372 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



November 26, 1910, 



FRUITS AND FRUIT TREES. 



THE BANANA COMMLSSION OF 

 BRITISH GUIANA. 



The folic I wing report of the Commission appointed 

 by His Excellency the Governor of British Guiana to 

 consider the question of growing bananas in quantity 

 in that colony, and the pcjssibility of establishing an 

 export trade in that fruit, is taken from the Demerara 

 Daily Chronicle, Mail Edition, for November 11, 

 1910:— 



We, the Commissioner.s appointed by Vour Excellency 

 to inquire into the question of the cultivation of bananas in 

 this colony, and of the possibility of establishing an export 

 trade in the product, do respectfully submit to Your Excel- 

 lency this our report. 



Your Commissioners have held three meetings, and 

 a delegation of your Commissioners has visited Surinam and 

 studied the banana industry there existing. 



Before the Commission assembled, a careful study was 

 made of all available documents and records relating to the 

 Commission which reported on the suljject in 1890 and 1895. 

 It was evident from these that the Commission had no reliable 

 evidence before it as to the feasibility of the cultivation of 

 bananas on a commercial scale on the front lands of this 

 colony, or any data from coinitries where liananas had been 

 so cultivated, under similar conditions of soils and climate. 



It was therefore decided that, as a banana industry had 

 been started in Surinam, and was reported to be progressing 

 satisfactorily, the most reliable way of ascertaining whether 

 a similar industry could be established and carried on in this 

 colony on commercially and financially .sound lines, would be 

 by a delegation of your Conmiissioners visiting that country, 

 studying the cultural conditions under which the industry 

 had been established and was being carried on, and making 

 special inquiries as to the financial aspects of the cnterpri.se 

 in all their branches, and that decisions as to future proceed- 

 ings, if any, should lie made after the delegation had reported 

 the results ot tLe inquiry to your Commissioners. 



The Combined Court, at its Annual Session in Februar3-, 

 1910, voted the funds requisite to allow of the visit lieing 

 made, and your Government having communicated with the 

 Government of Surinam, and having received from the 

 Governor of that colony His Excellency's assurances of his 

 cordial welcome of the delegates to that colony, and of his 

 assistance and that of his officers in every way in their power 

 to aid the delegates in acquiring full information as to the 



conditions under which the banana industry is there carried 

 on, the delegation, consisting of the Chairman, Mr. J. Wood 

 Davis, F.K., and Mr. F. A. Stockdale, arrived in Surinam on 

 •June 1 7, and after completing its inquiries, left Paramaribo 

 on its return to Georgetown on .July 1. 



The results of the visit of the delegation to Surinam 

 and the conclusions arrived at by the delegates were 

 communicated to, and carefully considered by, your Com- 

 missioners. The report of the delegation to your Commis- 

 sioners is appended. 



Your Commissioners agree with the conclusions of their 

 delegation as detailed in its report. Experience in Surinam 

 ■with the banana industry, practically established there and 

 financed by the Government of Holland, does not ju.stify 

 your Commissioners in recommending to Your Excellency 

 that any steps should be taken by the Government of British 

 Guiana with the object of starting the cultivation of 

 bananas in this colony and of establishing an export trade in 

 the product, while the facts detailed in the report of the 

 delegates to Surinam lead to the conclusion that there is not 

 any hope of, or inducement for, the establishment of such an 

 industry in British Guiana either at present or in the near 

 future. 



All of which is respectfully .submitted to Your Exceb 

 lency:— .J. P.. Harrison, Chairman; W. J. Robson, G. Garnett, 

 Francis Dias, J. Wood Davis, F.R., J. Sydney McArthur, 

 F.R., F. A. Stockdale, John Junor, J. McFarlane Corry, 

 T. Earle. 



The report of the delegation to Surinam appears 

 as an annex to the principal report. 



THE OELEG.^TION TO SURINAM. SUMM.\KV -VND CON- 

 CLUSIONS. The delegation that visited Surinam having 

 described the industry in the Dutch colony report: — 



In conclusion we had to .satisfy ourselves whether 

 a banana industry similar to the one in Surinam could be 

 established in this colony, or whether we could entertain 

 hopes, after our experience in the former country, for 

 a successful industry here. The following are the more 

 salient points in this connexion: — 



We arc fully satisfied that the major part of the readily 

 available front lands of this colony is not well suited for the 

 production of bananas on the commercial scale: that it is quite 

 hopeless to look for their production on such a scale on the 

 wind-swept abandoned lands of the present sugar estates and 

 of earlier cultivations; and that the great area of la?id other- 



