3 
Fresh seeds of 0, Caiisava have since been sent. 
Cocoa , — The demand for seeds of this plant is si 
xidilv increasing, and 1 would suggest 
to 
the propriety of planting a large number of plants in the Economic Garden, to enable us 
meet the calls for seeds. I am indebted to the Hon hie Major McNair, and Messrs. \\ . ft. 
Scott and I >. R. (Hass for quantities of fruit, from time to time, for our correspondents in New 
Caledonia, Fiji, and Australia. 
Coffee. The Arabian Coffee that was planted out in January, L87S, have done fairly well, 
and is now showing abundance of bloom. 
J[ have had a portion of the ground trenched 3 feet deep, but as yet no difference is per- 
ceptible between those planted in the trenched ground and those in the untrenched. ^ 
I have seen no indication of the presence of the dreaded Coffee disease ( Hemileia Yastatrix), 
and as the planters who intend to take up land in the Peninsula have decided to get no seeds 
from Ceylon, I expect that we shall be called on for a supply. 
The Liberian Coffee plants that were received from Kew in 1875 are bearing good crops, 
although the continued wet weather has caused a large number off flowers to fall off before 
opening. They have suffered at the root slightly from bad drainage, but a trench lias now 
been dug to 1 "feet deep to carry off the stagnant water. 
I have found the monkeys and musangs so fond of the berries that I have been obliged 
to enclose the bearing plauts with wire nettiug. 
Two of the plants from the number, sent here in August, 1877, from Kew, when they were 
not two inches high, were setting fruit on 1st January this year. A tin of fresh seeds was 
received from Kew in May last, packed in moss, and about 50 per cent, have germinated. 
Mr. Low writes to me from Kwala Kaugsa respecting the plants there under date 3rd 
February, 1879 — - 
“ The Coffee” (Liberian) “ is growing well here and also in Larut, but there it is neglected > 
“ it was full of fruit a month since, -but it has all disappeared.” He added that lie thought it 
had been stolen. 
This is much to be regretted, as the fruit is yet very valuable, and the cost and labour of 
getting these plants from England to Larut is thus thrown away. 
A few plants were sent to Sarawak, but I have heard nothing about them, except that i hey 
arrived in excellent condition. I find this species of Coffee very easy of propagation hv cut- 
tings, but the plants appear to grow very slowly after being rooted, and this plan of raising a 
stock is not, in my opinion, to be recommended. 
From Sungei Ujong Captain Murray reports under date 1 1th February, 1879, as follows: — 
“ Six plants were received, two planted on hill plantation 1,500 feet above sea level, two 
at the Residency, and two in the lower Government plantation, about 400 feet above sea level. 
All are growing vigorously, though I observe that, while the plants on the hill have 
much larger leaves than those on the lower ground, they grow in, a more straggling and 
irregular manner; this may, however, be entirely an accident. There seems some reason to 
believe that this description of Coffee will do well in any part of the country, and in any - il ; 
it does not seem to require attention, as the plants on the lower ground are quite nnproteel od, 
while those on the hill are in perfect shade. I cannot as yet report on their bearing qualities, 
but hope to do so by the end of this year. 
Some plants that 1 took to Durian Saha tang in October, 1877, were washed away in a 
subsequent fiood. 
India Rubber . — Of the American kinds received from Kew, two seem to have taken to 
this climate very kindly. 
Following the advice given by Mr. Cross, in Ins report to the India Office, I re-planted 
the Hcveas in the low ground of the Economic Garden, where they have not grown so 
freely as before. The strongest plant has grown two feet in height since March last. With 
better drainage they would doubtless grow stronger. 
Mr. Low reports as follows an 26th July, 1878 : — 
“ They (9 Hcveas and 1 Castilloa) were brought here in October last by Mr. Morton , 
“ and planted at the back of the Residency, and are growing very well. 
“ They were quite small when they arrived here, but the Castilloa is now 5 feet high with 
“ branches of equal length, and the Heveas vary from four to eight feet, and are growing 
“ vigorously. 
“ There arc many districts in Perak which would, judging from what I have read, be very 
) suitable for the cultivation of these plants. The hill on which they are growing well is 
* of river gravel, and I have, no doubt, they would have been much stronger on alluvial soil.” 
Li a subsequent report dated 3rd February, 1879, Mr. Low writes — 
p . ,j^ te Heveas are now 12 to 14 feet high. They take to the country immensely. The 
■astilloa La large tree, 10 feet high, with branches, 5 feet long. 
. , , Castilloa in the Gardens, of which only one reserve plant was kept is growing 
into a handsome tree. 
T „ "p * regards then- propagation, which Mr. Low seems to have found rather difficult, 
1 nmi that the half-ripened-shoot-s with a shield of hard wood arc best; but unless kept 
tolerably dry are very liable to rot off. 
think the cuttings are materially benefitted hv having all the leaves retained 
W ith the Learn scrap rubber we have not been so fortunate. 
During the drv weather 
O L 
