i8si.] 



FERTILITY OF THE COUNTRY. 



231 



forest can be converted into rich pasture and meadow land, 

 into cultivated fields, gardens, and orchards, containing every 

 variety of produce, with half the labour, and, what is of more 

 importance, in less than half the time than would be required 

 at home, even though there we had clear, instead of forest 

 ground to commence upon. It is true that ground once 

 rudely cleared, in the manner of the country, by merely 

 cutting down the wood and burning it as it lies, will, if left to 

 itself, in a single year, be covered with a dense shrubby 

 vegetation ; but if the ground is cultivated and roughly weeded, 

 the trunks and stumps will have so rotted in two or three 

 years, as to render their complete removal an easy matter, and 

 then a fine crop of grass succeeds ; and, with cattle upon it, no 

 more care is required, as no shrubby vegetation again appears. 

 Then, whatever fruit-trees are planted will reach a large size in 

 five or six years, and many of them give fruit in two or three. 

 Coffee and cacao both produce abundantly with the mimimum 

 of attention ; orange and other fruit-trees never receive any 

 attention, but, if pruned, would no doubt yield fruit of a 

 superior quality, in greater quantity. Pine-apples, melons, and 

 water-melons are planted, and when ripe the fruit is gathered, 

 there being no intermediate process whatever. Indian corn 

 and rice are treated nearly in the same manner. Onions, 

 beans, and many other vegetables, thrive luxuriantly. The 

 ground is never turned up, and manure never applied ; if both 

 were done, it is probable that the labour would be richly 

 repaid. Cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs may be kept to any 

 extent ; nobody ever gives them anything to eat, and they 

 always do well. Poultry of all kinds thrive. Molasses may 

 be easily made in any quantity, for cane put into the ground 

 grows, and gives no trouble ; and I do not see why the 

 domestic process used in the United States for making maple- 

 sugar should not be applied here. Now, I unhesitatingly 

 affirm, that two or three families, containing half-a-dozen 

 working and industrious men and boys, and being able to 

 bring a capital in goods of fifty pounds, might, in three years, 

 find themselves in the possession of all I have mentioned. 

 Supposing them to get used to the mandiocca and Indian-corn 

 bread, they would, with the exception of clothing, have no one 

 necessary or luxury to purchase : they would be abundantly 

 supplied with pork, beef and mutton, poultry, eggs, butter, 



