Vol. IV. Xo. 91. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



309 



CULTIVATION OP TEA IN JAMAICA. 



The following account of the cultivation of tea in 

 Jamaica is e.Ktracted from Jamaica in 1906: — 



There ure at the present time only two tea plantation.s 

 in the western heniisjihere; one at Suniuierville, South 

 Carolina, U.S.A., and the other at Ramble in St. Ann, 

 Jamaica. 



Varieties of the tea plant were introduced into Jamaica 

 in 1868, and were jilanted in tiie public gardens on the Blue 

 Jlountains, some 4,900 feet above sea-level, where they grew 

 well. Some twenty years later a plantation of about 13 

 acres was formed in the neighbourhood of the gardens at 

 Cinchona, but the cultivation was discontinued, and although 

 the bushes are still growing well, it has not yet been resumed. 

 In 1896 the plantation at Ramble in St. Ann was 

 commenced. Its progress at first was very slow, every step 

 having to be tested by exi)eriment. The soil being different 

 to that of Cinchona, the rainfall le.ss than at that place, and 

 the elevation only 1,600 feet above sea-level, it was necessary 

 to commence by trying whetlier the plant would grow under 

 the altered conditions sufficiently well to make it worth while 

 to incur the great initial expense of forming a plantation. 

 This test was made with 2.50 i)lants and a packet of seed 

 from the Cinchona gardens. The result being favourable, 

 the cultivation was extended as plants or seed could be 

 procured ; but the quantity not being large for several years, 

 only a small acreage could be planted. Of course, seed could 

 have been imported, but it was decided not to do so for two 

 reasons ; firstly, that the tea grown might be homogeneous 

 in character, and secondly, for fear of importing certain 

 enemies of the plant with the seed. Latterly the cultivation 

 has expanded more rapidly, seed being obtained from the 

 plants first put in ; there are now frc>m 80 to 90 acres with 

 plants of various ages. 



After demonstrating that the [ilant would grow in 

 St. Ann, it wa? necessary to exjieriment in manufacturing 

 the tea from the leaf to judge whether its quality would 

 justify a heavy expenditure on machinery for curing it. 

 This test having Ijeen passed, machinery was procured and 

 tea prepared for market, the first occasion being at the 

 Thickets Show, in August 1903. Since that time additional 

 and improved machinery has been set up, and with the 

 experience gained by practice in the manufacture, a good 

 class of tea is Ijeing turned out. 



Tea is essentially a factory crop ; it requires a large 



t initial outlay for buildings and machinery ; and there must 

 be considerable expenditure for keeiiing the ground clean 

 .while the iilant< are growing, about ti\e years. In Jamaica 

 this item cC'U'^titutes a serious handicap on the planter, as 

 pompared with India, where the rate of wages is very much 

 lower. For these reasons, tea cultivation requires a much 

 [longer period of waiting, before it can be reuuuierative, than 

 some other cultivations, such as the banana ; but on the 

 other hand, it is not subject to any great risk from hurricanes, 

 and it is a crop with many advantages for the settlsr who 

 lives within reach of a factory. He can grow the plant in 

 his provision ground without stopping his other cultivation, 

 and when the plants are large enough he will have at the 

 factory at all times a market for his leaf. 



In this connexion it may be of intei'est to publish 

 the following extract from the account of an interview 



given to a representative of the Jamaica Gleaner hj 

 the Imperial Commissioner of Agriculture : — 



Amongst the newer industries, I am glad to find that 

 the Hon. H. E. Cox has extended his tea cultivation at 

 Ramble, St. Ann, to 90 acres. This area is beautifully 

 kept and the trees are in excellent health. The cjuality of 

 the tea has greatly improved since my last visit to Jamaica, 

 and when the new machinery which ]Mr. Cox has imported 

 is in full working order, the tea of the coming season should 

 all be of first-class quality. The tea is entirely made by 

 machinoiy, and does not come in contact with the hands of 

 the working people during the process of manufacture. This 

 is the only tea cultivation in the West Indies and the 

 prospects for the industry are very favourable. 



FUNGOID DISEASES OP THE GRAPE. 



While grape growing is not an industry which has 

 assumed any great importance in the West Indies, grape 

 vines are found in gardens in most of these islands, and 

 speciniens of diseased vines are not infrequently sent to the 

 Lnperial Department of Agriculture for examination. A few 

 notes on the methods of treating the vines so as to avoid loss 

 from fungoid diseases may therefore be of interest. 



Every year enormous losses occur in the vineyards of 

 Europe and America through the improper treatment of the 

 vines. In the United States this subject has been thoroughly 

 investigated by highly qualified scientific men, located in 

 every part of the country. The diseases which now interest 

 peoi)le in these islands are those caused by fungi, which 

 attack the foliage, fruit, and stem. What is known as 

 ' Mildew ' is a common disease in the West Indies. Another 

 is 'Rust,' injuring the leaves and turning them a reddish 

 brown colour. The latter is to be met with everywhere and 

 is probalily the most difficult to get rid of. 



These and other fungoid diseases have been fully worked 

 out and measures are known for their prevention. The latter 

 have^ been deduced from the biology of the parasite and its 

 relation to its host. A fungus generally spreads by means of 

 spores which are scattered by the wind," by insects, birds, etc., 

 and even through human agency. Probably, however, the 

 commonest source of plant infection arises through careless- 

 ness in not promptly destroying diseased leaves, fruits, etc., 

 which, in most instances, can readily be done without much 

 expense. Of course the cultivator cannot directly prevent 

 the diffusion of spores by wind, etc , but the following siigge.s- 

 tions may be of use to those who wish to produce healthy and 

 good fruit : — 



(1) Burn all diseased leaves and fruit, and do not throw 

 them on the manure heap, which means securing a recurrence 

 of the disease. 



(2) Wounds made by pruning shoidd be immediately 

 protected by a coat of tar or some other substance eapalile of 

 preventing the germination of spores on the cut surface. 



(3) The vines should be sprayed with Bordeaux mixture 

 when just coming into leaf, when in flower, and again when 

 fruits are just ready for thinning. Directions for preparing 

 this fungicide will be found in Pamphlet No. 17, 'General 

 Treatment of Fungoid Pests,' and in the Aoricultural JVews 

 Vol. Ill, p. 214. 



(4) Any appearance of disease, when the fruit is ripening, 

 should be kept in check by other sprayings with weaker 

 solutions. The most important of the sprayings is the one 

 when the vines are just out in flower. Careful attention to 

 this and the other suggestions given above should keep the 

 plants free from fungoid disease and ensure a healthy crop of 

 grajies. 



