54 



ters which gave value lo the best varieties of tobacco. About 2lb 

 of seed was saved which I distributed among the principal grow- 

 ers on the island for their trial and report.' 



Messrs Charlton Thompson and G. A. Weitzman cultivated to- 

 bacco from 1875 to 1884 in Jamaica ; they had 150 acres at Potosi 

 and 50 acres at Morant in the Blue Mountain Valley in the parish 

 of St. Thomas, and 50 acres at Colbecks near Old Harbour in St. 

 Catherine. They used Sumatra, Java, and Havana seed, but the 

 best results were from Havana. 



The following memorandum furnished to the Governor (Sir A. 

 Musgrave) by Mr. Weitzman, was published in the Report of the 

 Botanic Gardens for 1878: — 'The results obtained by different 

 planters are, as is well known and admitted, even by Cubans not 

 interested in this undertaking, of the greatest importance, and 

 have proved beyond a doubt that our produce is one worthy of 

 attention, and one which will stand competition with that of 

 other countries, the reputation of which has been established long 

 before. As the result of my journey to England and Germany 

 last year, I may mention that in the Hamburg market, the most 

 considerable in the world for tobacco, I found that our produce 

 stood next in rank to the Havana tobacco, to which it was pro- 

 nounced inferior, but superior to all other kinds, even not excepted 

 those other parts Of Cuba, such as St. Jago, Manzanillo, Yara, etc., 

 which furnish such a very considerable quantity to the consumption 

 at home 



' As for the outlet and sale of our produce, every one interested 

 has found that the German markets, especially that of Hamburg, 

 has given it the best reception and greatest encouragement. Our 

 tobacco is readily sold there, and, though the first hands may buy 

 it as Jamaica, the consumer in most cases will not know better than 

 that it is Cuban or even Havana 



' Jamaica has shown that it can produce a tobacco which has 

 proved itself worthy of being introduced as a new article of 

 industry, and, considering the short time that has elapsed since it 

 was first established as such, we have gained a by no means small 

 success. Whatever faults there may exist about the different 

 branches, there are none which time cannot overcome.' 



In his first Report (1879-80) as Director of Public Gardens and 

 Plantations, Mr. (now Sir) D. Morris quotes from Mr. Weitzman 

 as follows : — 



' There are very encouraging signs of a steady demand for our 

 cigars in England, as well as on the Continent of Europe. In the 

 German markets, which are considered the most important for 

 leaf tobaccos from all parts of the world, Jamaica tobacco sent 

 there for sale was well thought of and ranked in price next to 

 the celebrated Havana leaf, as it distinguished itself from most 

 of the other Cuban varieties, by its fineness of texture and mild 

 agreeable flavour, and an absence of all rankness so often met 

 with in the latter. 



' Since last year, the consumption of Jamaica cigars in Eng- 

 land has spread in an extensive manner, and the demand for our 



