Nov. 
1894.] 
THE TROPICA. L AGRiCtfLTURlS f. 
3°3 
for such an Industry could be made available in 
British Honduras, and the fact that one estate has 
already been established there, shows that the soil and 
climate are favourable to the production of excellent 
coffee. It is probable that before long sufficient 
capital and enterprise will be forthcoming to bring 
to this British Colony some of the prosperity which 
is now so much in evidence within a few miles over 
its frontiers. Jamaica is an old coffee-producing 
country, and some of its produce from the Blue 
Mountains ranks as nearly the best in the world. 
Of late years, however, there has been little or no 
increase in the exports of Jamaica coffee. In fact 
what change has taken place has been for the worse 
and not for the better. In 1882 the exports (accord- 
ing to the Handbook of Jamaica) were 41,004 cwt. ; 
in 1892 they had fallen to 25,b'77 cwt. There are 
yearly fluctuations depending upon sea?oi's and prices, 
but the general tendency lately, in spite of good 
prices, has been towards a smaller production of 
Jamaica coffee. At a first glance this may fcave been 
attributable to a gradual exhaustion of the present 
estates and to a want of suitable land for opening 
up new estates. It is true that some of the old 
estates are becoming less productive than formerly, 
but there are sti 1 excellent tracts of land suitable 
for coffee cultivation in Jamaica, and these only 
require to be rendered accessible by railways and 
roads to support a considerable industry. As may 
be gathered from the correspondence below, it 
appears that not only are no new coffee plantations 
opened in suitable lands for Jamaica, but the labour 
that might be employed upon them is being attrac- 
ted from the island for service on the coffee 
plantations of Guatemala. 
The forest lands still remaining in the interior of 
Jamaica require to be carefull> protected in certain 
localities, but after all reasonable precaution is 
taken in the interest of forest conservation there is 
room for numerous flourishing coffee estates in the 
island, and now, when so much is done in other 
countries in the New World in regard to coffee 
cultivation, it would be singular if little or nothing 
were done in British Colonies possessing equal, or, 
in some cases superior, advantages. 
Royal Gabdens, Kew, to Colonial Office. 
Sir, Royal Gardens, Kew, July 15, 1893. 
I am desired by Mr. Thiselton-Byer to inform 
you that the remarkable development of the coffee 
industry in the Kepublic of Guatemala was noticed 
iu the Kew Bulletin for November last, and attention 
was direct to the very favourable prospects which 
the cultivation of coffee cffered to suitable men in 
the adjoining Colony of British Honduras. 
2. In a report just issued by the Foreign Office (No. 
1245 Annual Series, 1893), there are further interest- 
ing facts given in regard to coffee cultivation in 
Guatemala, and these concern very intimately the 
important Colony of Jamaica. 
3. It appears that an effort has been made to 
supply the deficiency of labour in Guatemala by 
importing free Coolies from Jamaica. The Report 
states that ''a comparatively smaller number of 
colies have been brought from Jamaica by an Ameri- 
can firm of coffee planters, and are found to do 
extremely well. This is the first time foreign labour 
has been managed with success, and may indicate 
the direction in which to look for a possible solution 
of the problem." 
4. These coolies are time-expired immigrants whose 
movements cannot be controlled by the Jamaica 
Government. They have, however, cost the commu 
nity large sums of money, and after having been 
brought all the way from India aud taught plantation 
work it is a disheartening circumstances that they 
Bhould be attracted out of the island. 
6. This is all the more to be regretted as there 
are at tlic present time thousands of acres of valuable 
land in Jamaioa as well adapted for coffee cultivation 
as any portions ut G uatemala, lu a lecture delivered 
bofuro the Institute of Jamaica on the 17th May, 
1881, with the late Hon. Al an Kor, Senior Puisne 
Judge, iu the chair, I aimed.;— "With regard to 
amount of laud still available in the Island for coffee 
cultivation, reports from Manchester and St. Ann 
show that there are thousands of acres of good coffee 
lands at elevations between 2,000 and 2,500 feet in 
the Mile Gully mountains, and on through Clarendon 
and St. Ann, which might be very advantageously 
brought und-r cultivation. In the Blue Biountains 
districts and on the southern slopes there are not 
many tracts unopened, but on the northern slopes 
there are extensive areas finer and richer that: any 
now cultivated lying in the upper portions of the 
valleys of the Bio Grande, Swift and Spanish Rivers. 
These tracts are estimated at from 60,000 to 100,000 
.acres and consist almost entirely of untouched virgin 
forest." 
6. These lands require to be opened up by 
railways and roads, and as regnrds the former a good 
deal has already been done by the enterprise of the 
Jamaica Government in that direction. If the Gov- 
ernment could see its way to open roads from the 
railways into some of the lands above mentioned and 
offer them for sale after making their existence 
thoroughly well known in the United States and in 
Europe, it is probable that successful new coffee 
plantations could be establised in Jamaica worked by 
the labour which is just now being attracted elsewhere 
7. In spite of the great difficulties experienced in 
Guatemala with regard to labour, it is noticed that 
the production of coffee has risen from 49 million 
pounds in 1888, to 75 million pounds in 1892. Of 
the later quantity more than eight million pounds, 
of the value of 322,0002., have been received in 
the United Kingdom. These facts are of consider, 
able importance to Jamaica, and Mr. Thiselton-Dyer 
is of opinion that fhe Government of that island 
would do well at the present time to encourage in 
every possible way the development of so important 
an industry. It is one well understood amongst all 
classes of the community and thoroughly adapted to 
the soil and climate of districts that only require to 
be made accessible to render them the richest of 
any in the Colony.— 1 have, &c. 
(Signed) D. Morris, 
Assistant Director, 
Edward Wingfield, Esq,. C.B. 
Colonial Office S.W. 
Foreign Office Report. Annual Series, 1893, No. 
1245, Guatemala. 
(Extracts.) 
On. some plantations, to meet these increasing 
difficulties, South Sea Islanders have been imported 
but owing to difference of climate, food, language, 
and perhaps more especially because their-Sfcplo- 
yers have no experience in dealing with these MBple, 
the ventures has not proved successful. 
On the other hand, a comparatively small number 
of coolies have been brought from Jamaica by an 
American firm of coffee planters, and are found to 
do extremely well. This is the first time foreign 
labour has been managed with success, and may 
indicate the direction iu which to look for a possible 
solution of the problem 
The growth of the coffee industry during the last 
5 years has been as follows, viz. : — 
Table H. 
Year. 
Crop. 
Excess over 
Value. 
lbs. 
1883 48,743,024 
1889 51,57 1 ,939 
1890 51,973,414 
1891 i.2,197,853 
1892 74,0.2,985 
previous year. 
lb. £ 
203,757 2,003,734 
2,828,919 2,119,162 
401,475 2,135,743 
224,439 2,185,397 
22,435,132 2,714,644 
2,ote. — These values are calculated at the rate of 
42 to the quintal of 180 lb. on board. 
The apparently small increase iu value (523,2472 ) 
as compared with the increase in production 
(22,455,132 lb j .) iu the crop of 1&9J is due principally 
to the depreciation iu the value of the dollar. 
