746 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[April i, 1884. 



ST. HELENA. 



A Report upon the Present Position and Prospects of the 

 Agricultural Resources of the Island of St. Helena, 



BY D. MOEHIS, ESQ., M.A., F.L.S., F.G.S., 



Director of Public Gardens and Plantations, Jamaica, 

 St. Helena lies iu lat. 15= 55' S., and long.S^ 42'W. 

 It is 1,140 miles from the African coast. It is 1,800 miles 

 from the American coast, 700 mUes south of the Island of 

 Ascension, 1155 miles due south of the equator, apd about 

 4,000 miles from England. 



It was discovered 21st Jlay, 1502, by the Portuguese ; 

 held by the Dutch until 1651, when the East India Com- 

 pany took it. It was transferred to the Crown in 1833. 

 It has been in Briti.sh possession about 232 years. 



Historically, it is chiefly remembered in connexion with 

 the exile of Napoleon I. After the defeat at VTaterloo he 

 was placed a prisoner at St. Helena from 15th October, 

 1815, until his death, 5th May, 1821, a period of 5§ years. 

 His body was at first interred near Longwood, but after- 

 wards (1840) removed to France. 



The area of St. Helena is about 45 square miles; its 

 extreme length, lOj miles, and extreme breadth, Sj miles. 

 Of the 28,800 acres of which the island consists, the greater 

 portion suitable for cultivation is in private hands. The 

 Grown lands, with the exception of Longwood Farm and 

 a few other places, are barren wastes on the outskirts of 

 the island, incapable of cultivation. 



To understand aright the present condition of the surface 

 of St. Helena it may be mentioned that three fairly distinct 

 zones, each possessing its own special characteristics, are 

 observable both in the geological natiu-e of the soil as well 

 as in the plants which affect them. These are : — 



1. The Coast Zone. — This, in the present day, is " the 

 th"y, barren, soilless, frowning, hchen-coated, rocky outskirts 

 of the i.sland." At one time it is said to have been covered 

 with abundant vegetation, and with ti"ees drooping over the 

 tremendous precipices that overhang the sea. 



The barren coast zone, at present extends about a mile 

 to a mile and a half around the island. Deep, wide valleys, 

 and rocky, almost inaccessible, ridges run from the central 

 ridge towards the sea. breaking up the coast zone into 

 munerous, almost detached, prominences and ledges. It is 

 absolutely devoid of vegetation except pricldy pear, a few 

 plants of JfeseMhyanthcmum, and the rare indigenous 

 Pelan/onium, Pharnaceum, and Trijiteris. On the Barn there 

 are straggling bushes of the scrub-wood (Aster glutino.nis, 

 Koxb.), which is probably the most abundant of the indi- 

 genous plants of the rockj' coast. 



The plants on the coast zone are so scattered and for 

 the most part so lodged in crevices and hollows that they 

 do little to redeem the barren, bmnt-up appearance which 

 the island presents from the sea. 



2. The Jliildle Zone. — This extends about three-quarters 

 of a mile inland from the boundary of the coast zone. 

 Its surface is less rocky, with shallower valleys, and more 

 grassy slopes. The elevation is from 400 feet to about 

 1,800 feet; the temperature is lower; and numerous 

 Australian, Cape, and .iVmerican slu-ubs and trees have 

 become established, forming thickets of considerable size. 

 One of tiie chief features of this middle zone are the furze- 

 clad slopes, with occasionally the indigenous gum woods, 

 and, in moist sheltered hollows, the larger ferus. Longwood 

 and Deadwood, Plantation House, and West Lodge may 



"be said to occupy charactt-ristic positions in this zone. 

 The Enghsh brooms, brambles, willows, and poplars, Scotch 

 piues and gorse bushes. Cape of Good Hope bushes, 

 Austrahan trees, and American weeds have driven out most 

 of the indigenous plants from this belt. The tendency 

 of these introduced plants is to encroach more and more 

 upon the higher lands where the indigenous flora still remains. 

 As regards the larger trees, such as pines and willows 

 (acacias), they appear to be spreading downwards in the 

 direetion of the valleys ; following, no doubt, the distribution 

 of their seeds by the action of the trade winds. 



