A'oL. XII. No. 2SG. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS 



119 



WKST IXDIAN TALKS OF OLD. I'.y Algernon 

 E. Aspinall. Dia-Imorth & Co., London, 191 '. 



In the preface to this interesting book the author refers to 

 the striking change which will come over the Caribbean Sea on 

 ihe completion of the Panama Canal. One result will be am 

 increasing number of visitors to the British West Indian 

 Islands, and the recounting of tlie history of these colonies in 

 the work under review will do much to engender increased 

 interest. 



A book which deals principally with historical nuitters 

 is not to be expected to have any direct bearing upon the 

 agriculture of the countries of which it treats, but there 

 are several features of the work which shed light upon West 

 Indian industrial and social conditions of tlie present day. 



The wars of the eighteenth century of which the scene 

 of action was largely these islands, may be taid to have had 

 an influence in the introduction of the different languages, 

 dialects and religions which exist to day even in the British 

 Islands, The names of many estates in St. Kitts and 

 Dominica reflect former ownership by another nation, whilst 

 the names of plants like Noyau and Tous-les-niois are 

 suggestive of early French occupation. 



1 )uring the period of which the book treats we read of 

 the occurrence of hurricanes that caused a considerable amount 

 of damage to crops wMch were growing at the time. The 

 following description by the notorious (iovernor Kirk of one 

 of these unfortunate visitations is taken from Chapter II. 

 'The people having made good cropps, began to be in good 

 humour and they had allmost forgot their losses by the 

 I'rench (which hap'ned to them just before I arrived) but 

 to our great misfortune on the 29th of August last in the 

 night we had a terrible storm which is called here a hurricane, 

 Antigua has the least damage, yet they have suffered very 

 much; but in St. Kitts, Xevis and Montserrat most of the 

 houses are blown down, and those that stand are miserably 

 shattered, for my own part I have lost allmost all, I have 

 ever since I came.' 



In connexion with tie description of the siege of Brim- 

 stone lliil indications are perceived of tlje prosperity of Nevis 

 during the early part of the eighteenth century, and in the 

 same chapter reference is made to the geological origin of 

 Brimstone Hill. In another chapter we read of similar 

 attempts to explain at that time the origin of Diamond Uock. 



West Indian Tales of Old which affords fascinating 

 reading .should do much towards making the West Indies 

 more prominent, and indirectly have an influence in increas- 

 ing their agricultural prosperity. 



The publication is well produced, the illustrations being 

 particularly good, iiead in conjunction witii a Guide to the 

 West Indies by the same author, it viill provide many striking 

 contrasts, and give the intending visitor to these waters an 

 iiliiminative idea of the West Indies past and present. 



IIAKDHOOK OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO. 

 Prepared and published by a Couimittee of the Board of 

 Agriculture. Price 6rf. net. 



The climate of Trinidad is more generally tropical than, 

 that of the other West Indian islands, and this combined 

 with its comparatively large size, accounts for the diversity of 

 cultivations and industries that exist in the colony. Tht 

 greater part of the handbook deals with purely agricultural 

 conditions, but reference is also made to the population, the 

 towns, to the various institution.s, and to the facilities of 

 internal communication, A remarkable feature of Trinidad's 

 population is that one-third of it is comprised of East Indians 

 or descendants of East Indian immigrants, who have been 

 specially introduced for estate laliour. The remaining 

 two-thirds consist of Europeans of British, French and 

 Spani.sh descent, Chinese, Portuguese from Madeira, and the 

 West Indian black and coloured races. It may be aptly- 

 stated that here the 'East meets the West.' For some time 

 considerable attention has been given in Trinidad to all 

 matters which tend to develop its own natural resources. 

 In the publication under review an account is given of the 

 constitution and activities of the I)epartment of Agriculture,, 

 the Board of Agriculture and the Agricultural Society. The 

 part of the handbook which describes the agricultural pros- 

 pects of the colony gives an account of the present status of 

 the cacao, sugar and cotton cultivations. Special mention is- 

 made of cotton cultivation in Tobago, and of the enormous 

 development of the cultivation of cacao during late years ir. 

 Trinidad. At present there are over 700 plantations having 

 an area of over 300,000 acres. In 1910 there was exported 

 5i million pounds of cacao of the value of £1,2.30,097. 

 Among other crops that are cultivated in Trinidad on a large 

 scale may be mentioned bananas, coco-nuts, rubber, rice and 

 vegetables. Thus is very great the diversity of tropical 

 cultivations in this colony. But Trinidad's wealth is not 

 entirely agricultural. The petroleum oil industry is now well 

 established, and asphalt, hitherto the most valuable of the 

 mineral products, \ ields an annual revenue to the public funds, 

 of from £4.5.000 to £50,000. 



The part of the handbook dealing with Trinidad concludep^ 

 with a chapter on how to start a cacao estate. It is pointed 

 out that in Trinidad the most generally employed method 

 of bringing cacao cultivation into bearing condition is the 

 contract system. This system is controlled and regulated 

 by a statutory Act known as the Agricultural Contract - 

 Ordinance, which governs the relations between owner and 

 contractor. Briefly it provides that in consideration of 

 a certain price (usually 1.?.) per bearing cacao tree whiclr 

 is to be paid the contractor at the end of a certain period 

 (usually five years) and in return for ground provisions growa 

 on the land in the meantime, the contractors enter into- 

 possession of the land for the specified period and undertake 

 to plant and maintain in a husbandlike manner the cacao 

 cultivation which is permanently to occupy the land. 



The latter part of the handbook is devoted to a des- 

 cription of the neighbouring island of Tobago. The advan- 

 tages of this Colony as an opening for the investment of 

 capital are clearly indicated, but due warning is given to 

 intending settlers to visit the various districts and become 

 familiar with the local conditions before investing money. 



The attractive nature of both Trinidad and Tobago as 

 a colony for those in search of sport and the lighter [ileasures 

 appears to be as great as the opportunities attbrded by these 

 islands to intending agriculturists and men of commerce. 



