32 
[July  i,  iJ^96. 
THE  TROPICAI.  AGRICLJI/rURlST. 
Wluit  is  the  result  ? Prices  are  only  two-thinls  of 
what  they  were  six  years  a"o.'’ 
Aii'l  you  think  itho  pressure  is  likely  to  be  severer 
than  ever  ?" 
“ Yes,  and  that  there  is  urgent  ueed  for  systematic 
action.” 
“ And  what  do  you  suggo.st  ?” 
“Well,  in  view  of  the  gradual  shifting  of  the  posi- 
tion of  the  old  staples,  attention  must  be  directed  to 
the  development  of  new  ones.  Tea  has  completely 
taken  the  plane  of  coffee  in  Ceylon,  and  the  export 
tills  year  is  expected  to  reach  100,000,000  lbs.  Fruit 
iu  the  West  Indies  is  worth  £1,000,000  annually.  In 
Lagos,  Sir  Gilbert  Carter,  the  Governor,  lias  h ad  the 
pi’oud  privilege  of  developing  a trade  in  rubber, 
which  is  the  most  remarkable  of  any  now  existing. 
It  is  only  about  fifteen  months  old,  and  yet  the  ship- 
ments in  1S05  were  of  the  total  value  of  £'270,000. 
Take  mahogany,  again  ; a few  years  ago  only  about 
200,000  ft.  of  this  timber  came  from  West  Africa. 
In  180, d the  total  receipts  in  Liverpool  alone  were 
3,-2 00,000  ft.  It  is  true  that  this  trade  has  injured 
the  old  mahogany  trade  of  British  Honduras,  which  has 
fallen  a,way  from  5,000,000  ft.  to  200,000  ft. ; but  that 
colony  has  other  resources  which  can  be  developed.” 
“ Then  your  argument  is ” 
“ That  it  is  the  duty  of  England  to  prepare  the  Crown 
Colonics  for  keen  competition  in  the  future  by  laying 
the  foundation  of  sound  and  flourishing  industries. 
Wiiat  I woulvl  suggest  is  the  immediate  extension  of 
the  system  of  botanical  .and  experimental  gardens 
under  skilled  parsons  throughout  the  whole  of  tho 
Crown  Colonics  ; the  organisation  of  efforts  to  pro- 
mote new  industries  and  revive  old.  Scicutific  aid 
practical  orgamisation  should  go  hand-in-hand,  with 
duo  regard  to  tlie  requirements  of  the  nearest  mar- 
kets. Then  there  should  be  a change  of  educational 
effort.  Instead  of  fitting  tho  natives  for  clerkships 
in  stores  or  offices,  wc  shoul.l  seek  rather  to  make 
them  skilful  cultivators.  At  present  tho  sj'stcm  of 
education  is  such  as  to  give  them  a distaste  for 
mauiial  labour  and  a dislike  for  taking  up  the  culti- 
vation of  tho  soil.  During  my  last  visit  to  the  West 
Indies  an  oil  native  cam,o  to  mo  and  said  ho  had 
einoated  his  son  in  an  English  school,  whore  he  had 
developed  very  expensive  tastes.  lie  lived  upon  tlio 
money  supplied  him  by  bis  father,  and  when  liis  father 
got  old  and  infirm  would  not  dream  of  taking  to  tho  land; 
in  fact,  such  sons  get  positively  ashamed  of  th  ir 
fathers.  Th  it  has  been,  unfortunately,  tho  case  in 
tho  West  Indie.j ; but  I would  moution  that  Sir 
Henry  Blake  has  taken  steps  to  appreiiUce  a num- 
ber of  boys  to  tho  Botanical  Girdeiis  of  .I.rur  iioa  for 
tbo  purpose  of  having  them  trained  iu  tho  cultiva- 
tion of  economic  plants,  so  tint  they  might  become 
aftcr-\ard.s  agricultural  iiintruotora  anioug.-d  tho  pua- 
s.int  proprietors  ill  tho  i.ilaud.  That  is  a step  iu  tiie 
right  direction,  and  one  wbicli  might  with  advant, age 
be  followed  in  the  olluu-  islan.l.i.  In  many  of  our 
Crown  Colonie.s  people  are  entirely  without  knowledge 
witli  regard  to  tbo  cuitiv.ition  of  in.lustrial  plants. 
