94 FLOWERS AND GARDENS OF MADEIRA 



tendrils. The flowers come in May, and by August 

 the vines are laden with fruit ready for the harvest, 

 which in early seasons begins in the lower regions 

 late in August and continues, according to the 

 altitude, until October. 



The cultivation of vines and bananas, which were 

 also grown at one time to some considerable extent, 

 has been almost entirely replaced by that of sugar- 

 cane, which, in consequence of the current rate 

 fixed by the Government being a very high one, 

 is at the present time a very profitable crop. 



The cultivation of sugar-cane in the island dates 

 from very early times, as in Cadamosto's Voyages 

 he writes that he visited the island in 1445, only 

 twenty- six years after its discovery, and says : 

 " Zargo caused much sugar-cane to be planted in 

 the island, which has done well, and from which 

 they have made sugar." Mr. Yate Johnson says : 

 " The cane is thought to have been introduced from 

 Sicily about 1425, at the instance of Prince Henry. 

 The first plantation was made on the site of the 

 Cathedral, and did so well that the cane spread to 

 other localities. Matters proceeded so rapidly in 

 those days that in 1453 a mill was erected for crush- 

 ing the canes by means of water-power. . . Prince 

 Henry was a good business man, and knew what 



