JAMAICA 213 



Cocoa cultivation was introduced into Jamaica by the 

 Spaniards, but subsequently dropped by the English. 

 l T uder the fostering administration of the botanical de- 

 partment, it has been latterly encouraged again, and 

 thousands of acres formerly devoted to sugar may be 

 utilized by this remunerative plant. Common allspice, 

 which occurs in commerce as small dry berries resembling 

 black pepper, grows upon the pimento- tree, which is 

 indigenous to the island. The cultivation of this is of 

 the simplest character. The trees are established from 

 seeds distributed by birds, and require only to be thinned 

 and kept free from undergrowth. The crop is irregular in 

 quantity, and the price of late years has been exceptionally 

 low, although Jamaica is the only country that produces 

 this article. In the shade of the pimento-trees cattle are 

 raised on a rich grass called the pimento-grass, that thrives 

 on dry limestone soil. Allspice may therefore be regarded 

 as only a by-product on lands usually devoted to stock- 

 raising. 



Ginger is another industry that is especially associated 

 with Jamaica. This can be grown in almost every part 

 of the tropics, but that of the rich soils in the mountains 

 of Jamaica usually brings the highest prices. The culti- 

 vation is an exhaustive one, and land that has borne a 

 few ginger-crops has hitherto been abandoned as useless. 

 Efforts are now being made to restore fertility to these 

 lands by the use of suitable manures. 



It is needless to review all the other small agricultural 

 industries now existing or capable of being called into 

 existence in Jamaica. The exports of annatto, which 

 every American sees at least three times a day in tic 

 golden yellow of the butter upon his tabic, lime-juice, dye- 

 woods, hitter woods, lancewood bars, satinwood, ebony, 

 coco-wood, lignum-vitsB, walking-sticks (from thinnings 

 of the pimento-trees), divi-divi, tamarinds, sarsaparilla, 

 and nutmegs are all more or less prominent. There are 

 also medicinal plants; essential oils; other spices besides 