They  are  anxious  to  learn,  but  there  are  in  some  of 
tho  Colonies  no  Agencies,  and  that  is  why  I recom- 
mend the  establishment  of  experimental  gardens. 
Wo  are,  however,  improving  in  this  rospegt.  In  1830 
there  wci'o  only  three  botanical  gardens  iu  tho  West 
Indies;  now  there  are  eleven  lutanioal  institutions — 
experimental  and  trial  stations  for  new  industries.” 
•‘Well,  it  is  to  bo  hoped,  Dr.  Horri.s,  tint  your 
suggestions  will  have  weigiit  in  tho  right  ([uartor.s.” 
“It  is  cleu’  that  something  will  have  to  bo  done. 
Strange  as  it  may  seem,  probably  tho  mod  il  lurishing 
cilony  in  any  part  of  the  world  today  is  .Java.  Tlioro 
they  have  extensive  botanical  g.ardons  aad  experi- 
mental or  p'roof  stations,  of  great  value  and  utility, 
under  tho  charge  of  a largo  staff  of  highiy-skillod 
scientific  men  m lintained  by  tho  Government  of 
Holland.  Tlion  Germany  is  followijig  tho  example 
of  llollaml,  and  doing  all  it  can  to  develop  tropical 
iiidii.strio.i  in  Africa.  Similarly,  France  is  aiding 
also  by  means  of  dillcroiitia!  duties  and  grauts-in-aid.” 
“ But  Mr.  Cbamborlaiii  seems  to  bo  fully  alive  to 
the  uitiiatioii.  I lis  circular  to  the  Colonial  Govenior.i 
eliciting  tlicir  views  on  tbo  development  and  c.\ton- 
sion  of  British  trade  wiUi  tho  colonies  ought  to  bo 
^noduotivo  of  yood.” 
“ Mr.  Chambeidaiu's  sympathy  with  tho  colonies  is 
well  known,  and  his  desire  to  develop  colonial  trade  is 
rog.ardcd  .as  nnst  encouraging.  His  inlluenoe  is 
already  felt  in  the  various  colonies.  lie  has  infused 
new  life  into  many  of  them,  an.t  what  is  more  has 
induce  I a greater  interest  to  be  taken  in  tho  colonies 
in  this  country.” 
“ Spe.aking  of  Mr.  Chamberlain,  ha  is,  I understand, 
largely  intero.sted  in  the  sisal  industry  of  the  Baha- 
mas. from  which  you  recently  returned.” 
“ Yes.  By  the  way,  tho  history  of  this  industry 
is  interesting.  Tho  sisal  islaiit  had  been  in  the 
colony  for  tin  last  50  years,  and  had  really  become 
a hindrance  to  agriculture.  People  did  noj  know 
what  to  do  with  it.  Several  Governors  took  tho 
matter  up.  The  first  of  these  was  Mr.  B.ailov,  iu 
1.357  ; then  Sir  aVilliain  Robinson,  then  Sir  Henry 
Blake,  who,  just  a's  ho  was  on  tho  point  of  develop- 
ing tho  industry,  was  transferred  to  Newfoundi  and. 
It  was  then  taken  up  with  great  energy  and  enter- 
prise by  Sir  Ambrose  Shea,  avho  really  deserves  the 
credit  of  having  placed  it  on  a comiuer.cial  ba.sis. 
Well  there  are  about  12,000  acres  already  plantc.l. 
It  is  estimated  that  this  j'ear  t.hey  will  c.xport 
about  0,000  tons  of  prepared  fibre,  'rhoro  were  fears 
that  tho  market  liad  f.allen  so  low  as  to  render  tho 
industry  unromunerativo.  Tire  price  of  tho  fibre  last 
year  w-as  £lf’>  per  ton,  but  today  it  is  worth  £17  10s., 
and  as  the  fibre  c an  bi  niirlvoted  for  about  £10,  there 
is  at  the  present  moment  a good  margin  of  ))rofit.’ 
