture ot 
earthen jars as receplsclcs for water, working' in gold 
ond silver, mat-weaving, and a few others. Tho 
carpentering and boat-building trades aro carried on 
by setno Siamese, but Chinese are superior at those 
haudiorafts. Tho latter also monopolise the bricklay- 
ing, tinkering, dyeing, and siinilnr industries. Most 
Siamese prefer to attach thuiusolves to tho person of 
