141 



Another who has planting control of more estates than anyone else in 

 Jamaica, writes : — 



* I am of the opinion that there is no real disease here. Unhealthy 

 conditions can always be traced to soil, locality, or the cultivation ■ 

 they receive/ 



COST OF CULTIVATION AND RECEIPTS. 

 In consideiing the cost of preparing land and of cultivation after- 

 wards, certain expenditure, for instance that on buildings, roads, fences, 

 tram-lines, may well be entered as charges to be spread over a certain 

 number of years. 



In the irrigated district of St. Catherine, a fair average amount 

 that should be allowed for preparation of land and cultivation until 

 the bananas begin to bear, is £15 an acre, and the annual expenditure 

 afterwards would be £10 an acre 



The }ield ought to be at the rate of 225 to 230 bunches paid for 

 per acre, and taking the contract price all the year round at £8 15s. Od. 

 per 100, the receipts would average £20 an acre. 



Whether the same price is paid for bananas throughout the year, 

 or whether it varies as it does for the American market, the total 

 annual receipts for a number of years average double the amount of 

 the expenditure. 



In the banana districts of the northside, taking the average of the 

 whole run of estates from Port Antonio westwards to Rio Bueno, the 

 cost to bring an estate into bearing would be about £10, and the 

 maintenance afterwards £7 10s. Od. The yield may be put down at 

 175 to 180 payable bunches per acre. 



I have been favoured by a banana planter with the following abstract 

 of accounts for one year. It refers to an estate of 200 acres in an 

 irrigated district on the southside The details will be useful to those 

 who are thinking of going in for the cultivation : 



EXPENDITURE. 



Cultivation. 





£ 



s. 



d. 



Preparing Lands 



11 



13 



H 



Lining 







15 







Planting 



1 



12 



6 



Trenching 



5 



4 





Forking 240 acres 



52 



10 



4^ 



Stumping 







4 



6 



Weeding 775 acres 



252 



18 



5 



Pruning 



75 



1 







Propping 



1 



11 



8 



Suckers : carting, supplying, etc. 



26 



17 



8 



Manure 



1 



11 



10* 



gation. 









Cleaning trenches 



11 



18 



n 



New trenches 



3 



16 



3 



Irrigating 



124 



19 



9 



Water rates 



176 



2 



2 



£ 



429 19 10 



316 16 34 



