58 



cost of cattle and cattle-men, — the cattle are supposed to be used for 

 cultivation only, and not for manufacture, otherwise the charge would 

 be about doubled. Out of the 400 acres 100 are supposed to be occu- 

 pied in preparing the land for ploughing, &c, — the plants to be put 

 in as what are called " fall plants." With spring plant you can gain 

 a cutting but are unable to cultivate the land properly, also the spring 

 plant is much less certain and often requires constant supplying. We 

 have not included irrigation expenses, as they would be about covered 

 by the 1/ a ton allowed for casualities, the chief casualty in Vee being 

 dry weather. 



Cost of Cane Cultivation on a Eatooning Estate in Northern 

 St. James, having 200 acres in Cane — Average Rainfall, 

 40 Inches according to Mr. J. Shore. 



Cultivation of Canefield— Cleaning canes twice, per acre, 4/. 



Trashing once " 5/. 



Supplying with dung 6/. 

 Making and applying manure 20/. 



35/ 



General expenses — Headmen and Watchmen 5/. 



Pasture cleaning and fences 8/. 



Attending stock 4/. 



Tradesmen, repairs, &c. 3/. 

 Estates' roads and sundries, 



including trenches, &c. 5/. 



Cutting and carting canes 15/. 



Total for Labour 75/. 



Yearly purchase of Stock ... 15/. 



Lumber and supplies ... 4/. 



Taxes and rates ... 4/. 



Salaries ... 20/. 



Sundries, including fertilizers ... 5/. 48/. 



Total cost per acre ... 123/. 



The above statement is based on actual figures from estates' books, 

 taking into account the fact that no manufacture is done on the pro- 

 perty on which the canes are grown, and that the distance to depot is 

 reasonable. Interest on money is not allowed for, as that is chargea- 

 ble to the proceeds. No immigration is needed here. Plenty of grass 

 land is kept up from which nearly all the manure is made, only a 

 small proportion being done with fertilizers. One third of the acreage 

 is manured yearly, part being " fly-penned on the stock," part done by 

 forking in manure, and part supplied with dung, or done with artifi- 

 cial manures working stock say 15u head, with perhaps a few young 

 stock penning. 



Average return per acre, 18 tons canes ; taking into account good 

 and bad years. The cost per ton of cane will thus work out at 6/10. 

 Including all expenses except rent. 



