October, 1911.] 



carry out instructions, or who neglects 

 his holding, is first of all warned that 

 unless he gives his land and crops the 

 necessary attention his holding will be 

 forfeited. Should he persist in his 

 neglect, a recommendation for the 

 forfeiture of his holding is submitted 

 by the Agricultural Superintendent to 

 the Administrator. Fortunately, it has 

 only been found necessary to forfeit 

 a few small holdings for this reason. 



The estates, with the exception of 

 Clare Valley-Questelles and Richmond 

 Hill are situated in mountainous dis- 

 tricts and extend for a considerable 

 distance inland- There is very little 

 level land, but the cultivable area is 

 fairly well worked by the small holders. 



The principal crops grown are cotton, 

 ground provisions, arrowroot, cassava, 



List of Exports of Ground Pro vis 



45 Miscellaneous. 



cacao, ground nuts, pigeon peas, Indian 

 corn, sugar-cane, plantains and bananas. 

 A considerable proportion of several 

 of these crops is annually exported to 

 neighbouring colonies. The cotton, 

 however, is nearly all sold to the 

 Government, or to local dealers, for ex- 

 port to the United Kingdom, Besides 

 growing these crops for export and local 

 use, the people rear a large number of 

 cattle and small stock of their lands to 

 send to other islands for sale. 



Although it is not possible to -ascertain 

 correctly the quantity of the output 

 from the Land Settlement estates, it may 

 be taken for granted that a large pro- 

 portion of the exports shown in the 

 following list came from them. The 

 items and values are taken from the 

 official Blue Books of the past five years. 



ns, Small Stock, etc., 1905-6 to 1909. 



Articles. 



Year. 



Sweet 

 Potatoes. 



Tanias. 





to 



a 



>* 





Ground 

 Nuts. 



Farine. 



Plantains. 



Fowls. 



o5 

 M 



Goats. 



Pigs. 



Sheep. 



Total. 













Num- 



Bas- 





bran- 

















bags. 



bags. 



Bags. 



Brie. 



ber. 



kets. 



lb. 



ches. 





doz. 









£. 



1905-6. 





























Quantity 



9,554 



2,551 



1,735 



150£ 



7,334 



9,918 



88,789 



2,087 



1,550 



442 



3,220 



2,288 



768 





Value £ 



1,949 



708 







687 



2,445 



378 



104 



76 



11 



888 



1,538 



384 



9,168 



1906-7. 





























Quantity 



5,5602 



2,557| 



1,856| 



77 



8,605 



7,6844 



64,478 



2,160 



2,064 



1,122 



2,891 



2,186 



468 





Value £ 



1,118 



705 





650 



1,929 



286 



107 



105 



28 



824 



2,186 



236 



8,174 



1907-8. 































Quantity 



4,803 



1,719 



1,0354 



186 



8,346 



6 '360 



40,764 



1,088 



1,527 



1,794 



2,451 



1,575 



601 





Value £ 



1,044 



507 







521 



1,589 



174 



57 



77 



49 



678 



1,569 



296 



6,561 



1908-9. 































Quantity 



6,418 



2,320 



1,232 



12U 



13,878 



8,869 



76,271 



1,858 



1,814 



3,192 



1,973 



1,5.73 



524 





Value £ 



;1,361 



613 







423 



1,740 



328 



98 



87 



73 



525 



1,564 



211 



7,024 



1909. 





























Quantity 



S,199| 



2,334 



l,909i 



109i 



8,308 



5,8154 



47,900 



572 



2,360 



4,170 



2,437 



1,563 



638 







84 casks 

























Value £ 



; 1,070 



671 







673 



1,480 



229 



29 



117 



104 



676 



1,563 



319 



6,931 



By far the largest acreage is cultivated 

 in ground provisions, but*a fairly large 

 area is planted in cassava for making 

 farine and cassava starch. Among other 

 crops are Indian corn, pigeon peas and 

 ground nuts. It is a fortunate circum- 

 stance that the small holders have found 

 a ready market for their surplus produce 

 in Trinidad, Grenada and some of the 

 Grenadines. In Trinidad, also, there is 

 a good market for small stock and 

 poultry, while Barbados takes a large 

 number of cattle in each season. These 

 intercolonial markets are within easy 

 sailing distance of St. Vincent. It is 

 undoubtedly due in no small measure to 

 the fact that the small holders have 

 44 



been able to dispose of large quantities 

 of ground provisions and other produce 

 and stock at fair prices in these inter- 

 colonial markets, that the scheme has 

 proved a success. Had there been no 

 such outlet, it is likely that a large 

 number of them would have had to eke 

 out a hand to mouth existence, and 

 besides, would not have been able to 

 pay for their lands. There is, however, 

 much room for improvement in the 

 methods of shipment to, and the dis- 

 posal of produce and stock in, other 

 islands. The smallholders often have to 

 place their shipments in the hands of the 

 captains or stevedores of the sloops and 

 schooners plying between the islands. 



