49 



' The cultivation of tobacco, according to the Cuban system has 

 made a satisfactory start, and is increasing. 



' By the returns of the collectors of taxes, it appears that in 

 August, 1871, there were only 91 acres of this cultivation; there 

 are now more than 300 acres. The increase is principally in the 

 parishes of St. Andrew, where the cultivation is carried on by 

 Jamaica owners, and in the parishes of St. Catherine, St. Thomas, 

 Portland, and St. Mary, where it is carried on mostly by Cubans 

 who have settled and become the owners of property. Both Cuban 

 and native labour are employed in the cultivation, but Cuban 

 labour alone is employed in the manufacture. As yet, the tobacco 

 grown in the island is for the most part made up into cigars and 

 snuff for island consumption. But the reports made of cigars sent 

 by way of experiment to the London market are satisfactory. 

 There can be little doubt that tobacco will soon be a great staple 

 of export. The quality is certainly good. There is nothing to, 

 prevent Jamaica cigars equalling those exported from Havana. 



'In 1870, a prize of £250 was offered for the best tobacco, 

 produced in Jamaica by any cultivator of not less than 8 acrese 

 producing 400 lb. of cured tobacco from each acre. This prize 

 was equally divided between two competitors in 1872. These 

 were the first producers in Jamaica of tobacco as an exportabl, 

 article. 



' Cigars were the only produce of Jamaica exhibited at Vienna 

 and they received the Medal of merit. Messrs. Soutar & Co., of 

 Kingston, sent 2,000 of different sorts, which were excellent both 

 in quality and in make. They formed quite a feature in the 

 colonial annexe, and five times that number could have been sold 

 as samples had they been placed at my disposal. 



'The plantations of Messrs. Soutar are 15 miles from Kingston, 

 and were established four years ago upon a soil similar by analysis 

 and in a climate corresponding with, that of the famed Vuelta 

 Abajo District in Havana. Their seed was also received from, 

 and is of the description grown in, Vuelta Abajo. Their manu- 

 factory is in Kingston, where they constantly employ 1 00 hands 

 in the preparation of the tobacco, and manufacture of cigars and 

 cigarettes. The cost of freight from Jamaica to Great Britain is 

 about 3s. per 1000 cigars, and to the Continent from 3s. to 3s. 

 6d. Persons disposed to question the value of Jamaica tobacco 

 frequently stated to me that transplanted tobacco changes its 

 character, and that therefore the cigars could not be as good as 

 Havanas. The impression that it changes in character is correct. 

 That delicate aroma found in the Vuelto Abajo tobacco is not 

 derived from the seed but from the nature of the soil, the climate, 

 and the temperature. 



' When first establishing plantations in Jamaica some five years 

 ago, Messrs. Soutar were of course aware of this fact, and tried the 

 growth in three different localities, all sown with the same seed, 

 which was obtained from one of Partaja's plantations in the 

 district of Pilotes in the Vuelta Abajo. 



