No. 1. 



The Ajjple Tree. 



21 



25,000 barrels of corn-meal annually; where- 

 as, previous to the emancipation, not a bar- 

 rel was imported. Anterior to the emancipa- 

 tion of slavery, a great many small farmers, 

 called ten-acre holders, existed by raisinsj 

 corn and ground provisions tor the use of 

 the planter to feed the slaves; so abundant 

 at times were their crops, that I have known 

 corn to be shipped from Barbadoes to St. 

 Thomas. The natural decrease in labour 

 since the emancipation, by the same number 

 of hands, has, in order at all to approximate 

 former crops, caused an increased demand 

 for labourers, which has drawn this class uf 

 agriculturists from their former occupations, 

 finding it more to their advantage to ren- 

 der services for ready money, supplying their 

 wants in market. I do not for a moment 

 pretend to say that Barbadoes is altogether 

 dependent on foreign imports of corn-meal: 

 25,000 barrels per annum, are but a small 

 portion of sustenance for a labouring popu- 

 lation numbering at present 85,000 souls; 

 but I feel fully assured the same causes 

 which have created the present demand are 

 on the increase. Trinidad has increased 

 her population much since the emancipation 

 of slavery. It has, however, as yet, for its 

 extent of country and fertility of soil, a 

 email population, raising within themselves 

 a good deal of corn, and receiving some sup- 

 plies from South America. The consump- 

 tion can at present only be computed at 

 10,000 barrels, while that of Deraarara is 

 about 15,000. 



Jamaica, with a labouring population of 

 about 325,000 souls, consumes comparative- 

 ly less than the former-mentioned islands: 

 30,000 barrels may at present be considered 

 the extent. Large tracts of lands have, 

 since the emancipation, become divided 

 among tlie labouring classes, producing 

 large quantities of substitutes for cheap 

 breadstuffs. This circumstance, comb ned 

 with the almost spontaneous growth of fruit 

 and vegetables, makes the labouring classes 

 at certain seasons less dependent on foreign 

 supplies; but as the population is and must 

 continue on the increase, so follows an in- 

 crease of wants. St. Croix, vSt. Thomas, 

 and St. John's, are permanent, being fixed 

 by law to eeven quarters of meal for each 

 labourer; which amounts, at St. Croix, ac- 

 cording to a statement furnished by the 

 Royal Danish Chamber of Commerce at 

 Copenhagen, to 9,500 puncheons, or equal 

 to 38,000 barrels. St. Thomas and St. 

 John's consume about 6,000 barrels. St. 

 Croix consumes but few otlier American 

 provisions except flour, of which about 4,000 

 barrels of Anserican ; the balance of her 

 consumption, about 3,000 barrels of flour, 



large quantities of beef, pork, etc., are sup- 

 plied by the mother country — Denmark. 

 Vet that island, only 100 square miles, with 

 a population of 34,000, employs yearly 

 about 10,170 tons American shipping. For 

 the genera! trade of the West Indies, meal 

 in barrels is found most .saleable. St. Croix 

 and Porto Rico, however, require their sup- 

 plies in puncheon.^, of 800 lbs. net, — such 

 as shipped from Brandywine mills — both on 

 account of its better keeping, and use for 

 the puncheons for rum and molasses. 



From the foregoing illustrations, I will 

 now venture upon a general computation of 

 the consumption of corn-meal throughout 

 the West Indies. Antigua, Dominica, Gra- 

 nada, Montserrat, Nevis, St. Kitts, St. I.ucy, 

 St. Vincent, Tobago, Guadaloupe, Marti- 

 nique, the Virgins, and Bahamas, with a 

 population of 184,000 souls, must, in com- 

 mon calculation, consume 



Anmiaily abniit 200.000 barrels, say 200,000 bbls. 

 Barbailops, 25,000; Trinidad, 10,000 35,000 " 



Duniarara 15,000 " 



St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. John's, 44,000 " 



Porto Rico, 40,000; Jamaica, 30,000 70,000 " 



making 304,000 bbls. corn-meal annually. 

 A branch of trade so easily at our command 

 has hitherto been neglected, or but partially 

 and imperfectly commenced; whereas, with 

 this article, the supplying of every other 

 article of provisions from our port would 

 follow. — New Orleans Bulletin. 



The Apple Tree. 



The apple, says Thomas Andrew Knight, 

 a writer of well established authority in fruit 

 and fruit trees — is not the natural produce 

 of any soil or climate, but owes its existence 

 to human art and industry; and differs from 

 the crab, which is a native of every part of 

 England, only in the changes which cultiva- 

 tion has produced in it. The first varieties 

 which were cultivated in England, were, no 

 doubt, imported from the continent; but at 

 what period, is not, I believe, known. Many 

 were introduced by a fruiterer of Henry the 

 VIII., and some at subsequent periods; but 

 I am inclined to think that we are indebted 

 to the industry of the planters of the seven- 

 teenth, and the end of the preceding cen- 

 tury, for most of those we have at present, 

 and probably for all the old fine cider fruits. 

 Of these they have left us a sufficient num- 

 ber; but the existence of every variety of 

 this fruit appears to be confined to a certain 

 period, during the earlier parts of which 

 only, it can be propagated with advantage 

 to the planter. No kind of apple now culti- 

 vated, appears to have existed more than two 

 hundred years; and this term does not at all 



