The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1928-04-27
prepared by the National Geographic
Society, Washington. ID. CO.

Society. Washington. d. c.
~ UMATRA, largest of the Dutch
East Indies, and until fairly re-
Gently in the hands of savases,
is rapidly undergoing develop
ment by its methodical rulers. 1t is
an immense island, nearly four times
the size of Java and thirteen times
larger than Holland itself. but its war
decimated population amounts to less
than 100000, most of which, for vari-
Gus reasons, is not available for labor.
Because of this the island has been
slow in attracting attention, although
more favorably situated than Java and
richer in natural resources.
Java has already been developed,
Sumatra is an island of great future.
In the development of that future
practically all the labor has TO be inn
ported on short-term contracts. Chiefly
1t is Chinese, which is expensive;
King, which is viewed with disfavor
by the British Indian government; or
Javanese, which is unwilling to come
and does not thrive in the climate.
The best idea of current life in
Sumatra is to be had by leaving the
towns behind and striking into the in
terror. From the capital, Medan, the
road to the south at first leads through
some miles of country dense and green
with vegetation, with tiny matched ma
tive huts making picturesque0brOwn
spots i'm the midst of fruit trees and
coco palms. AS one approaches near
er to the hills, this gives way TO open
plains covered with high grass and
low bushes, the characteristic tobacco
land of Deli.
The larger estates, especially those
Of the Deli company, are divided into
sections under the administration or
assistant managers. Each year only
one-tenth to a fifth of their enormous
area is under cultivation, since to
maintain the high quality of the to-
bacco grown the land is left fallow for
from five to ten years after each crop.
During the first year the natives are
permitted TO grow rice upon the fallow
fields; then the soil is left to itself
and to the bushes and rank grass
which soon cover it. The tobacco crop
Is q rich one, but The demands it
makes upon the land and upon labor
are such that it is not surprising TO
find the newer estates annually devot-
ing more and more of their attention
and territories TO rubber and other
less exacting products.
Up Through the Plantations.
Gradually ascending in altitude, the
road passes through many miles of
these monotonous, faIlow-lying plains,
their desolate appearance only in
creased by an occasional row of un-
used drying sheds and few fire.
blackened trunks of huge toealang
trees, solitary survivors of the primeval
forest.
The sections actually in cultivation,
however, are extremely interesting,
with many acres of magnificent tobac-
co plants growing to a height of five
or six feet in closely planted parallel
ridges. Frequently they hedge the
road on both sides and extend in I'M
broken rows as far as the eye can
follow over the rolling fields.
The work of the plantation is many
sided and the various nationalities en-
ployed are usually engaged in their
own distinctive branches of labor.
Thus, although sometimes replaced by
other races, Chinese predominate in
the actual work on the tobacco plants !;
the bulleck-cart drivers are Kings;
the carpenters are BOyans; the Jaw
anese are woodmen, road builders, and
gardeners; and the Bataks and SUI
matra Malays, who are not obtainable
In large numbers nor reliable for sus-
tanned labor, clear the land prepare
tory to planting and build roads and
sheds.
The ubiquitous Sikh is often found
in his favorite capacity of guard or
policeman.
Lines of two-wheeled bullock carts
with loose roofs of matched palm
leaves, mating, or even sheet tin, rum
BILE slowly up and down the roads.
hauling supplies and material for the
estates. Many of the slow-plodding In
dian oxen are magnificent big Guzerat
animals, with large. humps and long
silky dewlaps, and, with their red-tur-
baned Tamil drivers sitting on the
floor of the open-fronted carts, are
strongly reminiscent of the tea plan
tations of Ceylon.
The road is very good, wide. and
well made. There is practically no
rock in this part of the island; and
the metaling for the roads. must be