786 
The TRO»»lfCAL agriculturist, 
[April i, 1892 * 
arf(ument in favour of the vines bearing longer than 
sixteen years, as did it then ceoHe giving fruit en- 
tirely, the gradual decrease would certainly have 
commenced at e‘oven years: but it has been be- 
fore observed that the vine in full vigour will not 
average more than 2 ^ catties per plant. Hie renter 
of this garden ia thought by his countrymen, the 
Chinese, to have made a very good bargain. 
There are few soils on this island unfavouraldo to 
the vine : the dark mould mixed with gravel is ge- 
nerally preferred ; it thrives in high and low situations 
—best in the latter, if BUfiQciently raised to prevent the 
water in the heavy mins from settling; ii the roots 
were to bo covered with water for six or eight days 
the vine would infallibly be killed. A plantation, if i 
properly taken care of, should be kept perfectly free 
irom weeds and grass and for the first five or six 
years the earth should be regularly turned, twice 
a year; after that period once turning will be suf- 
ficient. Four coolies will take care of a laxa (I0,()JXJ) 
of plants, if properly attended to; they must, how- 
ever, ho allowed a cook, but they will require 
additional hands when the crop is gathered; the 
manber will, of course, depend on the fertility of 
the vines. 
The vine hloKsoma twice a year— after the com- 
mencement of the rains in the sotting in of the 
soutli-wost monsoon in April and May, and when 
they cease in Oecemberjlne former crop is gathered 
the latter end of Ueoember, January, and February; 
the latter in May, June and July. The quality of 
the pepper dejam^siii a great measure noon tlie care 
taken in tho gathering and drying. The pepper 
when plucked before it ia fully ripe Siminiahea both 
in size and weight, so much as frequently to oc- 
casion a difference of upwards of liO per cent between 
what is gathered in this state and that whicli at- 
tains its full maturity. Tho Chinese planters fall 
frequently into this error from want ot funds, and 
the necessity they are often reduced to of realising 
cash at a fixed period in order tcj satisfy those who 
have made them advances at most extortionate in- 
terest, and also from a wish to save expense in 
collecting tho pepper gradually as it ripens (which 
is when the fruit beoomes a reddish colour) they 
pluck the whole or the greatest part of the pepper at 
once from the vine, instead of tlioso bimcnes only 
which are perfectly ripe. This mode of course is 
more laborious and expensive. 'WJien gathered it is 
exposed to tlie sun on mats, and iu the course of 
the day bogiuH to turn black ; it is then put into 
a largo wicker basket in tho shape of a tray, and 
trod upon to sonarato the pepper from tho stein on 
which the buncli is formed: in favourable weather 
it will be perfectly dry in the course of four days, 
w'hen it is packed in gunnies and ready for tlie 
market. A picul of green pepper if allowed to re- 
main on the vines tul perfectly ripe will yield from 
H.') to .SC catties when dry. 
The vines seldom fail of showing much blossom 
in gardens which are properly taken care of ; but it 
is subject to be blighted even after the fruit has at- 
tained some size when the season proves either 
unusally hot or dry ; when this happens considerable 
quantities of pepper will drop off: a few hour's rain 
soon puts a stop to it. The pepper of this island 
when gathered in a proper staUj, and carefully 
dried, ia esteemed equal in taste, weight, and size 
to that of any place wliatever, and superior to most. 
Kuropoau cultivators make their plantations by con- 
tract; the nsual price is SiVifj per thonsand : this in- 
cludes every expense of tools, houses, digging wells, 
and clearing tho ground, and every other item, the 
price of the young plant excepted. ' The pepper plant 
was first inti*odnced into tho island from Acheon by 
the then Captain China Che Kay, under the patronage 
of Mr. Light, who advlinced him money for that pur- 
pose; this was about tho year 1790.— /Vra/fc Qovn'u- 
inent (hfZf.lte. 
.. -if ... 
PEPPKR. 
