4 



disease, and at several localities. From George Town I went northwards about 7 mil' s to north-west 

 point, and eastwards about 15 miles, some distance beyond Bodden Town. Seed is constantly brought 

 from the mainland and the inhabitants have been most persevering in their efforts to re-establish their 

 coco-nut walks, but it is of no avail. A grove may do well for a time, and produce a crop of fruit, but 

 suddenly it is attacked, the disease often first seizing the tallest and finest palm. Or, again, the palms 

 may all die off. when they are from 6 to 10 feet high, without producing any fruit. The disease is 

 quite independent of the direction of the wind, travelling as often against it as with it. The outer 

 leaves first show signs of the disease, gradually turning yellow, but I had several palms cut, down, and 

 invariably found that it was the bud leaves which were actually affected at, the apex, and as the disease 

 gained ground the outer leaves lost their green colour. Sometimes on cutting the stem right, through 

 just above the ground, it appeared perfectly untainted and smeh and tasted sweet. At other times when 

 the disease had made more progress, though the stem section looked white, it smelt and tasted sour, 

 and this occurred even when only the upper portion of the "cabbage" was discoloured. The dis- 

 coloured portions were of a purplish black colour eventually becoming quite black. There was no 

 sign of either the scale insect or the beetle which attack the Coco-nut Palm in Jamaica. Tn the 

 early stages of the disease there is no appearance of an insect, but after decay has set in, various insects 

 may be found, such as ants, a small beetle called the "coco-nut fly" and a white larva which may be 

 that of the coco-nut fly. The only remedy that I can suggest is to take up each diseased coco-nut palm 

 by the roots and burn the whole of it, root, stem and leaves on the spot where it was growing. To be 

 effectual, it should be made compulsory by a local regulation, and some one should be appointed to 

 see that the regulation is carried out. I cannot of course say that the disease will disappear, but I 

 think that this plan is the only chance of getting rid of it,. And, I repeat, every single diseased palm 

 without any exception, wherever it is found, must be exterminated. I suspect that the disease is due 

 to the presence of a bacterium, and it is possible that it may gain access to the tissues through the 

 stomata of the tender bud-leaves. Lime and phosphate probably encourage the disease, and it would 

 be well to try the application of cattle-manure by digging it in round the roots, or, if this is not avail- 

 able, decaying weeds and other vegetable matter. 



12 Increased attention might be given to various products, and a fair trial made of the cultivation 

 of coffte. Common or Arabian Coffee appeared to do well, but it should be planted under shade trees. 

 Liberian Coffee would no doubt succeed much better than Arabian and sell well in American Markets. 

 In Johore Liberian Coffee from the 3rd to the 4th year yields about 3 cwts. per acre, and after that from 

 5 to 6 cwts. If any persons wish to start this cultivation, seed could be supplied from the Jamaica Gar- 

 dens. Information as to planting, &c, is given in the Jamaica Bulletins Nos. 4, 5 and 6 ,and though these 

 articles refer to Arabian Coffee grown on the mountains, the general method of cultivation can be easily 

 ascertained and applied to Liberian Coffee grown at sea-level. Hand-pulping Machines are made by 

 ordinary carpenters in Jamaica and could therefore be made also in the Cayman Islands from a pattern. 

 It would probably be advisable to export common coffee in parchment, but Liberian Coffee should be 

 thorougly cleaned. (See Kew Bulletin, No. 23, Nov. 1888.) 



13. In cultivating products beyond the actual needs of the inhabitants, it will be well to give the 

 first place to such as not only suit both soil and climate, but also are readily exported to foreign 

 markets. For instance, probably no island in the West Indies is more suitable for the cultivation of 

 pine-apples, if well drained^ areas are chosen for planting, but the fruit does not last long, and ihe 

 means of transport are both limited and uncertain. It is not advisable therefore to extend the cultiva- 

 tion of anything quickly perishable, unless it can be preserved by some means. Prepared articles like 

 arrowroot, tapioca, guava jelly, can easily be stored until favourable opportunities occur for exporting 

 them. Again, there is a good market for yams at Colon and Port Limon ; the value of this export in 

 Jamaica has risen from £48 4s. 3d. in 1881 to £15,978 18s. 3d. in 1887- Bananas, Oranges, and Man- 

 goes would pay well, if there were schooners sailing regularly to New Orleans. 



14. It appeared to me that in Grand Cayman the woods were being gradually cut down and no 

 care taken to replant. This may seriously affect the future welfare of the islands, for if the woods 

 disappear, the islands will become burnt up and barren ; the rain which falls will not be retained in the 

 soil, it will be impossible to keep cattle, and there will often be great hardship amongst the inhabitants 

 for want of water. Care should be taken too that the growth of hardwoods used for shipbuilding be 

 encouraged. The extermination of the hard timbers would lead to the extinction of ship building, for 

 although even now planking is imported, it would scarcely pay to import the whole of the timber. 



15 I have mentioned that I think that the flora of these islands would well repay the time spent 

 on a complete collection, and a similar remark might also be made with regard to the fauna. A collec- 

 tor from the United States had just left when we arrived, and he is reported to have obtained new 

 species of birds, insects, &c. 



16. Such of the corals as were thrown up on the beach were of the usual West Indian types, and 

 the shells were of coirimon kinds. A collection of the mollusca which I brought back with me, was 

 submitted to Mr. Henry Vendryes, who is well known in Jamaica and in England as an able concholo- 

 gist, and I am indebted to him for the list given in the Appendix, and for the following observa- 

 tions : — "The shells were all dead shells, hastily gathered on the sea-level. The collector's time was too 

 short to allow of the use of the dredge, or of the capture of living individuals in situ ; so as to ascer- 

 tain peculiarities of station, depth of water, &c. The specimens, however, exhibit no signs of having 

 been rolled in from afar; their condition varies gradually from fresh to faded, weather-worn, or 

 bleached ; and it is evident that they have been regularly thrown up from time to time, from the 

 stations where they lived on the coral reefs, sloping sand-bottoms, and muddy flats of the adjoinining 

 aea. They are not then, the mere flotsam and jetsam" of the stormy Caribbean sea, cast up in strange 



