VERTEUIL TRINIDAD AGRICULTURE. 
217 
grants worked mainly on the sugar estates, but we had in 
addition a plentiful and useful supply of labor from Grenada and 
the Grenadines who did the cane cutting on the different estates 
at 20 and 25 cents per task, manned the boiling houses, and 
before returning home, relieved the cane fields. The rapid 
alienation of Crown lands began about 1870, and not many years 
afterwards, when with the extension of cacao cultivation a 
considerable rise took place in the value of the product, not only 
the coolies, as their term of indenture expired on the sugar 
estates became purchasers of Crown land, or were granted free 
tracts in commutation of return passages, but they withdrew a 
large number of their comrades from the plantations to assist 
them in their enterprises. This policy assisted the opening up of 
the country, and contributed to the rapid progress made by the 
colony, but deprived the sugar planters of their best laborers. 
Moreover about the same period Grenada took largely to planting 
cacao, and the laborers who used to come over here remained at 
home with the improved conditions caused by the new industry. 
Thus at the same time the sources of creole and coolie labor were 
considerably affected, and the stream of indentured immigration 
had to be kept up as regularly as in the days of prices, and will 
in all probability be necessary so long as cane cultivation is 
carried on. There is no doubt that the labouring population 
available to the sugar estates at present is not industrious, T * lfl ' 
greater number are content with the wages of two or three days 
a week, and can live comfortably so long as sickness does not 
overtake them, and then they are liberally provided for in the 
public hospitals. 
Cane farming so far as we see at present not only cannot 
help to do away with coolie immigration, but will necessitate its 
continuance should prices improve sufficiently to continue the 
sugar industry. A large proportion of the present floating 
agricultural population will in that case take to cane farming, 
and starting with modest means and a small cultivation they 
will as soon as successful increase their sphere, and the iami y 
that could amongst its members cultivate three acres wifi 
Squire labor, just as the more important grower or planter, 
when he has increased his holding to ten acres and more. 
The small peasant proprietors or renters are not the only 
ones who will be benefited by cane farming. The success ot 
the division of labor and of risks will be better attained with 
large growers owning from say 100 to 500 acres. t is a 
manifest advantage to the factory to receive a large and regular 
supply of cane from five or six growers than from forty or ty 
small ones, whose deliveries may not be as regular as must be to 
unsure the mills being regularly supplied. 
