Chapter 5 Selection Of Planting Materials For The Orchard

Should you be within the Pahang areas I recommend you to purchase your budded seedlings from Tong Nursery,Karak.Remember there are two Tong Nurseries.


I am more accustomed to the younger Tong who now operates another nursery on the other side of town on the Mentakab road ( appro. 6 miles) next to the entrance of Sungei Pertang Estate.


Years ago I have dealt with him and I find him more reliable.He had provided me with plenty of good planting materials in the past,therefore I trust him more.


The older nursery is similarly good.They have a larger varieties of clones on all fruits.When this was operated by the younger brother the place was very tidy but not presently - extremely untidy and looked messy. 


It has been a long time since I last dealt with them.However,what ever had transpired I still trust the younger brother with his new nursery on Mentakab road.He had never failed me once with my orders with all genuine plants.

Quote me maybe with that he can give you some discount.Oh no,just joking business is business and he too has to make a living .Most important he delivers to you the best materials.Take a good look at his nursery and you will surely note the difference.

For durians the recent craze were to plant the so called "Mau San Wong" or Raja Kunyit.So popular were this clones that the price of such seedling amounts to fifteen ringgit per plant (small).

A year old budded stumps would easily cost fifty ringgit.I think that worth its value for establishing them in the nursery.Many could easily afford that.Apparently that was the only clone available in most nursery.


This clone like D 24 survived better in low lying areas or hill sides  where water are easily obtainable,Once mature the water requirement were much higher.That was why many D 24 die a premature death aftert six or seven years due to lacking water.


In high ground watering are necessary to keep those plants alive.Many orchard had pipes supplying all the necessary water  especially during dry season.

When transplanting young durian stump buddings I suggest  full protection for them.Standard practice were to have huge bamboo vegetable baskets over them.

This were to protect the young and tender plants from being scorched by the raging sun and also keep them swaying vigirously to the force of strong wind.
The overhead baskets also prevent the soil from drying faster than normal.

However,those from the nurseries seem to have a different notions by suggesting constant watering of the plants.Well,humans were humans should the bosses be around the watering will be done accordingly.Should be away how can you be sure of that.

 The reason  why small holders were successful  in planting durians without baskets were that they were always present to perform that watering themselves.
 Sould be luxurious sufficiently by all means have pipes fitted in the fields.

I am writing from my experiences and I am not boasting when I say the durians I planted fruited after three years of planting.Of course then I had plenty of organic fertilizers  for the durians.Those organic wastes from the effluent ponds of our Oil Mill.

In low lying fields like the ones in pictures  crops like green oranges could be planted. Another of the same citrus family Pamaloes could also be planted,except its fruits ought to wrapped up as soon as the flowers turned into fruitlets.


This will served to protect attack by fruit flies.These two are fast fruiting crops and can fruit within a year or so after transplanting.Do not waste thdse areas where you burnt away the wild trees.Have them planted with vegetables such as Bayam ( any variety will do),kankongs as well as germinate chillies seeds as well.Should you d like wise I assure you within three months you be harvesting vegetables.


Brinjals,is a crop you should abstain from planting on a large scale.Pesticides used on it were extremely expensive besides ineffective.Here leave all the good sales talk by salesmen aside and you would not regret it. Ladies' fingers  and long beans were also crops which could fetch easy income.


Should you construct a cottage or hut in the orchard it should be surrounded with coconuts palms.There were two varieties from which you can select or plant both.One was the fragrance coconut and the other the MAWA/Phi. crossed .The later is a known prolific producer.

Both will yield within three years or so.I am of the opinion that should your area be proned to wild boars attack.Plant you seedings slightly deeper and you would not regret for following me.

Well,the nursery people would recommend you to establish them at the crown level above the ground.That should be excellent,extremely palatable for the wild boars and what a fantastically easy meal.

Elephants before devouring the young seedlings would stemmed on them first to break them up.Wild boar on the other hand bite into them and should you plants be planted deeper this should deter them from reaching them.

Wild boars were lazy as pig we bred they would never take the trouble to dig in for the kernels in the young coconut plants.The nursery people will welcome that because you be purchasing more plants from them.

In any case that  was my opinion.My old boss disagree with me but he never made any attempts to stop me,why?Because I am good and very experienced and I talk facts.

