Report of Society's Meetings. 383 
product, but if the cultivation of bananas was established the fibre of 
the stalk might possibly be utilised as an offal crop. 
While prosecuting enquiries as to the growth of fibres, the second 
object of the Society— the encouraging of agriculture— has not been lost 
sight of, and the members of the Committee being of opinion that the 
kind of agriculture that should be encouraged was such as would induce 
the small land-owners of the country to take part in it, sent out circu- 
lars to the clergymen in the rural districts and managers of sugar 
estates, enquiring if a sufficient quantity of bananas could be grown in 
the colony to establish a trade with the United States of America. The 
replies have been most satisfactory, but before commencing to culti- 
vate them it is necessary that some tangible proof of their intention of 
carrying on such a trade should be given by the fruiterers of America, 
by making small advances to the farmers to warrant their putting their 
lands into banana cultivation ; or better still, if some American firm 
would purchase land in the colony and cultivate bananas as the nucleus 
of its trade. But if the undertaking is to be solely dependent on some 
ship-owner sending a vessel occasionally as a speculation, then better 
not attempt the growing of bananas at all, as it must inevitably end in 
loss and disappointment. 
While making enquiries about the banana trade, the committee 
thought it advisable to make a practical test of shipping to New York 
10 barrels of limes kindly given to the Society by Mr. Jones of Pin. 
Hope and they regret to state that the experiment has proved most 
unsatisfactory. The limes were shipped per s. s. Barracouta and con- 
signed to Messrs. Leacroft and Co. of New York and sold for $5, and 
the charges were $4 95, leaving a balance in favour of the Society of 
5c. but against this are the following charges in the colony : — 
Cost of collection and packing including barrels $7 
Paper for wrapping in... ... 2 88 
Carriage by rail ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 25 
Freight to America 7 50 
Cartage to La Penitence ... 32 
So that practically the Society has lost $18 90 in the transaction. 
The Committee endeavoured to obtain from the Government a part 
of the Botanical Gardens for the growth of economic plants without 
success, and felt that without some such arrangement it is impossible 
to carry out the wishes of the Society ; and are of opinion that work of 
such a nature should be undertaken by the authorities of the Botanical 
3 c 2 
