346 Dr Davy\s AgriciiUural Discourse. 



recently considered worthless, into the highest state of culture ; and 

 by the help of water from wells which he has sunk, and which, from 

 their low situation, are never dry, he has succeeded in growing vege- 

 tables for the table throughout the year. 



I must now, Gentlemen, bring this discourse to a conclusion. If 

 I have occupied an undue portion of the time of the meeting, I must 

 plead as an excuse the importance of the subjects treated of, which, 

 even had I more time, I am conscious I could not have done justice 

 to, and the peculiarity in relation to the agriculture of the colonies 

 of the present period, and the prevailing impression, in consequence 

 of this peculiarity, that your agriculture cannot continue to flourish, 

 unless all possible means are taken to improve it. I allude to the 

 free-trade measures which have become popular at home, and which 

 have been carried out in part, and are likely to he extended, by Her 

 Majesty's Government — measures which, if carried out in their true 

 .spirit, and liberally and rightly conducted, will assimilate, I cannot 

 help thinking, international trade to the home trade, now allowed 

 to be the most beneficial and the most profitable. Supposing, then, 

 protection to colonial interests to be withdrawn, as is portended, and 

 no discriminating duties allowed — a form of such protection — you 

 will have to compete with thea griculturists of the world ; not only 

 with those of llindostan and the far East, but what you seem to 

 dread more, with those of Brazil, and the Spanish and French slave- 

 colonies of the West Indies. 



If I may venture to express an opinion, and I trust I may, as it 

 is hopeful, — I cannot but think, if you put forth your energies, 

 adopting every improvement that is economical, using implements as 

 much as possible to spare human labour ; paying well lor what is em- 

 ployed, to encourage exertion and skill ; and making an effort, which 

 it is to be hoped will have encouragement from the Home Govei-n- 

 nient, to improve your manufacturing processes ; doing this, I cannot 

 but think that you will be successful, — and that equally against the 

 very cheap labour of the East Indies, and the slave-labour of the 

 West. The one weak, and of little efficiency, so that it is rather 

 cheap in name than in i-eality, and perhaps, better fitted for cotton 

 than for the sugar-cane cultivation, — to which (the former) it appears 

 probable, if the Navigation Laws be abrogated, it will soon be 

 specially directed. The other forced, hardly to be depended on, 

 and, as to cheapness and efficiency, even doubtful. 



We have been told recently, that when the admission of slave- 

 grown sugars into the English market was made known in Cuba, 

 there were rejoicings and illuminations ; — followed by excessive 

 labour ; — that the slaves during crop-time, in the boiling-houses, 

 were kept constantly occupied fifteen hours in the twenty -four ; and 

 how, in the fields, they Avere kept to their task by the terror of the 

 whips of the drivers, — these defended by blood-hounds ; how, in ac- 

 cordance with thi.'5 .system, life is saciiliecd there to work, — it being 

 thought more profitable to make new purchases, than to take any 