A final comment on planting durians should I be establishing an orchard my I would never adhere to planting only one single clone - like the Mau San Wong.My selections would be D 24,the Thai clone with fruits having a long,long stalks(forgot the name),the original Perak Champion (From  Nursery in Cheras).

Actually,in place of bananas in the inter-rows papayas could also be planted.Presently there appeared to be s shortage of papayas in the market ,mainly because of a disease spreading among papayas in papayas growing areas.

It ,therefore fetching a better price. Actually both bananas and papayas can co-exist as a cash crop.With such crops actually could bring down the cost of running an orchard.


Mangoes can adapt easily to low lying fields with better harvest.Most people prefer to grow the Thai clone namely "Chop Kan Nam". Fruits like rambutan and "pulasan"are also durable crops.Unfortunately the price for rambutan can be discouraging,while "pulasan" were more stable.


Mangosteen can survived under durians only thing were they grow extremely slow and slow to yield anything.There was a type that fruited earlier but no one has anything successful to tell a story.

Chapter 4 Establishment of Cash Crops

I for one am a firm believer that as soon the field were cleared and when free of all noxious growths the land ought to be planted up with cash crops.For a two acres orchard there are a huge number of crops to choose from. Should you be around the orchard most of your time. 

There are many short term crops to choose from.Like water  melons but this crop requires  a lot of insecticides and pesticides.This crop requires attention at all times especially when it were ripening.For it attract thieves not from the neighbors but from others.Because these are easily disposable items.

However, for quick return of some cash I like to suggest pumpkins,This crop has high nutrious values and presently there are a craze over this food item. People are beginning to consume more and more of this fruits of late for health reasons. Should this be unsold they can be kept at a cool place for a couple of weeks without going bad..

There, of course the sales of such fruits should not be dependent on middle man.They would exploit you to the fullest.This crop does require and tender care.Once the seeds were planted into the field they should flourish beautifully without special attention.Once established you cna expecta bountyful harves with five months or so.To this one of the easiest crop to plant as a cash crop in newly cleared fields.

The next crop I could suggest were the winter melons.Similar to pumpkins this winter melons can easily grown in newly cleared land Not much care required but should you insist on work, weeding of weeds around plants will definitely do a world of good,plus regular fertilizing.

As earlier suggested that pineapples could be planted along the boundaries, on the soil dug up  from the boundary drians.Pineapples also has a good market vbalue.There are few plantable types.All these seedlings can easily be purxhased from small holders who had planted pineapples before.It is extremely cheap.Should you not buy them they be discarded anyway.

The leaves of the growing pineapple can easily act as a fence.Along those rows along side can also plant sweet ppotatoes whose planting materials could easily be found every where and could be obtainable free of charge.In fact the whole newly cleared field could be planted with sweet potatoes. Some manual work necessary here as the crop requires topping up of plant with soil.

This crop could be planted after the poumpkkin harvest or so A rotation of cash crops in the orchard should be good and recommended.Many could plant dragon fruits along the boundary  instead of pinapples or plant both .A row or two of dragon fruits will surely deter thieves from entering the farm.With so many  planting materials  avilable a costly fencing were therefore unnecessary.

Like my friends land there were no necessity to fill up those lower lying land for he can either deepened those area turning them into fish ponds.When dry season came served as water catchment providing water for the main crop of fruit trees.These low lying fields can be planted with yam and extremely suitable,too.The yam easily fetched a good price nowadays.

In low lying field such crop such as the one in photograph sugar cane can also grow as another cash crop.The area were definitely fit for planting them. Sugar cane requires a lot of maintenance. Removal of dry leaves ,topping up of soil extra,removal of young shoots.

With the first cash crop still in place another cash crop like bananas could be planted in between those points for fruit trees.It should over shadow the first cash crop of pumpkins as soobn as harvesting of pumpkins completed.  These bananas would be especially good should you plant durian as they provide shades for the growing durians,shielding them from the scorching sun..The plants  also helps to slow down the velocity of any charging wind thus allowing the durian plants not to sway according the strength of the prevailing wind.

