Export of Fertilisers to Martinique. 97 



into the hands of the richer classes, who had originally 

 nothing to do with them, and loans of large sums were 

 granted without the caution or security provided by the 

 jealous control of the parish priest and his poorer parishioners. 

 Another cause of the dissipation of the funds of the Monti 

 Frumentari was the passing of a law in 1852 authorising the 

 employment of their resources for the construction of roads 

 and other local objects of public utility. 



[Foreign Office Report, Miscellaneous Series, No. 417. Price 4^/.] 



The fertilising agents imported into Martinique viz., 

 chlorate of potash, nitrate of soda, super- 

 Export of phosphate of lime, and ammonia, come 



^MaitiXue!"" ^^^^^y ^^^"^ England; all are imported 

 in large quantities. Mr. G. Borde in his 

 report to the Foreign Office on the Trade of Martinique, draws 

 the attention of British manufacturers to the fact that, for 

 some time past, there has been a marked tendency to order 

 superphosphate of lime from New York. The fact is that, 

 after experimenting, the substance was found to be just as 

 good as that imported from England, and costs less — probably 

 on account of the fossils being nearer at hand in the States, 

 v^hereas the British manufacturers have to import them at 

 great cost either from Canada or Florida. The same applies 

 to nitrate of soda, which is now got from Chili direct. Owing 

 to these direct importations, the planters are enabled to pur- 

 chase their artificial manures at moderate prices. 



\_Foreipt Office Reports, Annual Series, No, 1897. Price i^d.'] 



In France a considerable trade is done in agricultural 

 machinery by English and American 



Agricultural firms which have houses and depots in 

 Machinery . , , \ ^ 



in France Pans, and stocks at Bordeaux and other 



places, but, Mr. Consul Warburton states, 



any other British manufacturers wishing to get a share of 



that trade would have to go to the expense of such depots, 



' ' '" G 



