700 J A M A I C A. 



being now at hand, ten more hands nre to be purchafcdj and hi the 

 courle of the month of March, the cacao nuts are planted between the 

 rows of plantahi trees, then about five or lix feet high, fo as to have 

 the whole 2 1 seres in cacao by the lirft of June. 



Thefe, in live years, (according to Sir I'homas Modlford) will pro- 

 duce conipleat crops, and at 1 coolb. wt. per acre, will yield 21,000 lb. 

 wt. ; worth at the Jamaica market (at the prcicnt prices) from 5 /. to 6/. 

 per cwt.j 1050/. to 1260/. 



The whole of this fmall plantation, we find, is compleated in about 

 fifteen months ; and during the five years that the cacao requires to at- 

 tain maturity, annual additions offome acres may be made to the walk, 

 corn may be planted, ginger, or coffee; hogs and fmall ftock bred; 

 and vaiious other kinds of bufinefs attended to, for a prefent gain; and 

 when once the walks are come to perfeftion, the largell may be ma- 

 naged, and the crop gathered and cured, with very few hands. 



6. Ginger. — Zm-zaber vel Amomum Scapo fiudo. Spied ovatd. 



This is propagated by the fmaller pieces, prongs, or protuberances 

 of the root, each of which throws up two ditferent flcms ; the firft 

 bears tb.e leaves, and rifes to the height fometimes of three feet, or up- 

 wards, but its ufual growth feldom exceeds 18 inches. It thrives beii 

 in a rich, cool foil, and, therefore, what has been recently cleared from 

 wood, is well adapted to the culture of it, more efpecially, as it is fup- 

 pofed to be a great impoverifher of land. In fuch a foil, it grows fo 

 luxuriantly, that a hand, or large fpreading root, will weigh near a 

 pound. It is, however, remarked, that wiiat is produced from a 

 clayey, tenacious foil, flirinks lefs in fcalding, while fuch as is raifed 

 in the richer, free, black moulds, lofes confiderably in that operation. 

 The land intended for the cultivation of it, is firft well cleared with the 

 hoe, then (lightly trenched, and planted about the month of March or 

 April. It attains its full height, and flowers about Auguft or Septem- 

 ber; and fades about the clofe of the year. When the ftalk is entirely 

 vvitherejl, the roots are in the proper flate for digging. This is gene- 

 rally performed in the months of Januaiy and February. After being 

 dug, they are picked, cleanfed, and gradually leethed or fcalded in boil- 

 ing water, they are then fpread out, and expofed every day to the fun, 

 till futficiently dried ; and after being divided mto parcels of about 



100 lb. 



