FRUIT AND VEGETABLE GROWING.
Quite a number of residents owning farm lota in the New Terri. tory have been indulging in vegetable gardening and fruit growing, sume as a hobby and others for recreation, I offer the suggestion that an advertisement might be inserted in the newspapers and a letter addressed to the Hongkong Horticultural Society inviting all persons who have experiences to relate to write to the Committee and report on what has been done by way of experiments; or, if they prefer, to appear before the Committee and state all they know about the subject. With the larger Chinese farmers, they might be asked to present themselves before the Committee for oral examination, I speak subject to correction, but I believe English vegetables have been grown successfully in fairly large quantities on a large farm in Castle Peak and marketed in Hongkong. The products of the farm in- variably command higher prices than those grown in Chinese fashion. Cauliflower, cabbage, lettuce, beet, celery, tomatoes and leek have been known to find a ready sale almost as soon as they appear on the stalls. These vegetables are distinguishable from those imported from Canton in that they are actually sold in the fruit stalls instead of in the vegetable section of the market.
I have known friends within the past two years to grow with considerable success, both in Kowloon and Kowloon-tong, excellent varieties of cabbage, celery, silver beet and endive. Silver beet and endive have not yet been grown by the Chinese as commercial pro- ducts. That they have been successfully grown from imported seeds by amateurs goes to show the possibilities there are of successfully cultivating English vegetables in the Colony.
A suggestion I would like to offer is that there be attached to the Botanical and Forestry Department a special European officer with the necessary technical knowledge, assisted by two or more Chinese, who might be available for the purpose of tendering advice free of charge to anyone requiring technical assistance and advice in the mat- ter of fruit and vegetable growing. To my mind one of the most economical departments of Government is the Botanical and Forestry Department. With the small annual expenditure allocated to this department the various superintendents, from the time of my friend Mr. Charles Ford, have made our Island home "a thing of beauty and a joy for ever." Similarly, this department can render invaluable Fervices in assisting vegetable growers, and thus to make them a valu- able asset to the Colony. I believe some years ago Government introduced crushing machines for sugar-cane in the New Territory. This did not find favour with the Chinese farmers whose objection, paradoxical as it may appear, was that the machines crushed too well and so reduced the value of the pulp from a fuel point of view. In view of the high world prices for cane sugar and especially in the districts bordering on the British frontier in the New Territory, sugar-cane growing has been greatly stimulated. Travelling over the railway line it might be seen that large tracts of land in Chinese territory were recently covered with cane in a healthy stage of growth. There can be no doubt that were the farmers in the New Territory to be urged to grow the more remunerative crop in addition to sweet potatoes and pea-nuts, they will eventually reap the benefit of their labour and enterprise. Their enterprise must, however, be stimulated by Government action and that action might take the form of material assistance which would increase the potential value of land in the New Territories.
In the opinion of the Chinese it is believed that material assistance might be given to the fruit and vegetable gardeners if the railway and ferry charges for transporting fruit and vegetables to the Hongkong market should be reduced. I am not in a position to define the incidence of the railway tariff and the ferry charges on perishable provisions in relation to their marketing cost, but it has been brought to my notice that any reduction in the tariff of an appreciable nature would be appreciated by the farmers in the New Territory.
On the mainland during recent years much has been done by making new roads, etc., to render land accessible and enable the farmer and market-gardener to market their produce. As to the groups of islands lying round Hongkong however, little, if any, atten- tion has been given, with the consequence that they are sparsely
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populated and practically useless, though one of them-Lantao-is even larger than Hongkong itself, and collectively they represent a considerable area. To encourage people to settle on these islands and engage in agriculture-I use the word agriculture in its widest sense -the Government should be prepared to grant leases to suitable applicants at a peppercorn rental for a period of (say) seven years in the first instance in order that opportunity may be given to the allot- ment-holder or farmer to recoup himself for his initial effort in bring- ing the land under cultivation. In certain special cases where it may be thought advisable, something in the nature of financial assistance- if the working of an Agricultural Bank is found to be too complex- might be rendered to the industrious settler anxious to develop his holding. To facilitate the marketing of produce agricultural roads should be cut and piers should be constructed in the bays for the use of junks and or ferries.
This is merely the rough outline of a scheme which I offer for discussion, leaving it to the other members of the Committee to fill in the details as their experiences may suggest.
Hongkong, 13th April, 1920.
R. HO TUNG,
Chairman.
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