REMARKS ON THE CULTIVATION OF COTTON IN SINGAPORE.

By T. O. CRANE, Esq.

In your number for December I find an essay on the Culture of Cotton in the Straits Settlements. Your talented correspondent has not taken that ample view of the subject which he might have done, or has been misinformed with regard to the experiments made in Singapore. As my experience does not extend beyond this island, your readers must remember that I treat only of Singapore, as the same difficulties may not exist in our sister Settlements. On the Malayan continent I doubt much that they do exist, and as regards Malacca I shall offer some remarks on another occasion.

Your correspondent has quoted from Mr G. R. Porter's "Tropical Agriculturist" some remarks regarding soil, of the correctness of which there does not exist a doubt. In the preceding paragraph to that, he says "the extent of territory adapted for the better description of cotton is limited to the islands of Singapore and Pinang." As I am treating of Singapore only, I would ask him, what land there is now available, and adapted to the culture of cotton on this island? The only belt that offered any chance of success, is that now occupied by one entire field of cocoanut trees, from Sandy Point (or Tanjong Rhu) to Buddoo. There may be a few acres between that and Tanjong Changi, but not sufficient ever to make Singapore a cotton growing island, were it in every other respect successful. The belt of land extends from the sea to the Siglap road, and eastward only to Arthurs Seat. The flat north of that road, known as the Paya Lebar district, is partially cultivated with cocoanut trees and sugar cane, moreover the soil is not at all suited for cotton.

Before I commence my remarks upon the culture of cotton in Singapore with my opinion, resulting from nearly three years of actual experience, labour, and outlay of capital, I must correct your correspondent in other points, on which, had be taken a little more pains, he would not have erred. In speaking of the climate he says, "This is the only point on which any doubts are likely to be raised &c." and goes on to say that "Singapore the only settle"ment in which it seems to have been attempted, can scarcely be "said to have a decided dry season and the failure of the experi"ments made by the late Sir Joze D'Almeida about 10 years ago were attributed to this cause.' Your correspondent might have said that Singapore has decidedly no dry season, and not the climate, but the want of a dry season, was the cause of the Cotton not ripening in sufficient quantity at the same period to render it profitable to the cultivator.

He says

"the seeds introduced were those of the Bourbon

"cotton with a long and fine staple and the Pernambuco variety, "with a long but harsh and wooly staple both of which were "perennials."

I shall now proceed to give you an account of the experiments made by myself, at the time that the late Sir Joze D'Almeida made his experiments. We were brother labourers in the same cause, and cultivated a similar soil, and our operations generally were carried out in the same manner, with only perhaps a different opinion as to the kind of cotton most likely to succeed.

I commenced clearing ground at Tanjong Katong in February 1836 fifteen years ago. Sr. Jose first sowed the Pernambuco seed about March, he having at the time several plants of that kind in his garden at Campong Glam. It was I believe originally introduced from Rhio, and as a garden plant it throve well and produced excellent cotton. The first seed I obtained, was from Sr. Jose, I put it in the ground on the 26th April, and it came up vigorously, but we soon found that the young plants were very much attacked by the large grass-hopper or locust, the head nipped off and consequently the plant destroyed. We then had little conical bamboo baskets made, to protect the young plants, but for a time we were as much troubled, with quite as active an enemy. During the night our baskets were all capsized by the monkies, then abundant in the neighbourhood-out of sheer mischief or curiosity, for they seldom meddled with the plants further than exposing them. On the 14th May I had collected a small quantity of the seed found in Singapore, supposed then to be indigenous to the island. Of this species we found several plants in front of the late Baba Whampoa's cocoanut plantation fronting the beach at Tanjong Katong and a few plants up the Gaylang river (undoubtedly planted there) near the hut of a Malacca man, but this proved to be the Bourbon cotton. It was known by the Malays as capas Murice.

The Bourbon came up well and appeared to me more likely to succeed. My neighbour the late Sir Jose was still in favor of the Pernambuco, and he having abundance of seed from his garden at Campong Glam, planted out several acres of it, I preferring the Bourbon, had by the end of August 5 to 6 acres planted out with that kind. In the mean time I had written to my brother Mr W. C. Crane, who was then residing in Calcutta, to send me a quantity of all kinds of seeds procurable from the Agricultural and Horticultural Society of India. Before the close of the year I had received from that Society through him abundance of Upland Georgia, New Orleans, Egyptian, Peruvian, and Sea Island. I also received a small quantity of Tenevelly and had obtained two kinds from Manila, the white and nankeen colored. The whole of those kinds were tried during the year 1837 and part of 1838, and without an exception all failed as a remunerative speculation. It would be useless for me to go into detail, with respect to our

operations during the space of nearly three years. I will simply give an outline of the result of each kind of cotton planted by the late Sir Jose and myself, and some reports on samples sent to Calcutta and England, which will close my answer to your correspoudent's first letter. As I see he has continued his essay I shall continue to give the agricultural amateur for cotton culture my opinion as to the likelihood of its future success, and offer some general remarks for those who may feel inclined to try it here, or elsewhere. I sincerely hope your correspondent will not attribute these remarks to any wish on my part to dampen any enterprising spirit that may wish to increase cotton cultivation in our colonies, or in the Straits. Nothing can be more desirable, and every means ought to be resorted to, to attain so great a boon to the mother country.