The common type people planted nowadays were the "Perangan: variety.Each stump cost about fifty cents each or even lesser in bulk.But when planting bananas as a cash crop why plant the ones established in others orchards.Pay slightly a bit more- purchased those plants that were produced by tissue culture.

Tissue cultured bananas  are better in all respects.The main one was that the bunches of bananas were regular all almost the same size in bunches as well as in sizes of single bananas.In fact it tasted better with longer in shelf life.Tissue cultured plants fare better against local pests and diseases.Well you are the farmer,make your choice.

Tapioca,a crop many shaun was another good cash crop because many believe this absolved  a lot of nutrions, randering the soil poor.Really not so I say.Anyway nutrions could be easily replaced with fertilizers,so why the hue and cry.It weas a crop which required no extensive care. 

Chapter 3 Land Preparation For Transplanting

Having clear the land,the next step should be to prepare the land for transplanting of fruits etc.The land now cleared still has many tree stumps lying around which ought be eradicated.

A backhoe can easily dig up all those rooting plus the stumps.Here getting a correct driver was utmost important lest you be cheated.Obtain one recommended by friends or failing which get one recommended by known kampong folks or its "ketua".

Those stumps on digging up should be allowed to dry properly before set on fire..Thereafter the land could be planted as it is but should want a better cleared land and have sufficient funds then have the land plowed up and cross plowed.If possible give another rond of harrowing.

 This should loosen up much of the top soil.Thus preventing a fast regeneration of weeds in that land,thus saving substantial amount of money on weeding.The planting points should also be lined.Should you be planting fruits the lining of 25' by 25' will be good enough.Thereafter the planting holes dug. 

The planting holes should be dug before planting.The size should wider than one a half feet and another foot or so deep  Bigger should your plants be bigger.I for one had planted durians with much bigger planting holes.

Of course my method many cannot follow or agree. For in my last planting of durians my planting holes were ten feet by ten square and two feet deep.Following the dug holes filled with top soils gathered from around that area 

My loose soil  areas were bigger, providing the plant more soft space to spread its roots around faster easily.Water retention in those planting holes were better with more water for the growing durians. That was why my plants grew faster and fruited after the third year of planting.....Adapt my method and you would never regret it that you did.


My friend erected a  wire netting fencing around his land at another cost of  $12,000/= for his two acres.Rather expensive I think.To me these were unnecessary.Because judging from its locality I think that area was safe.Those kampong folks around were a friendly  lot,not  much in fact no foreigners living nearby.

It should a peaceful place for a orchard or a farm. No pilfering can be expected from such peaceful environment.Should the immediate neighbors be around allow them to pick a fruit or two,so what?. No big deal ain't it so?. That was to promote good relationship.In fact as a courtesy if they do not request for them you should make the first call to give them some first fruits.

Erecting a wired netting fencing also prevents wild animals from going into your farm.That to me meant that you be losing another source of income. There are cash values in such wild animals like wild boars and wild chickens.I will discuss this in later chapter,please bear with me and my ideas..

To me a boundary drain will suffice.A small drain that is not necessary a wide one but a small one about one feet  in width and two feet deep were enough.That were sufficient to define your boundary.When draining make sure the earth were all laid back on your side.

If I were to do it I would establish a row or two of pineapple on the side where the earth were place.The rows of pineapples should serve as a sort of fencing. The thorny leaves can prevent people from crossing over besides its fruits can yield sme profits for the orchard. Pineapple seedlings can easily be obtained.There are few varieties around. 

Should  the area be water logging after rain the area should be drained. Care should be undertaken making your drains  lest those drains were excessive and the lad over drained. Some fruits required plenty of water while they are some which required lesser water.

My friend's land  has two low lying patches at the both ends of the land which  should he deepen to collect the excess water which could be used during dry season for the newly established fruit trees.The deepen land could be used to breed fishes but my friend thought otherwise.

He prefers to flatten his land further with any access earth filled up those two low lying areas.That was the dumbest ideas I ever heard.By so doing his land will one fine day be flooded and his established fruits trees especially durians will be destroyed.

I am not joking - that can happened.Whatever it were never disturbed the topography of the land without a valid reason.Established the land accordingly and your orchard or farm would be fine..

