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AGRICULTURAL BULLETIN 
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STRAITS 
AND 
FEDERATED MALAY STATES. 
No. 11.] NOVEMBER, 1911. [Vol. X 
THE GROWING OF VEGETABLES IN MALAYA. 
One of the essentials of a healthy diet in any country is a supply 
of fresh vegetables. In the tropics this is perhaps more essential than 
in temperate regions. The Tamil toolie realizes this and wherever 
he can be grows his little patch of native vegetables, which 
doubtless form a wholesome addition to his food supply. 
The European in Malaya is not so fortunately situated, as a rule 
his tastes do not incline to the sweet potato (kledek) egg-fruit, yam, 
ochro, green pepper, etc., which residents in earlier settled parts of 
the tropics find so excellent. He is therefore dependent either upon 
tins or on the Chinaman for what vegetables outside potatos and rice 
he can get. The Chinaman’s idea of what constitutes a palatable 
vegetable and of sanitary precautions in the garden are not usually 
in accord with those of the European. 
There is no doubt, however, that a large nunjber of European 
vegetables can be grown even in the low lands of Malaya; for 
the expenditure of a little time and less money, there is no reason 
why every bungalow would not grown its own supply of vegetables 
all the year round. 
With the idea of proving the possibilty or otherwise of vegetable 
growing under unfavourable conditions, some experiments were 
carried out this year at Kuala Lumpur experimental plantation. 
The soil here is a heavy clay and therefore not well suited to many 
vegetables, moreover the dry weather experienced during the early 
part of the year had a bad effect particularly upon the root crops. 
It was not intended to attempt any proof of the profitability of grow- 
ing vegetables — but merely to show what could or could not be 
grown. 
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In 
