84 TRACTS ON VARIOUS SUBJECTS, &c. 



down, hayed and stacked, and given to the cattle ; and I have 

 every reason to believe, from several experiments I have made, 

 that in six or eight weeks there may be a second crop, not much 

 inferior to the first : but supposing it to be a half, this would 

 be, in six months from the day the seed was sown, not less than 

 twenty-four tons of fodder from one acre ! and let any planter 

 compare this with the produce of his grass lands, and duly 

 consider all I have already stated on this important subject, and 

 he cannot fail to admit, if he will allow his reason to operate, 

 that eminent and great advantages would infallibly result from 

 the introduction of agriculture on this island. It is the unani- 

 mous opinion of Colonel Broughton, 3Ir. Porteous, and myself, 

 that an acre of this green fodder will yield in nourishment for 

 cattle, more than any hundred acres of the Long Wood pastures 

 in their present condition. 



It must be evident, from the foregoing experiments and obser- 

 vations, that agriculture at St. Helena would be eminently suc- 

 cessful. Its importance was early foreseen by the Court of 

 Directors ; but the obstacles which long opposed its general 

 introduction (I mean the want of proper enclosures and the per- 

 petual trespasses of goats and sheep) have been suffered to 

 remain, and no extensive encouragement has ever yet been held 

 out to the cultivators. They were told to feed themselves and 

 not to depend upon England for provisions ; and, whilst they 

 were strongly urged upon these points, their efforts soon relaxed 

 in proportion as they were afforded an easy means of purchasing 

 every necessary of life from the Company's stores, at prices much 

 under those at which they could raise them. 



The Planters are not aware that a want of industry, and this 

 mode of supply are the very causes that exhaust their substance ; 

 and that the import of any sorts of provisions, however low in 



