THE 
ST ONTHLY 
Vol. VIII. I 
COLOMBO, MARCH ist, 1S89. 
[ISo. 9. 
LETTERS FROM JAMAICA :— NO. 27. 
THE liENEFICIAL INFLUENCE OF THE RAINFALL — 
SCANTY CROPS CONSEQUENT - ON THE DRY WEATHER 
EXPERIENCED AND PROMISE OF GOOD YIELD FOR THE 
CURRENT YEAR — EXPOSURE OF THE MISTAKE OF THE 
FRENCH 1J0TANIST TC THE FUNGUS IN THE COFFEE 
COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD — SUCCESSFUL AGRICUL- 
TURAL SHOW IN JAMAICA — THE VICINITY OF KINGSTON 
AND ITS CHARMING SCENERY — THE APPROACHING 
DEPARTURE OF Bill HENRY NORMAN TO QUEENSLAND, 
AND THE CONSEQUENT REGRET FELT THROUGHOUT 
JAMAICA. 
The Editor "Ceylon Observer." 
LAST addressed you in 
October when we were expect- 
ing our October rains (or mon- 
soon), and, as is ever thocase, 
in fear and trembling lest 
they should be too heavy and 
cause a lot of damage by wash 
and landslips. I am thankful to say that the rains 
have been moderatn and genial ; they have much 
benefited the country without doing any harm ; in 
fact there may be parts of tho island where a larger 
fall would probably havo been desirable. 
As regards crops, those of tho settlers, as I led 
you to expect, havo, as a rule, been short in con- 
sequonco of the very dry weather experienced from 
the end of November 1887 to tho middle of April 
last, but the higher elevations benefiting from this; 
continuous fine weather, gavo very average crops 
last season, and now promise well for the coming 
Bpring crop of 188'J. But Blue Mountain coffee 
jii-'7>. is never more than a few thousand cwt. 
at any time and does not in any way influence tho 
gonoral markot, ever maintaining its high character 
and consequently its high price. Tho estates on 
which it is grown might almost be reckoned 011 tho 
tiugors of a man's hands ; they un> under twenty 
in number, and some nf tin in produce very scanty 
crops, most ul ^lio coffee having died out (rum 
neglect or abandonment. 
The editor of the St. James's Budget had not the 
courtesy to publish my letter 10 that paper, in which 
I exposed the mistake of the French botanist 
Mr. Raoul, who was stated in that paper to have 
visited the principal coffee markets of the loorld, 
and to have said he had scarcely met with an 
estate that was • not seriously affected with Jleiuileia 
vastatrix and that, in consequence, before very 
long coffee would be fetching four times its present 
value. I showed he could not have visited Brazil, 
Central America, or. the West Indies, or he would 
not have made such an alarming statement, as 
Brazil itself had capabilities of nearly supplying 
the European and American markets if all con- 
tinues well and emancipation does not affect crops 
to any large extent. I am of opinion that when a 
journalist has unwittingly been led into publishing 
an error in his paper, he should be the very first 
to acknowledge, and rectify his "misinformation." 
I have just returned from the Agricultural Show 
held yearly on a cattle run, named " Cumberland 
Pen," about 10 miles by road out of Kingston, 
and six or seven by rail : it is the property of Mr. 
Verley, partner in the bakery manufactory of 
Verley & Robinson. During the Jubilee illuminations 
the letters "V. R." were very frequently to be met 
with, and the common people believe! it was meant 
for Verley & Robinson. Anyhow Mr. Verley very 
kindly places his pen at the disposal of the Com- 
mittee, and moreover does the host to a large number 
of favoured guests. The rail passes through the 
property and there is a platform for passengers; 
but hearing of the crush last year, after the Show 
was over, I elected to drive down; hired a well- 
horsed double buggy and had the pleasure of 
escorting two ladies who like myself had never 
visited such a Show in Jamaica. 
The first part of the drive out of Kingston is 
very tame : first, one passes the May Pen Cemetery ; 
then after a few miles the scenery changes and 
one passes through well timbered land and under 
immense cotton trees of fantastic shapes. Once 
off the main road to Spanish Town, one enters 
upon lovely park-like scenery, splendid trees — 
cotton and tamarind, tho logwood, reminding 
one strongly of the English hawthorn, bamboos, 
ferns, etc., etc. A remarkable feature is tho drive to 
Cumberland Pen is the fording of the 
" Rio Cobre" which, at times of flood is dangerous, 
and always exciting, fortunately it was not bad 
this year; still on tho return journey wo were 
glad to avail ourselves of the assistance of a riff- 
raff lot who had collected on tho bank in order 
to earn an honest penny in "putting their 
shoulders to the wheel." 
Cumberland L'oii is very park-like, spread over 
with largo trues which givo a pleasant bhado and 
