AGRICULTURAL BULLETIN 
OF THE 
STRAITS 
AND 
FEDERATED MALAy STATES. 
No. 11.] NOVEMBER, 1910. [Vol. IX 
CHILIS AS A CATCH-CROP. 
The demand for Chilis or capsicums by natives for local con- 
sumption is very large. They are used both fresh and dry, and the 
chief source of supply of dried Chilis in the Malay Peninsula is India, 
whence very large quantifies are exported to Singapore and Penang. 
It seems absurd that in a country like this we cannot grow all the 
Chilis we require for local consumption, but not only have we, it seems, 
ever been able to supply a sufficiency of dried Chilis, for the demand, 
but during the past two or three years fresh chilis have been so scanty 
that the price had gone up from 6 to io cents a catty to 40 to 50 cents 
a catty. 
The reasons for their scarcity in Singapore are several. During 
the past few years, it is said by the Chinese, that the weather has been 
bad, too much rain at the wrong time, so that the Chilis rot. This rot 
is due to a fungus attacking the fruit of which I will give an account 
later, and no doubt excessive wet would increase the development of 
this pest. Another reason for the scarcity is the fact that large areas 
of ground which were formerly vegetable gardens have been converted 
into rubber estates. Chilis and other vegetables could, of course, be 
grown as catch-crops at least in the early years between the rubber 
trees with benefit both to the trees and to the planter, but somehow 
this is not done. The Chinese also affirm that vegetables cannot be 
grown without manure, of which they hold night-soil the best. Ob- 
jections have been raised to growing vegetables with night-soil 
anywhere near town for sanitary reasons, and the result has been a 
notable scarcity of vegetables, all of which are now very expensive. 
Indeed, we are informed such vegetables as pumpkins, brinjals, cab- 
bage, etc., are at prices which are prohibitive to the poorer classes. 
With these cultivations Chilis, which, also require in our poor soil a 
good deal of manure, have also risen very high in price. Vegetables, 
