PUBLIC DOCUMENTS. 



061 



tile, excep t the few small districts already mentioned, 

 as the Plain of Yagu and a part of the Azua region, 

 whose character could be changed by irrigation. 

 Taken as a whole, this republic is one of the most 

 fertile regions on the face of the earth. The evidence 

 of men well acquainted with the other West-India 

 islands declares this to be naturally the richest of 

 them all. 



While the geographical position of St. Domingo 

 within the tropics implies successful culture of all 

 the tropical fruits and vegetables, including the com- 

 mercial staples, the differences of exposure, eleva- 

 tion above the sea, and character of soil, present a 

 variation of circumstances adapting particular dis- 

 tricts to many different classes of growths and 

 branches of agricultural industry. On the rich low- 

 lands and vaueya sugar-cane yields the most profit- 

 able return. The extent and average richness of the 

 tracts suited to this purpose are unsurpassed in the 

 AVest Indies. The evidence shows that the average 

 quality of soil in St. Domingo, especially the plains 

 of Vega and portions of the country on the north 

 shore, are better adapted to raising sugar-cane than 

 are the sugar-growing districts of the adjacent islands. 

 This is corroborated by the observation of the com- 

 missioners. _ They and their agents inspected several 

 of the principal sugar-plantations in Jamaica. The 

 production of these is very great where irrigation is 

 practised. In some cases it is said to exceed two 

 tons per acre. But, in many of the circumstances 

 conducive to the most profitable manufacture, Ja- 

 maica is less favored than St. Domingo. A much 

 larger portion of the latter is naturally watered to a 

 degree suitable for this and other agricultural pur- 

 poses. In many parts of St. Domingo the canes do 

 not need replenishing for many years. Fifteen suc- 

 cessive annual cuttings from the original root are 

 common, and upon the richest lands excellent canes 

 are found of much greater age. This is due partly 

 to the greater frequency and abundance of rain, re- 

 sulting from the easterly^ or windward position of St. 

 Domingo, which gives it freer access to the trade- 

 winds than the islands farther within the Gulf, and 

 partly also to the rich vegetable mould which covers 

 the surface of the extensive plains and valleys, the 

 result of centuries of forest growth and decay. The 

 greater abundance of fuel would appear to give St. 

 Domingo an additional advantage over adjoining 

 islands in this branch of industry. The mountain- 

 regions are es 

 and cocoa. 



Even where too steep and stony to be ploughed, it 

 can be cultivated with the hoe. *The salubrity of the 

 climate and the beauty of the scenery make the hills 

 exceedingly attractive. To persons unacclimated and 

 unaccustomed to the northern temperature, these 

 mountain-regions offer peculiar inducements. At 

 present these highlands, which form more than one- 

 half the area of thft island, are generally uninhabited 

 and almost unvisited by man. In Jamaica are many 

 fine plantations of coffee in similar situations, at an 

 altitude of 3,500 to 4,000 feet above the level of the 

 sea. The culture of coffee and cocoa requires much 

 less labor and capital than that of sugar, and is pecu- 

 liarly adapted to families of moderate means. The 

 coffee-tree begins to bear at the age of four years, 

 and continues to yield an annual crop for more than 

 fifty years. The cocoa is equally productive and easy 

 of culture. Native chocolate, prepared from the 

 cocoa-bean, is of excellent quality and in general use. 

 Both these trees have become thoroughly naturalized, 

 are found growing wild in the woods, and seem free 

 from disease and enemies. There are a number of 

 plants, varieties of the genus Agave, which produce 

 valuable fibres, already employed to some extent in 

 St. Domingo for domestic purposes. The " cabuya" 

 is the most common. It grows wild in the driest and 

 most arid districts. It is susceptible of easy cultiva- 

 tion. The Dominicans make it into ropes, halters. 

 hammock-fastenings, etc. By the rough process oi 



. 



e especially suited to the culture of coffee 

 . The soil of the hills is usually rich. 



extracting the fibre by hand, now used, it could not 

 be profitably manufactured ; but with suitable ma- 

 chinery it would form an important article of export. 

