3i6 
Figs, introduced, 1886 and t888, have made but slow growth, but 
flavourless^ fr0m time t0 timG giving fa * rIy & oocl fruitj but rather 
Grapes. The vine was probably introduced in Portuguese times, 
and frequently since. It has never been really successful, though 
grapes, of the style known as sweet-water, were fruited formerly in 
omgapore on one or two vines. 
grmvth 11 ^ 7 rain St ° rmS ° f tHe PeninsuIa militate much against its 
The Saigon Vine, V itis martini , was introduced in 1888 It 
grows well and fruits heavily, but the grapes are poor, and hardly 
eatable. An attempt was made to make wine of it in French Indo- 
Uiina, but the verdict of the connoisseurs was that the wine was 
detestable. 
, •T'j 6 . Blac kberry, Rubus fruticosus , was introduced in 1801, and 
failed to fruit, though it grew well at first. Mr. Curtis introduced 
to Penang Hill an Indian species with black fruit, which did very 
^ ve . ’ j° r so ? ie y ears J an d also the Rubus rosa? folius> an orange 
fruited species from the hills of the Peninsula, which has several 
times been in cultivation in Singapore. Another Rubus from 
Uganda said to bear good fruit was introduced into Singapore 
■+u n ,u m . I9 ° 4 ' U has not fruited 7^. The trouble 
with these Blackberries consists in the difficulty of preserving the 
fruits from the attacks of birds which plunder the bushes. 
Mangos.— Many good strains were introduced from all parts of 
the world and distributed, the local strains being very poor. 
Barbados cherry (i. 38 ), Eugenia uffiflora, E. braziliensis and E 
Pitanga— The tree tomato ( Cyphomandra betacca, which fruits well 
on the Perak Hills, and many other small fruits were introduced also 
by the Botanic Gardens, Singapore. 
From the above account of the introduction of the various plants 
most common^ cultwated in the Malay Penin a, it will be seen 
that the statement that most important plants have been introduced 
by private persons is altogether erroneous. The plants of common 
mrtfof tiie'M T" ’p ‘T’ f ° f Und t ' leir wa F into the uncultivated 
parts of the Malay Peninsula, often, hundreds of years ago, but by 
I “ d of'V qmt f U " k r Wn ' M an * P erha P s - ™me quite acci- 
dentally. Of the rest of the important exotics, nearly every one 
was introduced, cultivated, propagated and dispersed^ to various 
patts of the Peninsula by the Botanic Gardens of Singapore and 
Penang. These Gardens were maintained out of Colonial funds 
p n in’f bU ll T it” C - ear V —. 6arly ? hat L ' Mala >' States would 
eventually be the main agri aural district of the Peninsula, these 
States, as they were gradually developed, were assisted by the 
supply of plants, and information to the fullest possible extent, by 
the Colonial Gardens at no cost to the Government of the Malay 
