CHAriEE VI. 
NATURAL PRODUCTIONS. 
It is scarcely necessary to mention tliat Trinidad, in 
common with the other islands of the Carihhean Sea, 
is a cane-growing and a sugar-making country. Sugar, ♦ 
indeed, is the staple of the island. It is, however, not 
the only one, as Trinidad is famous for its cocao ; nor is 
its coffee of a had quality. 
The sugar-cane, of course, is the most important plant 
cultivated in Trinidad, and upon its grovffh and upon 
the manufacture of sugar from its juice much labour is 
bestowed and many thousands of pounds sterling are 
annually expended. 
In a tropical climate vegetation is luxuriant and rapid. 
The climate and soil unite to reward the labours of the 
agriculturist. Were the soil less fruitful or the climate 
less genial, more skill would be called into exercise in 
the cultivation of the sugar-cane and other vegetable 
productions. As it is, the process of eane-pLauting is 
very simple : — The high trees are thrown down, the wood 
corded, that is, cut up into stacks of firewood of a certain 
measurement to serve as fuel for the engine fires ; the 
underbrush is cutlassed and generally burnt. The land 
cleared, the process of lioling commences,Avhich is nothing- 
more than digging with the hoe, holes two feet square, six 
inches deep, about four or five feet apart; then two 
pieces of the sugar-cane three or four joints in length, 
are laid in, and the loose soil drawn over. When this is 
done, the field is planted. In new land, and sometiiues 
in old land, upon replanting, corn is sown between the 