1 have kept the ReBidont’s instructions with regard 
to uativo cultivators in view, and have spent con- 
suterablo time iu discussing with them the merits 
of pepper planting, and the profits to be derived 
froni^ it. I have been anxious to get away from this 
district to 8 'tiawan and Batnng Padang, but some- 
thing requiring immediate attention has always turn- 
er to prevent me. I have promised to accompany 
Mr. Robert Fraser through the hind below Ilijan and 
join him tomorrow fSundav) for this purpose. About 
the middle of the month 1 liope to got away for a 
liiue* I have large nurseries of pepper plants, 
which will be ready for planting in a month or six 
weeks. I have distributocl and sold large quantities of 
to people proposing to plant popper. The first 
uiniciilty native cuftivators encounter is the price 
of the plants, I wi'ole fully on this subject to 
Oovi rmiieni, jii January, and learn from the Magis- 
trate that he has estimated for monoy fur a syatem 
of loanain 1891. If the principle is allowed would it bo 
expecting too much to ask the benefit may be extended 
to those ready to plant this season V I am preparing 
a list of those who have land prepared and purpose 
submitting it to the Magistrate. Should be have 
^*”*^^*1 good will be don «3 this season, and I 
will bo able to dispose of my plants. This assistance 
with plants will ho a great boon to poor native culti- 
vators, and if they are looked after, with the assis- 
tance of their faniilicB. they will bo able to weed, 
maintain, and extend their gardens. For carrying 
cultivation on a larger scale, Kon Lin explained 
the Chinese syatem to mo tho other dsy, and I note 
it down hero as some modification of it may bo 
useful to Government. A party of, say, six labourers 
L., apply to a capitalist, th, and engage with him 
for a period of three years to open pepper. C., 
finds an equal number of coolies (six) S., to work 
along with Ij. L. and S. are supplied with pio- 
visiouB by C., the cost of which goes against the 
estate, K.E. C. pays S. monthly tho balance of their 
wages, about or $7, wliich also goes against E. 
E. Each individual of L. has a personal 'account 
against w'hicii goes all cash advances for clothes 
and luxuries, on which interest at the rate of three 
per cent is charged for six inontlis only in each 
year. Ruildiugs, tools, posts Ac., are all cliarged to E.E. 
At the end of three years the estate is divided, C. 
takes half L. take lialf. When tho vines come into 
bearing C. each year buys the whole crop at a 
siini fixed below tne market value, takes one un- 
divided tenth of tho w'holo, and credits E.E. witli 
the balance till tlio fund is wiped off. Then and 
not till then L. begin to reap tJio benefit of their 
lahour.s. The rule is for each man to open an 
aero eacli year, L. finding each a partner after the 
first year, and applying to C. for extra labour as it 
is required. In case of dispute, tho malcontent’s 
land is valued, and the capitalist buys him out. 
’I'hus is tho w'ell known tribute system applied to 
agriculture. Contrast this witli the Malay method 
on which 8 yed Musa works — viz., payment of fr-'-m 
to SI275 per orlong for upkeep only till the 
pepper plants snoot up to eight feet higli, say at 
about two years, 8 yed Musa paying for everything 
except labour.- /*. /•<//• fforrnnucui Oazf’fte. 
Within the past ten yeRrs the cotton iiiHnufao- 
turing induHtry Ima made tremendoup strides in 
tbe eifeot of whioh has been palpably 
vit-iblo in 'he leppened in' ports of iho manufactured 
B uffa from Lancashirs. Ti e Japan Gazette, gives 
(iguies Fhowing the oxtnu of the ircrent«d heme 
piuduciion in Jafan, end from three we Irarn 
ilint ii; 1881. when ihe manufacturfi of coiton 
goods was budding into eji »p])7eciLlc inuusiry 
there, llm number cf mills ergagtd was 15 with 
aim© SO, 000 spindles, wliicb, grudua'ly increasing 
had risen lart year fo the number of SO mills, 
with 258, Ji62 ring fTamcfl f-rd 118,800 mule frames 
while thn aggregate capital of the concerns was 
!$1|,0]9 800, posBtseing reeerves to the amount of 
?(j00,8‘i7. fcio much indeed hns tho industry de 
velopod that fine-woven goeds nio exported from 
J «ian to India and eleewlnre. Tho demand, there- 
fore, from abroad is diminiBhing in a correspond- 
