Our Provision Supply. 265 



21C. per Sunday 

 Perhaps our medical men will know whether with the 

 potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) imported, the people 

 have enough vegetable food furnished for their mainten- 

 ance in health. 



We have only dealt with the quantities of provisions 

 which pass through Stabroek Market, but if we go beyond 

 the wants of the city and note the universal lament of dull 

 trade, and that sugar estates do not pay, we find the supply 

 of provisions notonly requires tobe increased three-fourths, 

 but from three to four times or more, even enough to enable 

 the day labourer to live upon a lower rate of wages without 

 having to reduce his amount of food, but rather to enable 

 him to increase it. How is this to be accomplished ? Pro- 

 vision farming must pay as well as store keeping, sugar, 

 coffee and cocoa planting, and although with only manual 

 labour available, there is little facility for labour saving 

 methods of cultivation being adopted, yet there are a few 

 loopholes through which light may be thrown upon the 



