AGRICULTURE IN MALACCA. 
.712 
or such whose sap is deficient or poisoned by unwholesome nutri¬ 
ment, are subject to the attacks of the white ants and other insects 
in the same manner, I suppose, as the human frame is liable to 
various diseases when the constitution is in a condition susceptible 
of their impressions. 
Many trees of this description are to be seen in Malacca, and 
mostly in places where perfect drainage cannot be obtained. It is 
not unusual to see extensive swampy fields with no less than two 
feet of water in them, planted out with young cocoanuts, raised 
upon little mounds, measuring about three feet in diameter, the 
palms looking perfectly yellow from the poisonous effect of the 
water upon the roots. 
No care is bestowed by the Malays upon their cocoanut gardens. 
In general the first object with them is to find ten or twenty acres 
of marshy land for a paddy field, and a small portion of raised or 
dry land to build a hut on, around which eight or ten cocoanut 
plants are laid, generally at twelve feet from each other, intermixed 
with a variety of fruit trees. When the plants are first put in the 
ground, a few kladi stalks are inserted between the spaces, and the 
ground kept clear of grass for a few years, after which, excepting 
burning a little rubbish now and then, no further labour is bestowed 
upon them until the trees are full grown, and the roots so interwo¬ 
ven that no lalang seed can take root ; while frequently the plants 
are allowed to struggle for existence through the repeated crop¬ 
pings of the young shoots and palms by the buffalo. It is consi¬ 
dered beneficial to the trees, when they are full grown, to heap up 
rubbish at the foot and set fire to it, in order to destroy the grass 
and the roots which appear above ground, by which die bark is 
frequently burned, and yet strange to say, the trees thrive well 
enough in spite of all this ill-usage, to which must be added the 
cutting of deep notches along the whole stem of the trees for 
convenience in climbing them. But in a plantation where it 
is intended that the trees should occupy a space of twenty eight or 
thirty feet from each other, care must be taken to eradicate all 
lalang grass, which, if allowed to remain and take root, will ma¬ 
terially injure and retard the growth of the trees. The system I 
would adopt in originating a plantation of this description will be 
explained in the following estimate and observations :—• 
First year’s Cost. 
Clearing 120 acres of forest land at 8 Drs. per 100 square fathoms 
or 1 Dr. per acre....Drs. jgO. 
Twelve Chinese immigrants at Drs. 7 each. 84. 
Rice—-1,728 gantangs, at 12 gantangs each man per 
month, or coyans in round numbers, at Drs. 46 
per coyan..... „ 115. 
Dried fish &c. at 45 Cents each man per month .. „ 64. 80 
China Tobacco 30 Cents per month for 12 men.. 3. 60 
