The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-06-30 00:00:00

VEGETABLE PRODUCE OF BRITISH GUIANA.

Mr. Schomburgk, in his "Description of British Guiana,"
has a chapter under the following head :—" Vegetable pro-
ductions, which might be raised with advantage by emigrants
who are not in possession of large capital.
" Sugar' coffee, and cotton are the commodities which
have been hitherto almost the only objects of cultivation in
Guiana ; but it must not thence be inferred, that other arti-
cles are properly excluded. The fertility of the soil promises
a safe return for the investment of capital in the cultivation
of other crops, which would open new resources to the colony.
If the stream of emigration, which has been directed to other
and more distant colonies, should flow towards British
Guiana, and the great disparity between the land to be cul-
tivated and the want of labourers to cultivate, it be removed,
would not the enterprising farmer, who knew that his capital
was not sufficient to embark in the expensive cultivation of
the sugar-cane, select some other product, from which he
might expect to receive an adequate return for the labour re-
quired and the capital employed ? The altered circumstances
of the labouring population will produce a new era in colo-
nial history ; and while formerly the cultivation of sugar en-
grossed the mind of the speculator, on which he hazarded
frequently not only his own means, but likewise the property
of others, the altered state of things will produce a vast
change in agriculture ; a new class of cultivators will arise,
who perhaps may be compared to the farmers of the mother
country. The vast establishments now existing will be bro-
ken up into separate concerns of more manageable dimen-
sions • the different occupations of agriculturist, miller, and
distiller, will no longer be combined ; but, as in the mother
country, each individual will follow that branch of industry,
to which the nature of his property (if he possess any) or of
his abilities (if he does not) may direct him. The lands are
adapted for numerous other branches of agriculture, and
among them the less wealthy cultivator will make his choice.
Now excitement to commercial enterprise will thus be raised,
and additional prosperity may naturally be expected to follow.
I have already pointed out, that, among the vegetable pro-
ductions of Guiana, a great many are objects of desire in
Europe : their number might be considerably increased ; and I
venture to propose such as I know might be successfully culti-
vated, from my researches in the interior of British Guiana.
The cultivation of rice would thus cover thousands of acres
which are at present a perfect wilderness ; and food for the
lower classes would be provided, which at present is mostly
imported from a foreign country, which, perhaps, at an ear-
lier or later date, may be at issue with Great Britain ; be-
sides that the rice procured from the United States is raised
by slave labour.
" Of the cereal grains, the Indian corn deserves more at-
tention than it has hitherto received. The maize is indige-
nous • and that the coast does by no means afford the best
soil for its cultivation, is proved by the superiority of the
maize raised by the Indians in the interior. It is cultivated
as the principal crop in Egypt, and to a large extent in the
'United States, chiefly in the southern slave states, whence it
is imported into British Guiana. .

" Indian millet, which, under the name of Guinea corn, is
so extensively cultivated in the West Indies, might be raised
to a large extent. I think it constitutes in the Bahamas the
principal article for the nourishment of the labouring classes.
But of the greatest import will prove the introduction of the
Victoria wheat into our West Indian and South American
colonies, and there is every probability that its cultivation
will be attended with success. It is said to grow equally well
in arid plains as in humid mountains, and it promises three
crops annually. This grain is likely to afford, therefore, new
resources of those fertile regions, and will tend to make the
colony less dependent upon foreign imports. The sudden
and often enormous rise of that necessary article flour, in
British Guiana, when the import is not adequate to the con-
sumption, proves on what precarious footing the maintenance
of the inhabitants is placed. The Victoria wheat has suc-
ceeded in Barhadoes and Jamaica, islands which cannot vie
in fertility and diversity of soil with Guiana. Indeed, we
have reason to hope that, with sufficient labour, a quantity
equal to that raised about Calcutta might be produced in
Guiana. If the dearth and famine be considered which at
present is raging in New South Wales and Van Diemen's
Land, it becomes almost the sacred duty of the legislative
body to encourage by all means in their power the introduc-
tion and extensive cultivation of this cereal grain, to prevan
a similar calamity, which, thanks to the Almighty and Oig.
fertility of 'The soil, has been hitherto unknown in British
Guiana.

