REPORT ON THE IMPORTANCE OF PROMOTING THE CULTIVATION 
OF PADI, &C., IN THE KUALA PILAH DISTRICT OF THE 
NEGRI SEMBILAN. 
1. The Kuala Pilah District of the Negri Sembilan (etched in green on attached 
sketch plan, page 6) is approximately 1,150 square miles in extent, and of this area 
about 38 square miles are planted with tapioca (etched in brown on plan) 16 square 
miles with padi (etched in blue on plan) and 12 square miles, with coco-nut trees, 
fruit trees, &c. The remaining area of 1,084 square miles, which is coloured light green 
on the plan, is mostly forest and is, therefore, available for agricultural and mining pur- 
poses. 
2. The District, with the exception of certain valleys already under occupation 
and of which a list is given, is not suitable for grain cultivation, as the country is 
mostly very hilly, and there are, as far as can be ascertained, no large tracts of fiat land 
left, the smaller valleys being reserved for mining purposes. 
3. The valleys which, with ordinary crops, yield a sufficient supply of rice for 
the consumption of the natives of the country, can conveniently be divided as follows, 
and their directions may be seen from the attached plan on page 6: — 
Name of Valley. 
Length 
in 
Miles. 
Area 
of Padi Land. 
Area of 
Garden Land. 
Kuala Jempol to Bandul, 
/ 23 
Acres. 
3,o°° 
Acres. 
2,000 
Sri Menanti to Gunong Pasir, 
9 
1,000 
800 
Pilah, 
10 
800 
800 
Talang, 
5 
600 
400 
Juasseh, 
5 
400 
400 
Jempol, 
20 
2,000 
2,000 
Johol, Inas and branches, 
2.500 
2,500 
Total area of padi land, 
10,300 
Total area of garden land, 
( 
8, goo 
or, as already stated, 16 square miles of padi land and 12 square miles of garden land. 
4. Dry padi grows very well, and heavy crop;? from small areas of land on the 
banks of the Muar River and elsewhere have been obtained by Malays and Sakais, but 
it is not considered advisable to encourage this cultivation, as only one crop is obtain- 
able, unless the land is manured and, therefore, the forest is destroyed and the ground 
rendered useless for several years. 
5. In the Negri Sembilan, no efforts have been made by the Natives to obtain 
more than one crop of padi within the year. It would, doubtless, be difficult to irri- 
gate some of the pad i-fields, but in the Muar valley there is always a good supply 
of water, and. a proper system of irrigation could easily be carried out by the Malays 
themselves with a little assistance from the Government. I think that some encour- 
agement should be given to the people to attempt planting two crops, rewards being 
offered to the first successful planters, and small advances of money granted to per & 
sons willing to try the experiment. 
6. In this country, even if the introduction of other grains such as dholl and 
ragi were possible, it would hardly be necessary, as in the event of a rice famine the 
natives would exist upon tapioca roots, sago ( rembiah ) and Indian corn, which they 
very often plant near their houses and use when short of rice. The Chinese popuffi- 
tion could obtain an abundant supply of sago from the large tapioca estates in Johol, 
also sweet potatoes and other vegetables which they cultivate to some extent. 
7. I consider that, rather than introduce the cultivation of new grains, the na- 
tives should be encouraged to extend their padi-fields where possible, plant saero 
palms ( rembiah ) along the rivers and streams, and pay more attention to the cultiva- 
tion of their garden lands, which might be improved. A little assistance from the 
Government in the above direction would greatly benefit the Malays, and I would re- 
commend that each Lembaga be given a certain number of coffee and pepper plants 
for careful distribution among the people of his tribe. 