3. The Central Zone. — This occupies a certain extent of 

 land on each side of the ceuti'al ridge (once the rim of 

 the Sandy Bay volcano). It is altogether not more than 

 about 3 miles long and about 2 miles wide. In some places, 

 as on the southern slopes of the central ridge, the rocks 

 are very precipitous, while in others the land possesses an 

 undulating "hummocky" character, nith grassy slopes, 



meadows, hayfields. a few farms and gardens, and well 

 wooded glens of oak and acacias. On the e.'rtreme crest 

 of the central ridge, extending from High Peak to Rock 

 Rose, there is stiU left a portion of the indigenous forest, 

 with cabbage trees and ferns, the wild olive ( Xesiota elliptica), 

 angelica, lobelia, and the delicate campanulate IVahlenheryia. 

 Generally the soil in the central zone is rich though not 

 very deep ; the climate is j^articularly cool, the sky being 

 continually obscm-ed by mist and cloud. 



I have previously mentioned that St. Helena contains an 

 estimated area of 28,800 acres. Of this area probably 20,000 

 acres, or more than two-thirds, are composed of barren rocky 

 wastes or clayey slopes totally unfit in their present 

 conditions for any agricultural operations. 



Aloes, Furcraa, and plants of this kind may be induced 

 to grow in the more warm and sheltered valleys; and 

 possibly, several hardy trees may be established in other 

 places under careful and proper treatment; but unless 

 pioneering vegetation of this kind is first spread over the.se 

 wastes to gradually reclaim them, they must continue to 

 remain iu their present condition. 



About 8,000 acres sire iu pasture and hay land. The 

 tendency is to throw more and more laud out of cultiv- 

 ation aud place it in grass. This is a retrograde step 

 as regards the agricultiu-al interests of the island, but it 

 ia inevitable under the influences which obtain at present. 

 The country houses which in the East India Company's 

 time were inhabited by prosperous merchants and officials, 

 and surrounded by well-kept gardens and orchards, are 

 now fast falling into decay and becoming ruinous. The 

 cultivated areas around them are simply converted into 

 grazing lands, and a few cattle and sheep are the only 

 indications of life for miles round. 



Under forest, both of indigenous and introduced trees, 

 in detached and strugglmg patches, there may be altogether 

 about 4f_0 acres. 



Under cultivation, with root crops, forage, orchards, and 

 gardens, there are not quite 300 acres. 



Tlus last area, \-iz., 300 acres, practically represents all 

 the land now used for raising crops and for contributing 

 to the food supply of the inhabitants. 



It wiU be noticed that this is not all the land capable 

 of being thus utilised. Under a more efficient system of 

 agriculture, and with the introduction and application of 

 capital, the area under crops and garden cultivation might 

 be increased tenfold. In fact, fully one-half the land under 

 pasture aud hay land might be broken up and utilised for 

 crops, provided a tangible and apparent purpose were in 

 view, and a market found for the produce. 



The present population of St. Helena according to the 

 census of 1881, excluding the garrison and shipping, is about 

 4,500. Of this number more than one-half (2,435) live in 

 Jameston-n. 



As regards occupation, there are only 70 persons (males) 

 returned as farmers and small cultivators, and 477 (males) 

 as labourers. 



During the last 10 years large numbers of labomers and 

 small cultivators have emigrated to the Cape and Xatal, and 

 at the present time labour is scarce and expensive. Wages 

 range from 2s. to 2s. dd. per day, but the quality even at 

 this price is not quite satisfactory. 



The rainfall at St. Helena is very variable. In .Jamestown 

 Valley and the coast zone it is probably as low as 25 or 

 30 inches. In the middle zoae, as at Longwood, the mean 

 annual rainfall (by observation) is 44 inches. On the central 

 ridge it is no doubt higher and may be placed at 55 to 60 

 inches. 



As regards climate St. Helena stands pre-eminent in 

 possessing a remarkably fine and healthy climate. The 

 temperature is uniform; observations at Longwood, at an 

 altitude of 1,764 feet, record the mean temperature for 

 five years at 614 ° Fahrenheit, the lowest being 52 '= and 

 the highest 77 '6= Fahrenheit. 



The mean height of the thermometer in the different 

 months ranged "from 57'07° in September to 6624° in 

 March, making an average difference of only 917 between 

 the hottest and the coldest months. 



The trade winds from the south-east blow interruptedly 

 for about 10 mouths of the year, keeping the air pure and 

 cool. 



In respect to its climate I regard St. Helena as a mos 

 valuable station for recruiting health, and it is a matte 



