AGRICULTURE OF SINGAPORE. 
509 
same time of a good quality, a ricli black mould and a tract of 
country derated if near the Equator to at least one thousand feet 
above the level of the sea, appear to be indispensable. The Coffee 
of Arabia is not produced in the sandy deserts of that country but 
in rich valleys and among the mountains. It is only the most 
fertile countries of the Archipelago, Java-, Luconia, and the 
mountain districts of favored parts of Sumatra, which have hitherto 
afforded this commodity. 
Cotton, Sugar-cane, Indigo, the Cacoa, Mulberry and Tobacco, 
every one of which require a strong rich soil, are eminently ill-suited 
to the poor red soil of the hills of Singapore. The same sentence 
may be pronounced on the growth of the finer spices, the Clove 
and Nutmeg, which, whatever opinion sanguine speculators may 
have entertained to the contrary, it is now pretty generally acknow¬ 
ledged cannot be raised in cheapness and perfection suited to the 
demands of a free market except in the spice islands themselves. 
The soil and climate of Singapore is perfectly adapted to the 
production of all the tropical fruits—the Cocoanut, the Orange of 
many species and varieties, the Mangoe which is found wild in the 
forest, the Mangustin, Durian, Duku and Pine-apple. It is rather 
climate than soil that is required by such productions as these, 
and it appears singular, and a fact yet unexplained in vegetable 
physiology, that whilst the poorest wilds are sufficient for the 
growth not only of the profuse and luxuriant plants which afford 
the rich fruits in question, but also for that of the most stupendous 
trees of the forest, the richest are indispensable to the successful 
culture of the lowly plants which afford the principal necessaries 
of life. 
Besides fruits the soil of Singapore is perfectly wed adapted 
to the growth of all those green esculent plants and farinaceous 
roots which are natural to a tropical climate—such as different 
varieties of cucumber, the egg plant, different pulses, the yam, 
the batata and many others. The common garden pea of Europe 
may probably be raised with care, but it will be in vain that we 
attempt the culture of cabbage, cauliflower, artichoke or potatoe. 
These are not raised in Java, or Cubu or St. Domingo or Jamaica 
at a less elevation than 3,000 feet above the level of the sea, and in 
our situation so much nearer the Equator would probably require 
4,000. We are of opinion that the only staple articles which the 
soil of Singapore is capable of raising with advantage are Gambler 
or Terra Japonica and Black Pepper. Crawfurd. 
The above paper appeared in the Singapore Chronicle twenty- 
five years ago. In the main we fear that its condemnation of the 
soil of Singapore is too well founded. The sagacity of the writer 
has been proved by the fact that several of the productions for 
which he declares Singapore unsuited have been tided and failed. 
Or if the failure has not been decided the results have been eo little 
