210 t l ISA AMI l'OKTO 1UC0 



people are finding a source of livelihood and profit in pro- 

 ducts which were disdained and considered trivia] by the 

 former planters. A few years ago a fine type of the old- 

 time Cape ( 1 od skippers, Captain Baker, saw the possibili- 

 ties of the island in the fruit line. He established what 

 is now the Boston Fruit Company, capitalized at several 

 millions of dollars, which has stimulated and encourage* I 

 the planting of banana- and orange-trees all over the island. 

 At every little port the stations of this company are 

 located, and steamers run almost daily in the fruit season, 

 conveying the product to the United States. This has 

 brought to the island a welcome addition of money, which, 

 distributed both to the small producer and the hordes of 

 laborers required in handling the fruit, has proved bene- 

 ficial to all classes. 



Up to the time of the great frost in Florida, in the 

 winter of 1895-96, the Jamaicans never dreamed of the 

 possibility of remuneration from orange-culture. Scat- 

 tered over the island were thousands of orange-trees, some 

 planted for ornament.or private use, others the result of acci- 

 dental propagation. Owing to the destruction of the Flor- 

 ida fruit during the year mentioned, American merchants 

 undertook to gather Jamaica oranges, and some two hun- 

 dred and fifty thousand barrels were shipped, much to the 

 profit and delight of the Jamaicans, who immediately availed 

 themselves of Captain Baker's offer to have the old trees 

 grafted, at his expense, with stocks of the superior Florida 

 fruit. The wild, or Seville, orange grows everywhere 

 throughout the island, but the marmalade on every table 

 is made in Scotland from Sicilian oranges and possibly 

 Jamaica sugar. 



The grape-fruit and shaddock members of the orange 

 tribe attain great perfection here. Lemons and limes are 

 little cultivated. Grapes, pineapples, new potatoes, toma- 

 toes, and other fresh vegetables for use in America are 

 receiving some attention on the island, and a valuable 

 trade in these commodities is being created. Attempts 