" The only English colonies where that nutritious and
wholesome substance, cocoa, is cultivated, are Trinidad, St.
Vincent, and Grenada: in Jamaica and Guiana it has giVen
place to the production of sugar; and though it forms such
an important article in the import of the United Kingdoin,
the quantity introduced from British plantations is but tri-
fling. The cocoa tree delights in a rich and springy soil,; or
in which which irrigation may be admitted. While we
crossed from the river I3erbice, to the Essequibo, we that a
number of chacolate nut trees, near the abandoned Caribi
settlement of Primoss. It is not to be doubted that the trees
were originally planted by the Indians ; but, from their num-
ber and the distance from the river, I judged they were pro,.
pagated by nature : though they were overshaded by larger
trees, and had for many years been neglected, they had
reached nevertheless a height of from thirty to forty feet, and
the luxuriant growth and the abundance bf fruit proved that'
the plant was satisfied with the soil. The forests at the
banks of the Rio Branco, in the vicinity'of Santa Maria and
Carmo, abound in wild cocoa trees, the fruits of which are
collected by the scanty population of that district for their
own use. The cultivation of cocoa will be most suitable to
the less wealthy individual,-as it demands so little labour and
outlay. M. de Humboldt observe's, in alluding to SPinish
America, that cocoa plantations are occupied by persons of
humble condition, who prepare for themselves and their
children a slow but certain fortune ; a single labourer is
sufficient to aid them in their plantations, and thirty thousand
trees, once established, assure competence for a generation
and a half.

" Different species of vanilla are natives of Guiana ; and it
is found in large quantities along the banks of its rivers, and
in the wooded districts which intersperse the savannahs. It
is well known that it is added to chocolate to give it an aro-
matic flavour, but it is likewise used for several other pur-
poses in confectionary ; and the oily and balsamic substance
which the minute seeds possess may be found to have medi-
cinal qualities. Its cultivation can be connected with no
difficulties ; it needs only to plant the slips among trees, and
to keep them clear of weeds. It would prove, therefore, a
great addition to a cocoa plantation. In 1825 the price was
in Germany sixty rix-dollars (equal to nine pounds) per
pound, and twenty-five to thirty dollars are paid for it in
Martinique.
" Tobacco is considered indigenous in South America,
whence it is said to have found its way to Virginia, from
which place it was introduced by Sir Walter Raleigh. Though
it cannot be considered a necessary of life, its use is so ex-
tensive, that it forms a considerable item in the revenue of
nations, and its successful cultivation is therefore of impor-
tance. With the exception of the Macuba tobacco, which is
cultivated in Martinique in a peculiar soil, the tobacco of
Cuba is considered the finest in the world. The sample of
tobacco which I sent from the interior of British Guiana to
the commercial rooms in Georgetown, was pronounced to be
equal in quality to the Havana, and even to surpass it, in
consequence of its thinner ribs ; indeed it was observed by
an able judge, that tobacco of equal quality had never been
imported in Guiana.
" At every Indian settlement some tobacco plants are
found to be cultivated at their provision fields ; but when
once planted, no further attention is paid to it, and the leaf
is cured in the most simple manner, by being hung up in the
Indian's but ; it possesses, nevertheless, what a connoisseur
would call high flavour and aromatic qualities : how much
more might its excellence be increased by proper attention
being paid to its cultivation !
" The cinnamon tree, though not indigenous, has been
successfully cultivated in the Isle of Bourbon and the Mau-
ritius, and it is now naturalized in those isles. It was intro-
duced into Guiana in 1772, and there are a few planters who
have several specimens of that aromatic tree in their gardens :
however, it has never become an object of export. The
healthy state of the trees and their luxuriant growth would en-
sure its becoming an article of commerce. The surface of the
land where it is cultivated in Ceylon is a pure white sand,
under which is a deep stratum of rich mould. The extensive
tracts south of the sandy ridges present the same soil in Bri-
tish Guiana. We are told that from twenty-five to twenty-
six thousand people are employed in Ceylon in the cultiva-
tion of the cinnamon tree, and the preparation of its bark for
commerce. I have already observed, that a wild kind of
cinnamon is indigenous in Guiana, the bark of which is used
as a simple by the natives.
" Of equal interest would prove the cultivation of the nut-
meg. . Trials have been made in Trinidad ; and samples
having been submitted to the society for the encouragement
of arts, they pronounced them equal to the eastern produce,
and awarded their gold medal to the successful cultivator.
The principal supply of nutmegs is at present imported from
the east ; but to prove the importance of the cultivation of
the cultivation of the nutmeg tree, I observe that the average
home consumption is estimated at ten thousand pounds every
month, or one hundred and twenty thousand pounds per
annum. Guiana possesses an indigenious species of the nut-
meg tree ; however, its fruits are small and very pungent,
and cannot be used as a spice.
" Pepper has been cultivated with great success in Cayenne,
and it forms already an article of export. The rich soil in
mountains, valleys, or along the banks of rivers which are not
subjected to inundations, is considered to be the most eligible ;
the plant is trailed azainst other trees, and might be raised
in company with nutmeg and cinnamon trees.
" The pepper plant bears abundantly, and in Sumatra a
full-grown vine has been known to produce six to seven
pounds ; the average produce of one thousand vines is, how-
ever, stated to produce only about four hundred and fifty
pounds. The pimento, or allspice, is a native of South Ame-
rica, and would have become undoubtedly an article of high
interest if the spices of the eastern heMisphere had not been
previously introduced. In Jamaica it thrives where nothing
else would grow : if Guiana should enter, therefore, into the
cultivation of spice, a favourite situation for that tree might
be easily found on the banks of the Rupununi.
" The cultivatiou of rice would prove a very productive
branch of husbandry; and as it has formed of late years a
principal article of food for the labouring population, it is of
great importance that it should be cultivated in sufficient
quantities, if not for export, by all means for the internal
demand of the colony, which does not employ the resources
which she possesses to produce food for her inhabitants. The
all-engrossing object, the cultivation of sugar, has for seve-
ral years usurped thousands of acres which were formerly
dedicated to the production of plantains, once the chief food
of the labourer. The land on the coast is no doubt well
adapted for the production of rice ; hut we will not encroach
upon the soil at present planted with sugar-cane. There is
a tract between the rivers Berbice and Essequibo, in 4 20 N.
latitude, which nature itself appears to have designed for the
growth of that article. It possesses the means of constant
irrigation ; and at the first subsiding of the periodical inun-
dations, when the soil is left like soft mud, the seeds might
be put in. The banks of the river Berbice are here so low,
that irrigation might be easily procured even in times of
great drought. lam fully persuaded in my mind, that two
crops of rice might be procured annually ; indeed it is on re-
cord, that a Mr. Bielstein, who cultivated this article on a
small scale at the lower Essequibo, raised repeatedly three
crops in a year.

