1 48 HISTORY OF THE [book v. 
The returns from a piemento walk in a favoura¬ 
ble season are prodigious. A single tree has been 
known to yield 150 lbs. of the raw fruit, or one 
cwt. of the dried spice; there being commonly a 
loss in weight of one-third in curing; but this, like 
many other of the minor productions, is exceed¬ 
ingly uncertain, and, perhaps, a very plenteous crop 
■occurs but once in five years. The price in the 
British market, as may be supposed, tluctuates ac¬ 
cordingly, but I believe its average, for some years 
past, may be out at ten-pence the pound, inclu¬ 
ding the duty which is three-pence. 
This, though certainly a much greater price than 
the commodity bore in former years, gives howe¬ 
ver so little profit to the owner, compared with 
that of some other productions, that the growth of 
piemento decreases every year; many beautiful 
walks being daily cut down, and the land appro¬ 
priated to the cultivation of sugar. Its annual ex¬ 
port from Jamaica (the only one of our colonies 
which produces piemento) is about six thousand 
bags of one hundred and twelve pounds each. 
