INTRODUCTORY. 3 



investigation, recent information on all these subjects, and a 

 comparison of the practices of different countries, cannot fail to 

 be useful. 



There is much valuable information to be met with in detached 

 papers and essays in the scientific periodicals of the day, and in 

 colonial a-nd other publications ; such as the Transactions and 

 Journals of the different agricultural and horticultural societies of 

 the East and West Indies, the United States, Australia, &c., but 

 none readily accessible for easy reference, and which the new 

 settler, proceeding out to try his fortune in those fair and pro- 

 ductive regions of the globe, can turn to as a hand book. I have 

 had much experience in Tropical Agriculture, and for many years 

 my attention has been mainly directed to this important subject, 

 for which purpose I have kept up a large and extended correspon- 

 dence with numerous agricultural, scientific and other societies 

 abroad ; with experienced practical men, and have also received 

 the leading journals of all the tropical Colonies. 



N"o one person could be expected to be thoroughly familiar with 

 all the different modes of culture and preparation of every one of 

 the numerous products to be described in this volume ; but where 

 my own agricultural experience (of several years in the West 

 Indies and South America) was at fault, I have availed myself of 

 the practical knowledge of those of my colonial friends and corres- 

 pondents best informed on the subject, and am particularly fortu- 

 nate in having many valuable essays on Tropical Agriculture 

 scattered through the different volumes of my " Colonial Ma- 

 gazine." 



The discussion of the best modes of culture, properties, ma- 

 nufacture, consumption, uses, and value of the commercial products 

 of the vegetable kingdom cannot be without its value, and the 

 attention of merchants and planters may be usefully directed to 

 various articles, which will be profitable both in an agricultural 

 and commercial point of view; many of which are already sources 

 of wealth to other countries. 



The introduction of new objects of industry into the colonial 

 dependencies of the British Empire, is no longer considered a mere 

 subject of speculation, but one well worthy the attention of the 

 eye of science ; and the fostering hand of care is beginning to 

 be held out to productions of nature and art, which, if not all 

 equally necessary to the welfare of man, yet certainly merit 

 the attention of the cultivator and capitalist, and have great claims 

 on the scientific observer, and on those interested in raising the 

 manufactures of our country to a higher standard. 



Few who have not investigated this subject are aware of the 

 immense number of countries lying in the equatorial and tropical 

 ranges of the torrid zone, many of which, from the value and im- 

 portance of their indigenous productions, have already attracted 

 considerable notice, and to which still more attention will be di- 

 rected by European nations as the value of their various products 

 becomes more extensively known. 



B 2 



