157 



Export. 



The fruit trade between Jamaica and the United States, which is 

 now the most important industr}^ in the Island, was started in 1869 

 by the efforts of Captain Bush, who after one or two experimental 

 venture?, loaded seven vessels with bananas from Port Antonio. Capt. 

 Baker afterwards went on with the work, and ten years later (1879) 

 the value of this fruit shipped was £32,895. By the end of the next 

 ten years (1889), owing to a subsidy of £5,000, granted by the Go- 

 vernment to the Atlas Steamship Company, it had increased to a value 

 of £2^2,114. At the end of the next ten years (1899), the value was 

 £468,580. In the year ending March, 1901, the number of bunches 

 exported was 8,248,485, of the value of £618,636, or about 33 percent, 

 of the exports of the Colony, (excluding gold and bullion,) — these were 

 mainly shipped by the United Fruit Company, of which Capt. Baker 

 is President. 



The distribution was as follows : — 



Where Exported. 



Bunches. 



Value. 



United Kingdom 



38,880 



£2,916 



United States 



.. 8,203,957 



615,297 



Canada 



2,513 



188 



Bermuda 



2,365 



177 



British West Indies 



690 



52 



Cuba 



80 



6 





8,248,485 



£618,636 



In the early part of this year (1901), a subsidised line of steamers, 

 (Messrs. Elder, Dempster & Co.) with specially fitted cool-air ch ambers, 

 commenced running from Jamaica to England, mainly for the purpose 

 of carrying fruit. 



One of these steamers leaves every fortnight and proceeds to Bris- 

 tol, whence the fruit is distributed to various centres in the United 

 Kingdom. Each steamer takes, on an average, about 20,000 bunches 

 of bananas in addition to other cargo. As the trade develops, larger 

 steamers will be employed, and one will leave each week. 



CINCHONA BARK FROM JAMAICA. 



In June last 290 Bags of Cinchona Bark from the Government 

 Plantations were sold in the London market, realising the sum of 

 £594 12s. Id. The total weight of bark was 25,613 lbs., so that 

 Hie average price per lb. is about 5f d. 



The insurance, wharf charges, printing, advertising and brokerage 

 amounted to £'62 0s. 3d.; the freight and charges to £32 Is. 2d.; 

 and eost of bags and carriage in Jamaica to £20 lis. 6d. 



