214 CUBA AND PORTO RICO 



the allspice, such as cardamoms, nutmeg, black pepper, 

 cinnamon, and vanilla, besides Sisal hemp, cassava, Chile 

 peppers, castor-oil, and cinchona barks. All of these 

 already exist in the island ; and are only waiting for favor- 

 able circumstances to be developed into important indus- 

 tries. They could be greatly increased at any time if 

 special attention were devoted to them. 



Not the least important feature of the Jamaican agri- 

 culture is the government instruction and experimenta- 

 tion. Grants of money are given to elementary schools 

 for the teaching of agriculture as a special subject. In 

 addition, all country schools are expected to teach the 

 elementary principles as a part of the general course. 

 Special courses in agriculture are given to the students 

 of the normal schools, and practical demonstrations and 

 lectures are regularly delivered in certain districts by 

 the officers of the botanical department, which also issues 

 a monthly bulletin dealing with agricultural and horticul- 

 tural interests. Further, an industrial school is attached 

 to the Hope Gardens, where the boys receive practical in- 

 struction from the superintendent. Apprentices brought 

 here from the west coast of Africa for training are now 

 engaged in agricultural work in their own country. 



The Royal Jamaica Society of Agriculture was estab- 

 lished in 1885, and, according to the " Jamaican Handbook," 

 it is entitled to be classed among the most useful and 

 valuable institutions of the island. The Jamaica Agricul- 

 tural Society, a more recent creation, publishes an excellent 

 monthly journal. There are besides sugar-plantation 

 associations, pen-keepers' associations, and local agricul- 

 tural societies. 



All in all, agriculture in Jamaica is in a far more healthy 

 condition than in the other islands. The blacks no longer 

 depend upon imported rations of rice and codfish, with 

 which the former masters fed them, but nearly all have 

 little homes surrounded by fields of ground provisions, 

 yams, sweet potatoes, bananas, and corn, which, together 



