94 



THE AGr.ICL'LTUKAL NEWS. 



JiLY 5, 1902. 



WEST INDIES. 



Hand-book of General Information. 



The iMiiigiiiuts' Intiinnatiiiii Office (."il, >5ioa(l way, 

 We.st minster, S.W.) liavo recently published a new 

 edition of their hand-book of general information for 

 intending settlei-s in the We.st Indies. The following 

 .sinniu.iry of the latest and most important details 

 contained in it is (juoted from the Impir'idl Ii't^tiiuic 

 J<>i'r„>il, May. 1002:— 



Kicstly, with regard to general oiieiiiiigs, the .--ugLU- 

 inUustrv comes under consideration. This however, reijuires 

 caiiittil and exi)erience, and i.s mainly in the hands of large 

 proiirietor.s, most of wliom have been long connected with 

 the West Indies. All field labour, and nearly all artizan 

 labour, is carried on l)y cohnueil workmen, who are better 

 able than white labourers to work under a tropical .sun. (n 

 Britisli (luian I and Trini<lad there are occasional openings 

 for the einployinent of young men as over.seers on the sugar 

 estates, at .sdaries of about £40 to £50 per annum with 

 board antl lodging. Such men are required to be faiily edu- 

 cated, and men of the farmer class are usually found to be 

 uiost suitable. In no case, however, should any young man 

 go out, excej)t luider regular engagement. There is also 

 occasionally, some opening for capable artizans and .shop 

 assistants, but they, too, will do well to obtain situations 

 before going out. Persons possessing large cajiital will, no 

 doubt, have the time and money to visit the West lndie> 

 and .judge for themselves of their cajiabilities as a field for 

 investment and a place of residence. Small capitalists with, 

 Ray, .i'L',000 will find that these Colonies offer a fair prospect 

 «»f making a comfortable livelihood, but they .should first 

 work for a year or two with some planter to learn the methods 

 of cultivation. The indu.stries for which the islands are 

 Kuited are the cultivation of fruit.s, such as bananas, plan- 

 tains, cocoa-nuts (by the .sea coast), lime.s, oranges, etc., for all 

 of which there is an increasing market ; and also tobacco, 

 cofl'ee, cacao, arrowroot, india-rubber, fibre-plants, spice.s, and 

 iu some islanils (as in Jamaica) the raising of cattle, hor.ses 

 and nudes. Intending settlers in Jamaica would do well to 

 <;omniiaucate with the Secretary of the Institute of Jamaica, 

 from uhoni can be obtained particulars of a scheme of 

 articling pupils in farnung and planting, which is intended 

 for yiMuii; men with some £2,000 or ,£;>,000 capital, who 

 wish to adopt an agricultural career. .A ~ettler with enough 

 <-apital to i-onibine cattle and sheep farming «ith fruit and 

 other cultivation, .should do well. Properties of 200 to l,00(( 

 acres, with house, etc., would cost from .£")00 to £:!,000 and 

 U|>wards. The outlook for fruit growers has been considera- 

 Jily brightened since the starting of the direct line of steani- 

 ei-s. I'.auanas yield large cro[).s, and their cultivation 

 recpiires less capital than most of the other crops, and is 

 renuinerative. Sugar has latterly fallen tn ^ l(,u position, 

 the total value of the sugar-cane [iroducts exported during 

 the last five years being little more than one third of the 

 value of bananas an<l oranges .shi[)ped to the I'lnted States. 

 The cau.se of this depres.sion of the sugar industry arc not 

 far to .HH'k, and in so much as they arc of local origin they 

 are entirely remedial. There are perhaps, four sites in Janiaic;! 

 at III.- fireseut time where the election of centnd factories fed 

 from :i clientele of contiguous estates would enable sugar to 

 l)e produced at a greatly reduced cost, Imt on the whole the 

 majority of sugar estates in Jamaica are of sntticient size, 

 agriculturally, to stand on their own merits and to be capable 

 of iiidixidnal develoimient. The sugar district of Vere is 



being provided with a s\stem of irrigation. The Oovenuiient 

 chemist considers that a eapitali.st seeking an outlet for his 

 money in Jamaica could find no investment so safe, certain 

 and remunerative, as a well-situateil sugar estate managed on 

 up-to-date lines, and with sntticient capital to work it 

 economically. 



It is observed tliat in the above re\icw nouu-ntiou 

 is made ot Dominica. The infornuition in the hand-book 

 (d'this island shows that, po.ssibly, Dominica offers just 

 now the best openings, if any, for young men with a 

 capital of abtnit £2,000. especi-dly if tliey have jirevions 

 knowledge ot the tropics and take tip Crown lands. 

 These are obtainable at a very moderate price, but. 

 naturally, are not so accessible as the coast lands. 



HAND-BOOKS TO THE WEST INDIES. 



The following Hand-books afford interesting informatiim 

 of a descrijitive, statistical and general character respecting 

 the West Indies. They also contain jiarticulars respecting 

 the imports and ex'jiorts and the agricidtural resources of the 

 Colonies enumerated : — • 



H.vND-BooK OF Jam.mc.\ for 1902, coni]irising Histori- 

 cal, Statistical and (ieneral Information concerning the Isl.md. 

 Twenty-second year nf jjublication. L<mdon : Edward .Stanford, 

 2ii and 27 Cockspur Street. Jamaica : CJovernment Printing 

 Ottice, Kingston. 



British Giian.v DiRECTonv .\ni> .^liian.vck foi l'My2. 

 (leorgetown, Denierara : C. K. Jardine. 



TKiNii>An ANO ToB.ioo Tear Book, 1902. Thirty-seventh 

 year of issue. Compiled by James Henry Cullcns. Port-of- 

 Sixiin : Bluir, Rl.irshall & Co. 



The Mirror Almanack asp General Commeriial Direc- 

 •roitv OF Tuinihau and Tobaoo. Port-of-Spain : Mole Brothers. 



The Guenaoa Hanh-book, Directory and .\lmanai k for 

 THE VEAK 19<)2. ( Ompiled by the Coloni.il Secret.irv. Lnudou : 

 Sampson Low, Marston it Co., Ltd. 



The St. Li cia Hand-book, Directory, .uid Ai.mwac for 

 P.M)2. Compihd by Everard G. Garraw.iy, Castries, I'.MI:.'. 



The Barraiios Directory ant> West Indian General 

 Advertiser, 19(11. Compiled by S. J. Eraser. Bridgetown 

 I'.arbados :King iV ('•■. 



LioHTUoi rn's West Indian Directory and Commercul 

 Directory. J. K. Liirlitbourn. St. Thom.is. 



.Mr. C. K. (iililions, Collynns, St. Lucy, Itarbados, offers 

 .seedlings of the ' (.^ueen of Flowers', lAirn-rstrni'iiiia /■'/o/- 

 regiiiac in exchange for ornamental shrubs, lVtie;i, .\rln>r- 

 Vitae, .shaditock, etc. 



