123 



There is also a good opportnnity for introducing other plants 

 which contain tannins, and would grow successfully in those 

 one and a half million acres not cultivated at present. Of course 

 according to the reports of the Kew Botanical Gardens, the at- 

 tempts to introduce Gambler in the West Indies has not been a 

 success, but I have reason to believe that this is due to the sensi- 

 tiveness of the plant to climatic changes. Similar observations 

 have been made by M. Greshoff on Gambler of the Malay pen- 

 insula. 



But greater success can be expected from the introduction of 

 " Quebracho Colorado." * Quebracho belongs to those trees which 

 would probably prosper there, and which are very important in the 

 tanning trade. 3,525 tons of Quebracho Extract were imported in 

 the years 1898-1902 from Argentina into the United Kingdom, and 

 about one quarter of the 11,786 tons, which have been imported to 

 Germany, were sent afterwards to British ports. 



HIDES AND SKINS. 



It seems that there is not much breeding of cattle, sheep, &c., done 

 in Jamaica, t which is rather astonishing, as the island seems to 

 have open waste pastures and plenty of Guinea and Scotch grass, 

 both well adapted for the feeding of cattle. As to the cattle of 

 Jamaica, Mr. B. M. Greaves, of Portmadoc, who recently visited 

 the island, writes to me, " I think I saw more Shorthorn cattle than 

 any other sort, and some of them were really good looking beasts." 

 The sheep seem to be of a similar build to the Welsh, and could 

 be used in this case for making "roller leather;" (this is used for 

 covering the wheels of cotton spinning machinery). There is a 

 good market for this kind of sheep skin in Great Britain. 



G. M. Rummel, of the Bureau of Animal Industry, U. S. A. De- 

 partment of Agriculture, describes the Barbados sheep in the 

 Breeders' Gazette as follows : — " The skin is thicker over the upper 

 part of the ribs than in other parts of the body, and becomes 

 thicker towards the tail, the difference of the rump being quite 

 perceptible. Loose skin (not folds, however) may be seen on the 

 top of the neck." A leather tanned from a sheep's skin as des- 

 cribed is sure to have a market. 



According to the reports of Messrs. P. C. Cork and J. M. Gibb, 

 V.S., the conditions of introducing and breeding sheep in Jamaica 

 are favourable. 



LEATHER MANUFACTURE. 



The Leather manufacture seems to be quite in its infancy. 

 There are in Jamaica only twenty-one tanneries, employing in all 

 fifty-five persons, and producing from twenty-eight to thirty-one 

 tons of leather per annum. There is, however, a large import trade 

 in raw and manufactured leather ; thus unwrought leather to the 

 value of £6,027, and leather manufactures valued at £66,999, were 

 imported in the year 1903-4. 



* (Jmhrachia Lorentzii, growing chiefly in province o£ Corrientes, Argentine Repub- 

 lic. Editor. 



j Th.? official statement by the Collector General gives the number of horned stock 

 as 107,694 in the year ended 31st March, l'JO.5. Editor. 



