Vol. V. No. 97 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



15 



AGRICULTURAL PROGRESS IN 

 CARRIAOOU. 



The following statement on the cagricultiiral 

 progress of Carriacou is extracted from the An mud 

 Report on Grenada for 1904: — 



COTTON INDUSTRY. 



The cotton industry i;' almost entirely confined to the 

 dependency of Carriacou, where conditions are highly favour- 

 -able to its growth. The statistics of the exports, given below, 

 show a steady increase : — 



It may be safely prophesied that, with the present 

 demand in England for British-grown cotton, and with the 

 changed conditions affecting the tenure of land in Carriacou 

 brought about by the Land Settlement Scheme of the 

 Government, this industry has an important future before it. 

 A feature of the current year is the opening up, by one of 

 the largest landowners of the island, of some valuable estates 

 there for the cultivati(5n of Sea Island cotton, an example 

 which the peasant settlers will not be slow in following. 



LAND SETTLEMENT SCHEME. 



The Land Settlement Scheme continues to make highly 

 ■satisfactory progress. The details given in last year's report 

 ■will not be repeated here, but it may be stated that the 

 Government have this year purchased two more properties, 

 the cultivable land of which will soon be sold out on the 

 system adopted, while both estates include valuable reserves 

 for forest conservancy and other public objects. Other 

 important details of the development of the island, such as 

 the improvement of the water supply, the provision of a fine 

 hospital, the erection of a new police station, and the 

 preliminary survey for the erection of a jetty, are being 

 .steadily pushed forward under the energetic supervision of 

 the Commissioner, Mr. AVhitfield Smith, and the value to 

 the colony of her long-neglected annex is daily becoming 

 more apparent. 



GROUND PROVISIONS, ETC. 



This value is likely to be felt by the lower and middle 

 classes in the future, in one way, not yet fully realized, viz., 

 in the capacity of Carriacou, with its crops of annuals, to 

 supply the principal island with 'ground provisions.' 

 Reference has been made to the appearance of these articles 

 among the imports of the colony of late years. Twenty 

 years ago, not only were none imported, but the exports 

 were worth about £600 per annum. The change is due to 

 (1) the increase of population, which proceeds at the rate of 

 20 per cent, in ten years ; and (2) the permanent absorption 

 of the cultivable laud of the island by cacao and nutmegs. 

 The result, while favourable to the large landowner, is 

 distinctly unfavourable to the peasant, be he proprietor or 

 labourer, for whereas, years ago, he had his provision 

 ' garden ' always availalsle for the support of himself 

 and his family, and probably had also a small piece 

 of pasture for his cattle, the areas thus beneficially 

 occupied either have been or are being absorbed by 



permanent cultivation, on the proceeds of which he is 

 laecoming more and more dependent. Inasmuch as this 

 permanent cultivation does not provide continuous employ- 

 ment for a large number of labourers, such as the cultivation 

 of annuals does, it will be seen that a situation full of possible 

 difficulty is being created for the future. "Were it not for 

 liberal expenditure on public roads and works, the pressure 

 would have been felt already more than it has been. 



Xn additional agricultural industry, which requires 

 annual cultivation and reaping, such as that of sugar-cane or 

 cotton, would be a boon to Grenada, where some of the 

 low-lying coast lands still remain uninvaded by the ruling 

 industries. Such cultivation would admit of vegetables 

 being grown along with it, and alternatively to it, and would 

 also provide steady employment for a number of labourers, 

 thus solving what is likely to become within the next decade 

 a pressing cjuestion for the community. ^Meanwhile, the 

 agricultural development of the land of Carriacou, within 

 a few hours' sail of the principal island, is a factor in the 

 situation, which may be of considerable assistance by 

 providing supplies of vegetables at cheaper rates than those 

 at which they could be imported from other colonies. 



KOLA NUTS. 



At a meeting of the Royal Colonial Institute on 

 November 28 last, Mr. T. J. Alldridge, I.S.O., read 

 a paper on ' Sierra Leone and its undeveloped 

 Products.' In the course of the paper he spoke of the 

 kola nut ti-ee, making the following reference to this 

 jjroduct ; — • 



The kola nut tree ranks next in importance to the oil 

 palm. The nut is eaten with enjoj-nient by every person 

 throughout the entire colony. Not only is it considered to 

 be a great staver-off of hunger and a preventive against sleep, 

 but the offering of kolas is an important custom at all 

 cciuntry ceremonies and is the usual complimentary greeting 

 in dailj' life. Although such large ipiantities are locally 

 consumed, still sufficient remain to make extensive shipments 

 to the natives at the Gambia and at Senegal. 



The kola nut tree attains considerable size ; the 

 value of the nuts on one tree may vary from £1 to £6. 

 The gathering of the nuts sets in motion the activities of 

 the Sierra Leone woman trader, who travels all over the 

 country, collecting them in small quantities from the villages 

 in which a few trees may be found. I have known the 

 congregation of the churches at Sherbro during the kola 

 season to be diminished by half, through the absence of 

 these women traders buying kola. It is one of the native 

 trades in which there is the keenest competition, and it is 

 peculiarly suited to these women folk, as the nuts require 

 very delicate handling and constant over-hauling and 

 re-packing on account of an insect peculiar to the nut. 



The exports to Europe are merely nominal — of the 

 £76,000 value in 1903, under £200 went to Europe. 



It may be mentioned that the natives usually 

 chew a small piece of the kola kernel before each meal 

 as a promoter of digestion. Kola has a reputation 

 for sustaining the system against fatigue. 



Full information in regard to the different kinds 

 of kola nuts appeared in the West Indian Bidletiih 

 (Vol. IV, pp. 182-8), special reference being made to 

 the prospects of kola nuts in commerce. 



