AGRICULTURAL BULLETIN 
OF THE 
STRAITS 
AND 
FEDERATED MALAY STATES. 
No. 6.] 
JUNE, 1906. 
[Vol. Y. 
BANANA CULTIVATION. 
BY Mr. A. HALE. 
it has seemed to me for some years past, that Banana cultivation 
has not taken the place which it deserves amongst our planting 
ventures in the Malay States; so about a year ago I determined to 
start some experiments in growing Bananas under the most ordm- 
ary circumstances in the garden at my Official Quarters in Taipmg. 
I think perhaps the results, even up to now, may be of a little 
interest It must be understood that what I have done of course, 
runs the risk of not being carried on permanently, because Govern- 
ment Officers are often moved and their successors do not always 
interest themselves in the same hobbies. Some years ago l took a 
o-reat deal of pains to plant an orchard of the best sorts of fruits at 
the back of my Official Quarters; I stayed in the same appointment 
long enough l eat the first Chiku which I had I grown from seed; 
then I left, and the men who came after me did not care for gar- 
dening, so that my orchard got negclected and is I think, now over- 
grown with lalaiyg. 
Banana cultivation especially seems to me to appeal to us, because 
generally speaking, Government Officers stay in one post long 
enough to reap the benefits of their planting, and the results are 
eminently satisfactory in many ways. The plant is handsome and 
the fruit Is a very good food, what the planter cannot eat himself is 
always acceptable to the people who inhabit his back premises. I 
have attached to this memorandum a record of my own planting , 
from the time I commenced in March 1905, up to the present date , 
the time has not been sufficiently long to show very “"P^ant re- 
sults, but I considered it better to publish it now, because I think that 
the Banana is one of the most important catch crops ; f ° r *°® e 
planters who believe in catch crops,— and is especially adapted for 
planting between rows of rubber trees. One does not expect a 
great profit from a catch crop under any circumstances ; there are 
other reasons for planting such things as Bananas, besides that of 
obtaining actual returns in hard cash, very often indirect profits are 