 

Chapter 2 Land Clearing

Above photograph of a tiny piece of land just cleared to be converted into an orchard.This piece of land belonged to a friend who had just acquired and cleared by him at a hefty price.Of course he was never a planter nor had the experience to cear a small patch of land.

Of course he had always dreamed of building an orchard on his own on retirement.The little knowledge he possessed were those of childhood gardening.Well to me that were a world of difference.Some knowledge childish gardening does make him a marvelous orchard planter.

 Very unfortunate in deed to have wasted so much to clear it.He brought the land for something like $ 90,000/= and had duly spent a similarly sum to clear it.An extensively huge price he paid for being hard headed and wanting to do it himself despite his inefficiencies.

He also refused to liscent to others advice or lend a ear when offered by the experienced but only accept coffee shops talk by some big talkers.Such big yawners talk no facts but talked big and rubbish.Most of them uttered sheer nonsense without basic facts or truths. 

He wasted not only his money which were not wisely spent and also tolling like a bull himself under the merciless sun to clear just two small acres.He might have worked through  brute strength to clear his fields.But what a sheer waste of time and money.Money not well spent.Well it was his money and should he be happy that was all that matters. Being ignorant were never a sin but to indulge foolishly ,.................blah.What can I say?.

Enough being said or too much of talking let settle straight into the subject of land clearing.The back ground laid another patch of land approximately two acres.That belonged to someone else.The land owner had passed away leaving the property to his children who had no interest in the land.

At a glance we find that property overgrown with a secondary jungle.The secondary jungle was overgrown and closely packed together with plenty of wild seedlings and shrups.Overshadowing those wild growths were many trees ,all wildly scattered in between.Many with girth not less twenty inches.The land in picture was originally similar.

I think to venture into that tiny jungle you have to slash your way into its interior.To clear it would be simple.Of course should it be cleared mechanically would be quite easier.But remember these fields were classified as padi planting areas.

 So all round would be low lying and heavy mechineries were impossible or expensive maybe accept backhoe.For two acres to recruit a backhoe could be expensive and they would  definitely charged exhorbitantly .This was why my friend spent a hefty sum with this method.

Given the option to clear it cheaply I would suggest to clear it manually.My method should be simple.Initially should you have no use for the existing bigger jungle trees,just cut them down first with chain-saws.On felling the trees cut down those branches or  shorten the lengths of those trees by cross cutting them.

Slightly stacked some of them to fesiltate burning.Next allow those cut down trees to dry under the hot sun.A month or so will suffice.Do not worry about the other existing wild seedling and shrubs,allow them be as it were.

When the time came for setting the cut and dried trees on fire.The fire should be set with accordance with the wind's blowing direction. Such being done the fire should burned furiously by now.

The glowing and heat of the fire will scorched or burned away many of the nearby wild seedling .This way those wild seedlings would be destroyed totally.After first burning  re-stacked of all unburnt branches to main trunks.Unburnt seedlings can then be chopped at below root level and dumped into the re-stacked timber to burn.

 This way you would have lesser wild seedling remaining to clear.The process should be repeated should there be left overs.In no time you will have very clean field.This would definitely cost you a fraction of what my dear friend spent.I think should you practice thus your clearing cost would not exceed five thousand ringgit.

Should I do it, this would definitely be much cheaper.I am writing from my past achievements.As a young planter my first replanting on my own was an abandoned old rubber area.The stand of which were old rubber seedlings.Huge trees you cannot find them these days.The stand per acre was about seventy odd trees per acre.

 Further the inter-rows were overgrown with wild rubber seedlings with many with girth more than fifteen inches..So thick were the under growths in the inter-rows that no one can walked through it.

Being inexperienced I panic at its sight.Worst of all I had no estimates to work with.The Boss expected me to clear it as cheaply as possible.I gave that a lot of thoughts Some one suggested that I slashed up the inter-rows first. I know but that would costly Similarly poisoning those wild seeding would also not worked well  besides expensive.Those days we still had 2,4,5 T  tree killers.

Having much thoughts I decided to cut down the old rubber stand first.Those days rubber wood were not in demand yet,so to clear them I  have to burn them away.With the huge trees sawed down I had them trimmed or cut to shorten the length and size of those big branches.

