November i, 1881.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
437 
Unlike any other of the West India Islands, it offers 
to European settlers a temperate climate of singular 
fineness and salubrity among the mountains, while its 
plains teem with all the treasures of the tropics. It 
thus combines the resources and the advantages of 
several distinct zones. There is nothing which is grown 
in any tropical country which may not be produced 
in the greatest luxuriance in Jamaica. There arc many 
fruits and flowers peculiar to temperate climates which 
are produced in Jamaica alone of all, tropical countries. 
While the sugar-cane, the pimento tree and the mango 
flourish in the low country, English flowers and fruits 
delight the dwellers in the Santa Cruz mountains. 
From Kingston to Newcastle is a pleasant ride of two 
hours, but in those two hours you pass from a temp- 
erature of 90° in the shade to one of GO'' — from palms 
and bananas to furze and pine. Ti e excellent "Hand- 
book" recently published under the auspices of the 
Jamaica Government will enable the public to form 
some idea of the extraordinary riches which nature 
has showered with bountiful hand on the island 
Sugar, coffee, tobacco, rum, pimento, and fruits are 
at present the chief articles of export, but they are 
not produced in anything like the quantity which the 
island is capable of yielding under vigorous and en- 
lightened cultivation. A great many articles, the 
growth of which is recently attempted, may be added 
to the number of the island's products. The cinchona 
plantations are found to be well suited to Jamaica and 
are beginning to give profitable returns. Cocoa or cacao, 
as well as the cocoa-nut, may be grown as easily as 
in Trinidad or in Honduras — the more sheltered 
valleys of the interior being admirably adapted for 
the former, while nothing can exceed in luxuriance and 
healthiness the cocoa-palms on the north coast. The 
breeding of cattle for export is already one of the most 
lucrative of occupations, while the climate has been 
found to be singularly favourable, for a tropical one, 
for horses. The mineral wealth of the islaud has scarcely 
yet been tested, hut Jamaica is known to be rich in 
copper, cobalt and lead. The fish on the coasts, as well 
as in the numerous fresh-water streams in the interior 
ture in a tropical island — are most 
abundant and in great variety, ■ 
the negroes have the bad taste 
in the Wost Indies, the import 
foundland to the produce of their 
Amidst such an abundance of 
prise us to discover a reason 
advanced more rapidly in the 
ough the Creoles and 
prefer, as elsewhere 
I salt cod from New- 
wn native shores. 
lod gifts, it may sur- 
hy Jamaica has not 
development of her 
resources. There is a reason, however, which those wh< 
have any kuowledge of the island will be at no loss to 
name. The island has not prospered— is not prospering, 
by reason simply of the diminution of its labouring 
population. It never will prosper so long as its improve- 
ment depends upon indigenous industry. Its very 
fertility and salubrity are fatal to all progress, if that 
progress is subject to such influences ns those which 
huvc hitherto retarded the prospeiity of Jamaica.- -The 
Oohniet and India. 
Ceara' and Para' Rubber Seed.— Mr. A. Scott 
Blacklaw writes from Dollar, Scotland : — " You will 
see by my advertisement that I have made ar- 
rangements for getting seeds from Para, ami Ceara 
in auy quantity. I fear, however, the Para rubber 
cannot be rai ed in Ceylon, from seeds brought from 
Brazil. They say in Para that, if the seeds are 
longer thau a month in a thy place, they will not 
gormiuate. I have no doubt of the Ceard seeds grow- 
ing, if sent t" Ceylon, in tins, dried from Ceard. A 
few bugs of Ceard rubber seeds enmo to Liverpool, 
in the snino steamer in which I was a pasaongor. I 
fear they will bo of little use, as they were looso 
in ba«H, and of last year's picking." 
lit) 
A Ludgeriana Cinchona tree four yeara old on 
Warwick estate, New Galway, is now in flower, and Dr. 
Trimen has seen the blossom and pronounced the tree a 
true 'Ledger.' There are a good many more trees and 
plants very much the same on this property, but of 
course they have yet to be verified. 
A New Field for Arabian Coffee. — A correspond- 
ent of the Calcutta Englishman, signing "Planter," 
writes, as follows, of the prospects of Arabian coffee 
in Bengal :— This plant (Arabian coffee) thrives well 
and fruits abundantly in Bengal, The Agricultural 
and Horticultural Society of India at Alipore hav 
some specimen plants in full bearing, the branches 
are bending with their load, and from a calculation 
made by me, I am prepared to satisfy any enquirer 
that no more profitable industry than this can be 
undertaken in Bengal. The return in profit is said 
to be enormous to any person who will go into it. 
Gold, Gemming an« Plumbago in the Western 
Province. — The discovery of precious stones in 
new districts has led to increased activity in 
their search, and has afforded employment, and 
a precarious means of living to a large number of 
natives both in the Ratnapura and Kalutara District. 
The law regarding the rights of the Crown and the 
proper means to be adopted to stop gemming on 
Crown lauds has for a long time been in an un-ettled 
state. I am happy, however, to be able to say that 
at last a partial remedy has been discovered by crim- 
inal prosecution under the 10th clause of the Ordin- 
ance 0 of 1846, relating to malicious injuries to pro- 
perty, and the wholesale depredati ns which were 
committed, by persons, not stealthily but iu gangs 
of several hundreds, have now been checked. There 
is, however, no doubt that a special Ordinance is 
necessary, embodying the provisions of the Proclama- 
tion by Sir Edward Barnes dated 9th December, 
1S26. Sir R. Morgan slated in Council in 1872 that 
this Proclamation had still the force of law and was 
a very useful measure, but it has been found im- 
possible to give effect to it ; aud as I believe that 
almost the only printed copy extant is in my possession, 
1 shall be glad if greater publicity can be given to 
it by printing it as an appendix to this report. ( Vide 
B. ) The discovery of gold in the neighbouring coutiueut 
of India has re-opened discussion of the question 
whether gold in appreciable quantities exists in Cey- 
lon. For my own part, I have little doubt that it 
does so oxist in the Sabaragamuwa District of the 
Western Province. In 1SG9, when stationed at Bat- 
napura, I collected some gold from the stream which 
ran through the Government, premises, and forwarded 
it through Sir Charles Layard to Mr. Brough Smyth. 
That gentleman, whose opinion is authoritative, stated 
that the small pieces of gold were real "nuggets," 
and had not travelled far and that he had DO doubt 
a careful search or prospect in the neighbourhood 
would be repaid. When visiting Ratnapura in the 
early part of this year, I procured some more gold 
collected from the same spot, and sent it through 
Mr. W. Ferguson to Mr. MacDonald Cameron, and 
the report of that gentleman was equally favourable. 
The att ntion of Government, I believe, has been al- 
ready called to the necessity for framing rules to re- 
gulate and define the rights of private persons to gold 
found on private or on Crown lands, and it is not ne- 
cessary therefore lo say more on this subject. Tho 
Government hus been Miccessful in a suit taken be- 
fore the Privy Council in appeal from tho Snpremo 
Court of Ceylon for the recovery of a valuable tract 
of land containing plumbago at Pelpitigoda in the 
Kalutara district, ami, an before stated, ""4 acres of 
this land have been sold for 3h,SM rupees, an av rago 
rate of 968 rupees per acre.. This would soein to 
show that tho plumbago is of superior quality. —11". 
Sattndcra' Report for 1SS0. 