 The product of wax and honey is surprisingly large. 

 In many places the rocks and hollow trees abound in 

 bees. The honey is so cheap and plentiful that com- 

 paratively little of it is saved. Thousands of hives 

 are destroyed for the sake of the wax alone. Wax- 

 candles are in general use among the poorest classes. 

 Wild ginger and indigo grow everywhere in profu- 

 sion. The tree-cotton grows even on the dry lands, 

 and bears abundantly. The American cotton-shrub 

 is also raised successfully near Azua. Almost every 

 tropical production would seem possible in a soil so 

 rich and a climate so genial. At a still higher point 

 upon these mountains the culture of cinchona, or 

 Peruvian bark, can be made a profitable branch of 

 industry. This invaluable plant requires an equable- 

 climatej free from excessive heat and frost. It has 

 recently been introduced into the neighboring island 

 of Jamaica, and flourishes at an elevation of from 

 4,000 to 6,000 feet. The stems of the trees only four 

 years old are already six inches in circumference, 

 and they are about eleven feet in height at the age 

 of two years, and they will have attained sufficient 

 size to be cut down and will spring up again from 

 the roots without planting. The British Govern- 

 ment seems to have considered this production a 

 matter of national importance, and have carefully fos- 

 tered it. Upon these mountains many of the vegeta- 

 bles and fruits of the temperate zone can be success- 

 fully cultivated. Potatoes, cabbages, cauliflowers, 

 celery, lettuce, and radishes were found in perfec- 

 tion. In Port-au-Prince peaches were found raised 

 on the neighboring mountains ; pineapples grow 

 luxuriantly in many parts of the island. In the val- 

 ley of Cabanza, southwest of Santiago, at an eleva- 

 tion of 4,000 feet, wheat has been raised. As an 

 evidence of the present undeveloped condition of 

 Dominican agriculture may be cited the fact that the 

 Commission, during their expeditions through the 

 interior of the island, often met with beet-sug_ar raised 

 and refined in France, butter and cheese imported 

 from Denmark, and milk condensed in the United 

 States, but seldom with similar articles manufactured 

 on the island. Even native indigo, a common weed 

 by the roadside, is supplanted by an adulterated 

 foreign article. So far as known, no agricultural im- 

 plements of any value are used ; not even a plough 

 was anywhere to be seen. The country is everywhere 

 well adapted to the cultivation of tobacco. Almost 

 every garden contains enough for the use of the fam- 

 ily, and it furnishes the principal article of export. 

 There seems no reason why it should not equal the 

 quality raised in Cuba, if equal skill and industry 

 were applied. At present both are wanting. It is 

 raised carelessly, cured imperfectly, packed roughly 

 in ceroons of palm-leaf, and transported over the 

 mountains on the backs of donkeys to the seaboard, 

 where it is sold at about six cents per pound to for- 

 eign merchants, and exported principally to Ger- 

 many. Maize or Indian corn is raised easily, but is 

 of inferior quality, and does not flourish as in the 

 United States. Three crops a year can be raised. 

 The summer crop is said to be the best in quality. 

 Only the winter crop was seen. The most valuable 

 natural grain is a species of rice which grows upon 

 the uplands. It is darker and smaller than the rice 

 of commerce, but of excellent quality, and it enters 

 largely into the food of the inhabitants. Tropical 

 fruits are numerous and excellent. More than forty 

 distinct species have been found growing wild. 

 Oranges, bananas, lemons, citrons, pineapples, man- 

 goes, tamarinds, guavas, melons, bread-fruit, etc., 

 abound. With cheap and rapid communication the 

 markets of the United States could be supplied with 

 these more perishable fruits, in great quantities and 

 at regular prices. At present they are unsalable. 

 Vegetables of many -varieties are found at all seasons 

 in the markets of the principal cities of St. Domingo. 



