229 



ON THE CULTURE OF WHEAT 



As a source both of Domestic Supply and Foreign Trade in the British 

 IVest Indian Islands. 



BY WILLIAM HAMILTON, M. B. 



It is a fact, well known to all who are acquainted with our West Indian 

 colonies, that the whole of the wheaten flour consumed by their inhabitants 

 is the produce of countries situated without the tropics, and principally of 

 tiie United States of North America. That such a dependence upon foreign 

 countries for the supply of so essential an article of human sustenance as 

 wheaten flour, may not only be unattended with inconvenience, but even 

 productive of commercial advantages in ordinary seasons, and in peacable 

 times it is not my object to deny ; but as it is sufficiently notorious that 

 our West Indian islands have frequently felt the injurious effects of this 

 dependence, when the source of supply has been accidentally interrupted by 

 the occurrence of hostilities, or the failure of the crops in the districts from 

 which they have been accustomed to receive it — an inquiry into the prac- 

 ticability of raising a supply of wheat sufficient perhaps for their own 

 consumption, if not redundant enough for exportation, within their own 

 islands, can hardly be unwelcome or uninteresting to those immediately 

 connected with the colonies ; or to those whose enlarged views embrace 

 within their comprehensive grasp the general welfare of the British empire 

 throughout its vast extent. 



The interest of such an inquiry, however, is not to be regarded as confined 

 to these two, and comparatively small classes of the British community, but 

 extends in fact to every individual throughout the empire. Great Britain, 

 it is well known, hardly produces, even in the most favourable seasons, a 

 sufficiency of wheat for her own overgrown and daily-increasing popu- 

 lation ; but is dependent, as well as her West Indian dependencies, for a 

 large proportion of her supply of wheat upon foreign and independent 

 states, with which her amicable relations are subject to be broken off by the 

 intervention of hostilities, or the copiousness of her supply impaired by the 

 inclemency of the seasons, and the consequent failure of the foreign crops. 

 The same inclemency which exerts so baneful an effect upon tlie crops in 

 those countries from which Great Britain is accustomed to draw lier sup- 

 plies, usually extends its influence, from the similarity of climate, to this 

 country, producing a corresponding deficiency in the crops, and augment- 

 ing the general distress by the hopelessness of obtaining relief from without. 



Other reasons might be given to shew the extensive interest which an 

 inquiry like the present is calculated to awaken in the minds of the states- 

 man, the political ceconoraist, and the philanthropist; enough however has, 

 it may be presumed, been said to shew the importance of the question as 

 connected, not only with our colonial, but, if possible, still more with our 

 domestic wants. 



No. 4.— Vol. I. 2 H 



