98 



ADVANTAGES IN JAMAICA.* 

 By Hon. T. H. Sharp. 



The question of cultivating cassava in Jamaica on a large scale for 

 commercial purposes is now being seriously considered. 



The Jamaica Agricultural Society has experimented, and in its 

 Journal for January, 1898, will be found the results. As a Member of 

 the Board of Agriculture I venture to make a few remarks by way of 

 showing that if cassava can be grown to pay at all, Jamaica ought to 

 be able to do so. I believe we have natural advantages over most 

 countries. The subject is one of so much importance that to deal with 

 it in one article is out of the question. I can only hope to briefly state 

 some of the advantages we enjoy. 



lstly. Cassava can be grown here so as to be fit for reaping all the 

 year round. This is proved by its being exposed for sale every day in 

 the year in our domestic markets, freshly dug, grown by small settlers. 



2ndly. It seeds readily and grows from seed here, proving to be in its 

 natural habitat. 



3rdly. It can be grown under irrigation giving enormous returns 

 without any injury to the tubers or starch, unlike ginger which is good 

 for nothing when grown under irrigation. This was clearly demon- 

 strated by the late Mr. George Douet, associated with a committee of 

 the Agricultural Society, who carried on experiments in 1898. 



4thly. The driest spots of Jamaica get a rainfall equal to twice the 

 quantity that is necessary for the cultivation of cassava, if the ordinary 

 methods of conserving moisture in the soil are resorted to. 



5thly. We are not subject to sudden and extreme changes in tem- 

 perature by which the system of the plant is so disturbed as to prevent 

 it regularly developing its starch. 



6thly. The nature of our low-lying lands is peculiarly adapted to 

 cassava growing, these lands being light and friable, with subsoil 

 drainage and plenty of sunshine and light, which causes it to produce 

 a small tree with large tubers and plenty of starch. 



7thly. We grow a variety of bitter cassava in this island which, 

 when grown elsewhere, changes its properties, but when grown 

 here gives a larger percentage of etarch than any variety grown else- 

 where, and also produces the necessary substance for making cassareep. 



8thly. An ordinary crop of cassava produced on an acre of land in 

 Jamaica is 10 tons. In Florida it is 6. 



9thly. From the Jamaica bitter cassava one pint of cassareep, worth 

 Is., can be obtained from each hundred weight of tubers. In Florida 

 this cannot be produced. 



lOthly. The starch produced from the bitter cassava of Jamaica is 

 intrinsically better than that produced in Florida. 



11th. If we accept the figures as being correct which are set forth 

 in Bulletin 49 of the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station 

 and consider the advantages which the difference in production and 

 peculiar properties contained in our cassava for cassareep making, it 

 brings us out some 50 per cent., in value of produce per acre in excess 

 of Florida. 



Cassareep, one of the by-products of cassava, is made by evaporat- 

 * " Daily Telegraph," 27th May. 