“The  tnarket,  of  c nirse,  is  the  United  States?"’ 
“Yes;  which  is  really  the  natur.il  market  of  tho 
\Ve5t  In  lies,  'i.'lao  or.ange  cultivation  in  tho  United 
States  having  bean  practically  destroyed,  there  is 
now  ai  opporuinity  f.ir  the  Bahamas,  Jamaica,  and 
otlior  island-s  in  tho  West  Indies  to  supply  the  States 
\v;th  tropical  fruit  on  a larger  scale  than  ever. 
Owing  to  tho  failure  of  the  Florida  crops  it  is  ex- 
pected that  tho  trade  iu  oranges  between  Jamaica 
and  the  Unite  1 States  alone  this  season  will  bo 
worth  £120,U'.D,  When  I w.as  in  Jamaic.a  in  1.883 
the  fruit  trade  of  that  island  only  amounted  to 
£10,000  a year,  iu  1885  it  had  grown  to  £100,000, 
and  today,  as  I have  said,  it  is  worth  probably  over 
a million  sterling.  Where  originally  there  was  one 
steamer  empli)ye,i  under  a subsidy,  there  now  seven 
steamers  regularly  engaged  in  th.t  fruit  trade,  and 
running  without  any  subsidy  at  all.” 
•‘But  is  it  n.st  possible  to  develop  a trade  in  fruit 
between  .Jamaica  and  this  country?” 
“ I think  so.  At  any  r.ate,  the  Govcrnm.ent  of 
.Tatnaica  seem  determined  to  find  out  whether 
there  is  or  is  not  an  opening  hero  for  tropical 
fruits.  They  intend  to  specially  charter  a steamer 
fitted  with  cool  chambers  to  run  direct  from  Kings- 
ton to  the  doclcs  here.  She  will  bring  orauge.s,  bana- 
nas, m.ingo.es,  an  1 indeed  all  kinds  of  tro[)ical  fruits. 
Tbo  experiment,  f need  hardly  say,  will  bo  watched 
with  gre.at  interest.” 
■‘Well,  Dr.  Morris,  I am  very  pleased  to  have  had 
this  chat  with  you.  Evidently,  there  is  money  to  be 
made  out  of  our  Grown  Colonies  today.” 
“ Yes,  I certainly  think  so.  Look  at  Dominica. 
There  is  no  other  West  India  i.sland  so  rich  iu  n atnral 
resource.s.  It  is  capable  of  producing  all  tho  ricliost 
treasures  of  tho  tropics,  and  yet  it  is  lauguishiu.g  for 
w. aiit  of  the  necessary  caxtital  and  energy  to  work  thosn. 
As  showing  what  small  industries  ca-n  do,  Bermuda  is 
almost  entirely  ptospsrous  because  it  grows  onions 
an. l  new  potatoes.  St.  Helena  sends  now  potatoes  to 
the  Gap,;.  Grenada  is  noted  fo'r  its  cocoa,  nutmegs, 
and  clove.s,  while  Montserrat  is  known  all  over  the 
world  for  its  lime-juice.  Yes,  tho  ‘ minor  industrios' 
are  not  to  bo  despised.  There  is  money  iu  them,  and, 
indecil,  for  small  capitalists,  the  Grown  Golouies  offer 
perhaps  just  now  better  opportnuitios  than  any  other 
part  of  the  Empire.” — Citizen,  May  2. 
'i'ac  Guvi.niNsiKNr  or  Bkxci.u,  has  iiifnrmod  tlio 
Indian  Tea  Association  that  tho  question  of  inqn'oved 
I'oad  oaiuiuuuioatioii  in  the  Duar.s  is  rociaiving  the 
iittnntion  of  (ioveviimnnt,  and  tbit  a scheme  for  the 
consti  iioLion  of  no.vro.ads,  anil  the  cfiieieut  mainten- 
auco  of  exi.sting  ones,  is  being  proparod.— >/,  Mail, 
May  2-1,  ’ 
