719 
AGRICULTURE IN MALACCA. 
the interjacent spaces will be available for paddy ; the rotation of 
crops would have improved the land so considerably that very lit¬ 
tle difference would be experienced in the quantity of produce ; so 
that the expense would not far exceed that of the fourth year. 
In the sixth year no more grain could be sown, and the ground 
must be then properly drained,—ditches in parallel rows ought to 
be eut between each row of trees, about 2 feet in width and the same 
in depth, all leading to a central canal of about six feet in width 
and four in depth, if there is no river near ; but if there is, unless 
the nature of the ground requires it, there will be no necessity of 
the main drain. 
Each tree in good bearing yields an an average about six bunch¬ 
es of 100 hundred Nuts each; 40,000 trees would yield 2,400 laksas, 
which at dollars 2 per laksas (10,000 nuts weighing about If picul) 
gives 4,800 dollars per annum. From this amount is to be deduct¬ 
ed the expense of watching, collecting, splitting and drying &c. 
It will be perceived that the amounts of produce of all the fore¬ 
going articles are made upon the lowest possible average, and 
therefore no hopes are raised which are not likely to be realized. 
The Kabong or JB or asms gomutus is also a palm tree of some 
importance. It grows to the height of the cocoanut and sago trees, 
and is cultivated principally for the juice which it yields for the 
manufacture of jaggery. Like the cocoanut and many other inter- 
tropical trees it comes into bearing after the seventh year. It pro¬ 
duces two kinds of mayams, or flower buds—male and female. 
The female shoot yields fruit but no juice, and the male vice versa. 
Some trees will give five or six female shoots before they yield 
one male, and such trees are considered unprofitable by the toddy 
collectors, but it is said in this case they yield sago equal in quality 
though not in quantity to the cycas circinalis , although it is not 
always put to such a requisition by the natives ;—others will give 
onlv one or two female shoots and the rest male, from each of 
which the quantity of juice extracted is equal to that of ten cocoa- 
nut shoots. A single tree will yield in one day sufficient of juice 
for the manufacture of five bundles of jaggery valued at 2 cents 
each. The number of mayams shooting out at any one time may 
be averaged at two, although three is not an uncommon occur¬ 
rence. When sickness or other occupations prevent the owner 
from manufacturing jaggery, the juice is put in a jar where in a 
few days it is converted into an excellent vinegar equal in strength 
to that produced from the vinous fermentation of Europe. Each 
mayam will continue to yield toddy for at least three months 
though frequently for five months, and fresh mayams make their 
appearance before the old ones are exhausted; in this way a tree 
is kept in a state of productiveness for a number of years, the first 
mayam opening at the top of the stem, the next lower down, 
and so on until at last it yields one at the bottom of the trunk 
