34 & 
The tropical vegetables mentioned above were not tried as it 
was not necessary to prove their capacities. They would give less 
trouble than the others. 
The experiments were grown under the superintendence of Mr. 
F. G. Spring by whom the following notes have been prepared: — 
“All the seeds referred to in the following list were obtained 
from Messrs. Moonisawmy and Sons, Bangalore. 
“ Reference to the tables will show that some varieties of seed 
did not germinate but as the soil was neither water-logged, nor too 
dry it is probably the seeds were not in good condition when 
planted. 
“ The Malayan soils as a whole are not very suitable for the 
growing of vegetables but deep cultivation, bringing the soil to a 
fine tilth, and manuring will greatly help to rectify this. In some 
cases the surface soil is apt to be more or less baked. by the heat of 
the sun, consequently it is necessary to apply sand for the purpose 
of keeping the soil open, particularly so where root crops are grown. 
“ The climatic conditions are good for the production of growth 
but the wet seasons should always be taken advantage of for the 
sowing of seed. The plants during the early stages of growth must 
be protected from the heat of the sun by shading. 
“As far as experience goes Tamil Gardeners are not familiar 
with the cultivation of English vegetables the two most common 
mistakes being : — not having sufficient space between the plants, 
and the growing of them in the hollows between ridges, instead of on 
the ridges themselves 
“ The following list shows the varieties grown and the yields 
obtained on a given area. I have taken the vegetables separately 
and given a few notes on the growing of each kind. 
Turnip. 
Crop. 
22 lbs 
Variety. 
All the year round 
Extra purple top, Mi Ion 
Jersey Lily 
no germination. 
19 lbs. 
Sowing. 
If the soil is light the seed may be sown broadcast but when 
the soil is more tenacious it is better to make shallow drills about 
15 inches apart, sow the seed evenly on the top of the drills and 
cover with a thin layer of fine soil. The plants should be thinned 
out as soon as rough leaves appear, leaving them about 8 inches 
apart. 
