same time of a good quality, a rich black mould and a tract of country elevated 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 acknowledged 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 well 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 Gambier or Terra Japunica and Black Pepper.
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 tried and failed. Or if the failure has not been decided the results have been so little
