.jAM:A.rcA. 



BXJLTjBTllSr 



OF THE 



DEPARTMEOT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Vol. II. SEPTEMBER. 1904. Part 9. 



THE AGRICULTURAL BASIS OF THE CASSAVA 



INDUSTRY. 



By H. H. Cousins, M.A., F.C.S., Island Chemist. 

 Cost of Cultivation. — There are two points from which this may- 

 be estimated - 



(I.) That of a planter who already possesses lands and a plant- 

 ing establishment capable of being devoted to Cassava in 

 preference to another crop or in addition thereto. 

 (2.) That of an Agriculturist who intends to invest in Cassava 

 cultivation by growing it upon ruinate land's, at present 

 uncultivated and involving a considerable outlay of capital 

 in buildings,live and dead stock and in generalimprovements 

 to the holding to fit it for cultivation. 

 The data from Longville, from Hope Gardens and from Little 

 River in St. James come under the first category, while data from 

 the Hon. H. Cork, and the Hon. J. V. Calder refer to the second 

 type of conditions. 



Cost at Longville. — The figures obtained by Mr. W. J. Thompson 

 from Mr. Middleton's manager showed that on this property the 

 cost of growing and reaping an acre of Cassava was £4. This 

 represents the actual out of pocket expenses of Cassava grown 

 upon cultivated lands and omits all charges such as rent, manage- 

 ment and interest on capital. 



Cost at Hope Gardens. — The actual cost at Hope of an acre of 

 Cassava, if the extra cost of making hills be omitted as unneces- 

 sary for broad scale culture, has been found to be £4 lis. 4d. per 

 acre. St. Andrew is an expensive parish for labour and these 

 figures should cover the actual cultivation expenses of Cassava in 

 most parts of Jamaica. 



Little River, St. James. — Mr. Shore finds that Cassava can be 



