other words, the short-lease farmer who improves his 

 land is made to pay interest on his own capital and 

 on the value of his own labour. Thus, our system of 

 land tenure by short leases is a serious obstacle to 

 the planting of fruit trees, and generally speaking to any 

 other improvement of the land. This antiquated system 

 originated in times when only the rights of the capitalist 

 or landlord were duly recognized and safeguarded, and 

 the rights of labour were not supposed to exist or to 

 deserve consideration. 



Therefore we find that the planting of fruit trees 

 is done only when the land is owned by the planter, 

 or when his rights are protected by a long lease or 

 emphytheusis. Unfortunately landowners are unwilling 

 to part with their land on long leases, although the 

 payment of rent is thereby better secured than in the 

 case of short leases. This reluctance on the part of the 

 landowner is due in great measure to the existence of 

 the antiquated system above mentioned, but should the 

 tenant be allowed the full enjoyment of his rights and 

 of the fruits of his labour, so long as a fair rent is paid 

 and the soil properly cultivated, it will not be long before 

 both Islands become covered with fruit trees to the 

 advantage of agriculture and of the entire community. 



The cultivation of fruit trees in these Islands 

 must have dated from the early Phoenician days. The 

 fig-tree is probably the oldest tree in cultivation but the 

 olive-tree and the vine were also cultivated extensively. 

 The olive-groves furnished the oil which was a useful 

 article of commerce and was carried to Iberia (Spain) 

 and there exchanged for silver. The ancient trench-like 

 excavations in the rock all over the western part of the 

 Island, similar to those which are occasionally constructed 

 even at present for the planting of vines, testify to 

 the extent and importance of our ancient vineyards. It 

 does not appear that our fruit-culture and agriculture 



