6 
the banks of navigable rivers. But now-a-days the 
sugar industry is not remunerative, unless carried on 
on a large scale, and in a highly scientific manner. 
Our existing' agricultural industries absorb all the 
available labour, and require more. If a sugar factory 
were established it would be necessary to import 
labourers to produce the amount of cane necessary to 
make the enterprise remunerative. But should we 
once be in a position to obtain the labour there is no 
doubt about the suitability of the icolony for the 
industry, if the necessary capital and scientific know¬ 
ledge are forthcoming. 
Another possible industry is cotton. Sea Island 
cotton does not appear to do well; but favourable 
reports have been received on samples of Upland 
cotton. Cotton is (indigenous in Central America, 
and the Indians who reside in the colony produce it, 
spin it, and weave it for their own use. A gentleman, 
interested in planting near Belizie, told me that he 
thought he could grow it remuneratively at present 
rates of labourers’ wages, if he could only rely on 
being able to get the labour. 
Rice of high quality is produced ; but not enough 
for home consumption. So good is this rice that the 
Japanese Government, having seen a sample at the 
Colonial and Indian Exhibition, gave an order for 60 
sacks of it. Only one sack could be obtained. A 
plentiful supply of labour at fair rates is necessary if 
an export trade in rice is ever to arise ; but there is 
in the colony plenty of land eminently suitable for 
its cultivation. 
When I have stated that there is plenty of land 
available for the production of various articles I 
am, no doubt, vague. I am not in a position to say 
how much land is available for each product; but I 
will, I think, convince you that there is more than 
enough for ioo times our present output. It is not 
land that we require. It is population. To illustrate 
