JAVA.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume V, Issue 117, 16 June 1853, Page 4

JAVA.

Java is the largest of the Asiatic. Islands next to Borneo and Sumatra, but surpasses all of them in the number, industry. and civilization of its inhabitants, the fertility of its soil, 111-- improved stale of agriciillure. ilu: number of ils polls navigable rivers, which laeilitalo foreign ami domrstii: trade, and lastly in ils situations between the vasl coiHinciil" of Asia ami thai ol' New llolliiml. the Spin- Islands, the Indian Sea, and the Ureal Ocean. This island is in l'ai-l tin- iihi-l mlciesling ol any in tin' Oriental Archipelago, not only on account of its present Male, and the prosperity which it is likely hcicafler lo attain, lull also liir that which il formerly enjoyed. Il is now known ilia! tlie.lavaiii-.si> have." declined from repealed invasions and comjiics'.s, and that they retain lml a confused rceolli-i.-tioti ol' their past greatness; hut llieir aneienl power and civilization are demon-tinted, liy written annals, In—-ki-i ipiimis, Mnli:cs, airhili i Inral, :ml all soils nl' liisluvie. tiiminiiienls. In lliis island alone are In he fiiiiiid the documents, requisite lor eouiicrliug a li w scattered links ol 1 the history of the l/e-l; in Archipelago; so that lhe.se may lie cipiiMilered as I'm- classic sin! of that portion nf the globe. Tlw If WW in .Vliiitim .c. Tin: Mm-vnix duaicy; or iin: Jamaica Nl.c.r.ni.s.-Tho provision grounds of the negroes pnwul an interesting obji cl lo n stranger. As [ have sail, many of the lilac!; peasantry inhabiting Hie lowlands, have thi-ir gardens mi llie siuninils of the inonntaiii (where the soil is more productive; as well as around their dwellings. The ->.iodc of pinn-cding is as IViilnvvs:--Tho negro liisviiiiT I'lmsi'ii his spot, in the ttuionelied forest, hires il Iron) llie owner of I hi- laud, at a certain yearly rent per acre. | lie then nils down the limber, piles the I to;.;;, ami in a dry time sets lire to tin- piles, , much in the same maimer as in the I 'titled Stales and Canada : this is called " buriiingover" the piece. Il now presents a very unprepossessing aspect ; the large charred .mil blackened' sunups stand as thick as ;ninh> tours in a cluirrh\nril; the bare ground is :\rcvn with half calcined stones, unrelieved liy a green leaf; and great heaps of ashes lie iicio and Ilu ii-. wilh fragmoiils of burned wool, the only remains of Ihe

•v);ui« trunks thai once roared their verdant crowns in ilu». skii-s. If wo sisil il in a few moulds, however, how differeiil is ihe .scene! A large portion of Ihe ground is seen lo lie occupied liy lh:it indispensable West Indian root, ihe corn (f.oloea.sia oseulcnla), whoso broad leaves expand themselves, and touching each'oilier, form a surface, of dm most beautiful green hue, which conceals Ihe earlh ami evciy thing upon il. The English reader may from a very correct iilea iif this useful plant from Ihe cuckoo-pint, or " lonls niul Indies" of our hedges, only magnifying Ihe leaves to two feel in iliameler, and ail Ihe rest of Ihe plant in proportion. From Ihe midst of Ihis sea of great green leaves rise many young plantain trees in rows, already putting furlli the great spike of lilossom, "which will soon lie thickly studded willi whorls of close-set fruil. 'J'he leaves, live or six feel in length and a fool wide, are noble objects when entire; especially as they are Ihen of a very brilliant light green "hue; lml each plant rarely can show more (liana single leaf in this comlilion, ihe action of the wind soon tearing Ihem up into laleral strips, in Ihe direction of Ihe transverse veins. In another part of the ground we are reminded of Ihe hop lields of Kent, or the vineyards of France; for the. graceful yam, a plant not inferior in lieanly lo either, twines its slender stems tip (all poles, and si recites from one lo another, making wild natural arbours; while various sorls of pumpkins and melons trail over the ground at their feel. Perhaps a litlle patch of sugar-cane occupies one corner; a few hushes of the caslor-oil plant, or of Ihe cassava, another, with Iwo or ihree eclton lives, not Ihe lowland giant of that name., lml ihe malvaeeous shrub Ihal throws out ils snowy hunches of genuine cotton, capable of being manufactured iulo calico ; lml a small tract, carefully cullivaled and kepi free from weeds, we shall .see exclusively devoted lo liaise useful and closely allied planls, the arrow-root and ginger; each consisting of succulcnl green shoots, formed by sheathing leaves, and Ihe former displaying handsome heads of scaly (lowers. -Tlie root slocks of ginger remain long in the ground after cultivation has ceased, and eiml'mno lo increase and to throw up their verdant shoots. We often used lo dig ihem up in the neglected hush of second growth mi llluelielils ridge. After a few years, din first energy of I lie virgin soil being somewhat diminished, the ground is thrown up, and allowed to resume ils native wildiiess. Another plot is ilieu selected from the forest, and rented in like manner; die same process of clearing and cullivaliou is pursued as before, and after a few years this also is relinquished ; no attempt being ever made lo maintain the fertility of the soil by manure. \o house is attached lo these gardens, their owners dwelling, as already said, around lilucliflds; aslighl hut of logs, however, is sometimes creeled, "a lodge in a garden of cucumbers," as a shelter to creep into during die brief, bill deluging, torrents dial descend in the afternoons of the rainy season; and the Hour is shewn with I wigs or lives, or " ira>h," dial is, die dried leaves of Ihe plaulaiu, as a rupe couch on which the negro may lake his customary siesta.— (ii:i.iv : .i .\i:lii)dli.<r.i S<ijinmi in .luiiiiiini. Tin: Potato Disr.isi:.- -At die lasl sitting of the Academy of Sciences in Paris, several coiiimiiiiicalions were read on die potato malady, and die means of prevention. 11. Ihierrc, of Saint Micliael-en-nierm, informs Ihe Academy dial having perceived dial Ihe ' disease prevailed to a greater extent in lands j which had not been at anytime covered with j the sea, than in those which were known lo have been formerly overllowcd, imagined thai by die addilion' of salt ho could prevent ' ihe malady, lie therefore prepared a strong mixture of salt and water, in which he placed his cullings for several hours before planting , them, and when ihe crop was gathered in all Ihe polalocs were sound. 11. Hayanl, of r.hasseau (ionlhier, stales that he had come , lo a conclusion that Ihe. disease was caused ■ by an excess of vitality in the scri\. lie, ; therefore, iiilroiluced a pea into each cut- ! ling. The peas vegetated quickly, lull Willi- | out injuriously retarding Ihe growlh of Ihe, potato, and when the potatoes were gathered, they were all perfectly sound : whilst from 'he culling:, without peas, which he hail planted in a portion of (lit: grounds, nearly all the crop had the malady. He supposes dial Ihe earlier vegelalion of the peas had can ied oil' die excess of humidity,- and thus saved die potato.