98 



with, large blocks of limestone, and it is to this character of ruggedness.. 

 as well as to the steepness of the sides of the hills and valleys that the 

 inaccessibility of the country is due. 



Some of the valleys if once rendered accessible would probably be 

 found to be exceedingly rich in their soil. Ipswich valley is one of the 

 most charming spots in Jamaica. The Y. S. river which runs through 

 it has deposited a great depth of finely divided rich alluvial soil, forming 

 a level plain of some extent, surrounded by picturesque hills covered 

 with large trees. I was told that when this plain was cultivated for 

 sugar, the Bourbon cane ratooned, to the knowledge of my informant, 

 13 years in succession. It is now only used for pasture, but as there is 

 a good driving road through it, and the railway on the hill just above, 

 such a valley ought to prove a mine of wealth to the owner if cultivated 

 in bananas, cocoa, and nutmegs. There are possibly many more valleys 

 of the same general character in the Cockpit country. 



The soil varies here and there, sometimes a hollow contains too much 

 clay, but wherever a river has made such a deposit as in the Ipswich 

 valley, it will in all probability be found to be a mixture of some clay 

 from the weathering of the limestone, mixed with material derived from 

 the disintegration of trappean and granitic rocks, all in a very fine state 

 of division, thus forming a most fertile soil. 



A sandy deposit which had been used to some extent on the railway 

 in making concrete, is evidently a disintegrated granitic rock, the grains 

 of which are not water-worn. 



The " brugadoo," which in some parts of the island is very soft, is 

 here quite hard, the materials, of trappean origin, being apparently 

 cemented together by a deposit of iron. 



Although, judging even by the appearance and the character of the 

 natural vegetation, the soil in the Cockpit country is very fertile, and 

 would well repay cultivation, the difficulties to be encountered in cross- 

 ing the country have been an absolute bar to its being taken up. With- 

 out roads produce cannot be brought to the market, and the fertile soil 

 is worth nothing. With roads, leading to such valleys as Ipswich, this 

 part of the island would prove to be one of the richest. But on the 

 other hand the expense of making roads would be so great, that if under- 

 taken at all, they could only be made by the Government. 



It remains to point out what cultures might be undertaken in the 

 vicinity of the railway, and any roads which may at present exist, or 

 may be formed in the future. 



Wherever bananas can easily be taken to the roads or railway, they 

 could be grown to advantage. Cocoa and nutmegs might be cultivated 

 at all the lower elevations, and Liberian Coffee also by planters who 

 could plant sufficient to keep a pulper and other machinery at work. 

 Common or Arabian Coffee would do well at the higher elevations. Of 

 rubber plants, the Central American rubber tree (Castilloa elastica) 

 should grow well almost everywhere, if planted amongst other trees, 

 and the native rubber plant, or " milk withe" (Forsteronia floribunda) 

 should be encouraged and planted chiefly in the higher elevations. 



I have, &c, 



W. Fawcett. 



The Hon. The Colonial Secretary, 

 Kingston. 