Pernambuco Cotton.

Of this kind I had about 3 acres well up at the end of 1836 and ought to have taken from the field by that time for my first crop 900 to 1,000 lbs weight of clean cotton, but it did not yield more than 100 lbs, consequently a complete failure. The plants grow to the height of 5 to 8 feet and I have seen some higher. As a garden plant it thrives well, the pods being generally full and come to maturity, but the produce under the most favorable circumstances scanty in the field the plants appeared sickly and the pods seldom came to perfection, being attacked by a small maggot, destroying not only the seed but also the wool, it becoming discolored by the oil from the decayed seed. I did not continue this kind. My neighbour had a much larger field and continued for a second crop and I believe a third to the end of 1838, at which time our cotton experiments were given up altogether.

Bourbon and Sea Island.

My first experiments in these were apparently successful, with a small patch in a very favourable spot-but the first crop of 1836 did not yield the quantity necessary to make it worth cultivating; neither of the kinds ever podded freely at the time they ought to have given a full crop, consequently could not be cultivated as annuals. From accounts received from India regarding the Bourbon, and from America respecting the Sea Island, they are reported to grow about 3 feet high; the plants in Singapore appeared to have altered their nature, here they rose to six feet throughout the field, and some higher, the pods of these two descriptions generally were perfect but too scanty at the time they ought to have yielded a full crop, continuing to flower and pod throughout the year, consequently subjecting the cot'on to be spoiled in the pod, we were also troubled very much by field rats, which destroyed the cotton if not taken immediately from the plants.

REMARKS ON THE CULTIVATION OF COTTON IN SINGAPORE.

Upland Georgia, New Orleans

123

And the other kinds were complete failures, the plants not thriving well, here and there some beautiful plants, but showing on the whole a bare and scattered cultivation. The ground occupied in 1837 by the different kinds was about 23 acres, my neighbour Sir Joze had I believe nearly 30.

.

The whole produce collected by me, say two crops of 1836, 1837,

was

3 bales Bourbon shipped in June 1838 on the "John Dugdale" to Liverpool, weighing 4 cwt which was sold at 91d per lb. and reported as a fair specimen, and

6 bales shipped in December 1838 containing 9 cwt. of Sea Island which sold at 1s 4d per lb.; this was pronounced to be very good, but somewhat mixed, and not carefully picked, which no doubt was the case, our cotton gins being very imperfect. The remainder of my labours I sent to China, about 4 piculs, making altogether about 15 piculs, not more than one quarter of what at the lowest calculation it ought to have turned out for one year's

crop.

NOTES.

Calcutta Reports, 11th April, 1837.

On samples of Singapore grown cotton. Society Calcutta, vol. iv page 48.

See Proceedings of the Agricultural

"Presented by Mr Crane at the last meeting grown at Singapore from seed originally Pernambuco and Bourbon."

The Pernambuco kind is "decidedly of inferior quality, being coarse, harsh, short in staple, and very weak." Of the Bourbon, Mr Willis reports more favorably. It is fine, and silky, and of pretty good strength of staple; yet not quite so strong as it ought to be: its complexion is good also. "Mr Willis values this cotton with reference to the latest advices from Liverpool at about 9d per lb. the seed is represented to be smaller than usual in this description of cotton, but does not consider this as an invariable criterion in contrasting the quality of the wool, and very appositely asks how is it that we sometimes find inedible and other fruits improve in either flavor or the volume of pulpy and fibrous matter when the seed itself become much diminished under improved cultivation."

"Mr W. C. Crane submitted some very fine specimens of cotton grown at Singapore from Upland Georgia seed which he had received from this Society in October last and from seed received from Manila. A pod of the latter was without exception the most perfect, beautiful and largest ever grown or seen in India. Mr Crane terms it Manila cotton" From the same; volume v. page 202.

"From W. C. Crane, Esqre. dated 6th July 1836-presenting a specimen of Sea Island grown at Singapore from seed forwarded by this Society. Mr Huffnagle's report:

"The specimen of Sea Island cotton grown at Singapore, from American seed by Mr Crane, is according to my opinion superior to any of the other samples before me. It is silky; long in staple with a strong and even fibre. I cannot however form a correct estimate of the average quality of the cotton from this plantation as it appears by Mr Crane's letter that he has sent us only a few of the first pods which have no doubt been carefully picked. The soil however "sandy and near the sea" appears to be well adapted for this variety and if the whole crop will bear any comparison with the first portion produced, this experiment at Singapore may I think be considered as very successful."

Reports on further samples sent.

"The Upland Georgia cotton does not seem to be so well adapted to the soil and climate, being woolly, and the seed separable with difficulty, but the staple is

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REMARKS ON THE CULTIVATION OF COTTON IN SINGAPORE,

good." "The Manila appears to be a failure, being harsh, with a short and weak fibre."

Extract of a letter from W. C. Crane with a report on small quantities of Egyptian and Peruvian both considered failures:-"It is a pity you did not send sufficient Sea Island (2 maunds) to contend for the gold medal as you had more than sufficient for the purpose that you sent was pronounced to be the finest grown in India and would have carried the prize easily.”