The cutting proves valuable as that packed the branches together which later fesilitate easier burning.No one were acceptable to perform all these  chain sawing on contract . I was forced to pay them on a daily basis.That I did but  was never costly as I had anticipated.

 When the time came for setting the cut trees on  fire,we had a fantastic burnt out.The wind and the weather were very kindly to us.When the first burning were fully accomplished we had a sufficiently excellent cleared field.

Following we re-stacked it with a "Chokra" gang.A "Chokra" gang consisting of young workers( both males & females) attracted from the nearly by "kampong" at a cheap cheap cost.What held me in great esteem and  astonishment were that all those wild rubber seedlings.They were burnt and destroyed by the fire beyond regeneration.

Just imagine what a relieve it was for me.No more extra costing to eradicate them.For me it was an achievement never to be forgotten.That also won me recognition from my employer.Of course I felt immensely proud of that achievement.

Well coming back to that field should I were to do it on my own,I would definitely do it slightly differently.I valuable those existing bigger trees.Therefore I would slashed the area initially.When cutting down the shrubs,bushes and small wild tress i would at the same time extract out those sizes of wild trees which can be used as stickers in whatever I plant in future.Thus I would have saved some money when  required them in the orchard in future.

When slashing all those wild growths do not waste time cutting those which cannot be slashed with parangs or knives. Cutting those would slow down the slashing job.Following I would  chain saw all the bigger trees .Chain- sawing selectively.Those which were useful allow them to be left standing.

Destroy all unwanted trees.On cutting them down I would extract what ever useful timber from them Cutting them into suitable lengths extra and stacking away for future used.Those with huge girth can be turned into stools otherwise saved back as future firewood.Using them as fencing posts were not advisable as these were perishable under our weather.

The bigger timber can also  utilized into the fabrication of a log cabin.Crazy my it seem but that can be a reality left in my hands.If possible simply stacked all unwanted lengths of trees.Allow unwanted trees and slashed weeds and trees to dry under the hot sun for sometime.When the time came for setting the burning.A complete burning can be expected at a minimuin cost..

Chapter 1 The Land

Recently there have a surged of people purchasing  land of small acreages to convert into farms or orchards.Many of these  people were retired old folks who would invest their hard earned money in such projects.Others were those who had tolled years overseas.The whole idea were to retire in a peaceful and tranquil locality. 

Surviving in a farm or an orchard were definitely amount to acquiring a very healthy life style in old age. The fresh air and the quiet environment are good for all retirees.When the farm or orchards were successful that should bring their family closer together 

Their children might scorned the idea of farms or orchards but never their grand children,that are for sure.A successful farm or orchards will definitely attracts their younger generations.Kids living in the urban jungle of the concrete jungle should loved and adored the harvests of the farms or orchards.Come fruiting seasons they would be drawn there without the slightest doubt together with their friends.

On retirement old folks had difficulties coping up with the life styles of the younger generation,not that their children were not filial. Most children are faithful to their parents.Troubles only began whenever they got married.

Well,I am not condemning any one here.It is common that once their children  got attached to their spouses - their attitude towards their old folks were mostly to change.The transformation were never their faults either nor their spouses.It were a matter of different opinion.


Children once married had their own frame of mind.Most wanted to be independent from their parents whether maternal or paternal.They want to be be free from all these parental care.Starting a new beginning on their own,of course.

Parents should gladly accept and be supportive of their efforts.But our next generation were a pampered lot.Too much have been bestowed on them on a plate from their birth until their marriages and many further on .Their up bringing were more cozy than their parents'. They never endured any hardship for one.


Their parents had never seen  even toys let alone computers.Their parents should they play most had to fabricate their own play things.Wooden guns,kites and many other play things.So they were never aware of the basic of most requirements.

Allowing them their freedom I think were highly recommended for such children.That was the time they will come to realization of the plain truth - then you will know they truly will be growing up.Let them do  what they like and unless they go through such process they will never realized the whole truth about their parental efforts.

The next lot of people purchasing small acreages of land to convert into farms or orchards were those who had worked so hard overseas for long period of time.With their hard earned cash to buy a small piece of land to convert into a small farm or orchard were by they can relaxed and lived in peace.That also were to keep themselves slightly active while in retirements.


