Handbook of the federated Malay states - Sabrizain.org

24 Handbook of the
apple, guava, lime, orange, custard apple, soursop, mango,
papaya, langsat, rambei, and others.
Vegetables. The Vegetables, usually grown by Chinese gardeners, are
neither numerous nor of high quality. They include lettuce,
French beans, onions, leeks, pumpkins, marrows, and Qg^
fruit. Potatoes are imported from India.
Most European vegetables can be successfully grown at
elevations over 2,000 feet.
Live StocTc. Cattle are principally used for draught purposes, and are
of three descriptions—buffaloes, Indian cattle, and native
cattle.
The cost of a pair of Indian bulls may be anything between
100 and 200 dollars. That of a pair of the smaller native
cattle varies from 80 to 150 dollars.
Buffaloes are seldom or never used by Europeans. Milch
cows and buffaloes are kept by natives in the neighbourhood
of the principal centres of population, and fresh milk of
good quahty is obtainable wherever there are a sufficient
number of customers.
Alternatively, cows may be kept by Europeans for dairy
purposes, but this necessitates the employment of a cattle
man, at about 10 dollars a month, to look after them.
The cost of a good Indian cow is not less than 100
dollars.
Horses and ponies are all imported, mostly from Australia.
Ponies are also brought from Burmah, Northern India, Java,
and other islands of the Malay Archipelago.
Small ponies of from 12 to 18 hands may be purchased
from 100 dollars upwards.
Australian horses for riding and driving cost from $250
to $600, the average price being about $350 to $400.
A large number of sheep and goats are imported for
the butcher. Groats of an inferior quality are bred by
the Malays, and sheep do fairly well in Pahang. The
States, however, are not well adapted to the breeding of
any stock.
Pigs are reared in large numbers by Chinese tapioca
planters and vegetable gardeners, and do well. They always
command a ready sale, as pork is a staple article of food
among the Chinese community.
Eowls and ducks are reared extensively throughout the
peninsula, but are as a rule poorly fed and of very inferior
quality.