Let us not indulged further into these,I am here writing this book trying to part some of my experiences to old retired personal and those old folks who had worked so hard overseas. Such people who were in the process of creating a farm or an orchard.

Most brought the land were inexperienced people to create either a farm or an orchard.True they have the cash to run wildly into these projects wastes lavishly.Many were thus cheated unscrupulous exorbitant contractors. True it is their money so who cares how they waste them away.No body could interfere or try to persuade them.For one these old hacks would never listen to you,anyway.Well,the choice were theirs - no further comment.


 Your advices went in blank minds.Many will say as I did who cares It is their money,as long as it made them happy who cares.But that was not the point,I cannot stand that for one.So with the little experiences I have accumulated through my years of serving in plantations.Hope it would benefit those who want to follow my advice.


So herewith I impart some of my hard gain knowledge.Of course my methods will not go on well with some so called big plantation planters.Mine will the cheapest and more efficient methods.Believe me or not, entirely up to you.


Whatever,I know I was the best planter around but should you have the money to waste then by all means follow the big plantation style.

Chapter 22 The Outrageous Mamasan

Well,well what do you know?.The mother had been well known for her strong layers of makeups and dyed hair - making her extremely beautiful liken a "Mama San".Actually with that she had managed to seduce quite a number of men especially her immediate boss.

As if that were insufficient she proceeded on to enlarge her breasts physically by some experts.Just imagine a mother of half a dozen kids had her breasts enlarged Those already drooping  papayas given a new face uplift. Enlarged and induced firmer Well she required a triple XL bra to lift those two magnificent papayas I think.

The larger breasts surely made her Boss's mouth watered with delight whose wife had flatened papayas.What a pleasure for him to utilize both hands to fill up just one papaya at a time. hold on to   and to rub.Mine,mine what would happened should she body massaged him with those large papayas.No wonder he kept on pestering her for dates behind his wifes' back every evenings.Ha.aha.ah 

To-date presently she is lying low or rather both are keeping apart,her lover and her.The pressure is already on them for her lover's wife is now suspicious of him having an affair,so is her shorty husband.So she pretend now to be homely..She may pretend but they could never escape the hawk eyes of the watchful wife.Or once a bitch forever a Bitch.The affair is still very hot somehow he got to release himself otherwise he would explode on the spot.

Now allow me to visualize her in your mind how she looked like.We once again began with her hair which she dyed with two tone raven brown with the front hair given a brighter yellowish look.Combing backwards she spotted a tail like bunch of hair .And with thick makeups coupled with red lip sticks.Another thing of late she spotted on with spectacles to make her look more decent.Decent?.My foot whatever it was  she still adorned a full colour of a "Mamasan" With her age there ought to be no mistake.

Her husband the poor shorty could do nothing.Each time he returned to look at her with jealous weary stupid eyes,gooppling out largely to feed on her present out look but sadly to say that were now things he could never touch.Well,there is a way no doubt that is got money got talk or even f.....s.Otherwise the remaining children would blocked his path to eternity by simply occupying the remaining part of his bed.

 Poor bastard.Looks like he got to work harder transporting "chicken dung".He dared not even return to his so called home without the dough she required..He cannot even order his daughters to stop fucking.In disgust he left home with a hurry without looking back.His dilemma is to work harder for the maintainence of his daughters but for sleeping with his big breasted wife extra payments had to be made.What a pity?.

Money is of utmost important to the Mamasan.Got money can even F her or even any of her daughters..Of course inclusive room rental plus "water"Her two elder daughters were like mother similarly as bitchy,simply faking all round.Changing lovers every now and then.The lovers are smarter nowadays because  once they laid with them it were as if they were faking the hell out of them.Fake as many times as possible throughout the nights.Fake more than their money's worth..

The bitches were all the time game for that.Their mother knew about them faking so irrationally but could not careless as long as those men paid their dues.Money talks- want to lay with her also can Well she can easily take both men at a time,maybe three.Young beefs deep fried with old ginger tastes excellent.Do not believe me.Just try it.But one obstacle they have to bet better because her Boss could pay her better.He is lying low because of his wife otherwise he would be on her most evenings Anyway no fakig he also paying lah.Her husband could only fake himself,poor bastard.


to be  continued.