IN BURGHS.—A difference, apparently irreconcileable,
has arisen between Sir A. Leith Hay and Captain Grant of
Carnousie, the rival candidates, on the liberal side, for this
district of Burghs. They
caTandeiLht had entered into a mutual agree-
ment,
'ELGIN n
rathrlitiwaoyafsphrfeoisrprival ;
his canvass, was found, on ae who, after the completion of
fewer number of votes, was bound
of lists, to have the
n to retire from the contest,
whereby
and leave a clear stage to his more fortunate rival. The
canvassing on both sides completed, a difference arose as to
the manner in which a scrutinyaa ofa )lisetslshould be conducted,
proposing
ging thel ilsetatl to the ballot, while
,however,ement of the case to
oac•9uld acquiesce
and so all negotiation
liar
confidence
between
arbitration. Neither candidate
them was dropped, both appealing, with equal iCSniartphlkealni proposalGe i
ultimate success, to the electors. Captain Granta
fidence of
consoles
a himself with the consciousness "of having secured large
majority of the bona fide electors, in th 9 district, pledged to
support him, of from seventy to a hundred, over Si
Leith Hay;" while, on the other hand, Sir Andrew declares
that A.
that " he has too much confidence in the sagacity andex-
perience of the electors, to believe that they will place any
reliance on the assertions made as to majorities," which, in
his opinion, can have " only a short-lived effect, as an in-
tegral portion of a system based upon trick and deceit."
This upshot of the matter is none other than might have been
expected; for the paction made between the rivals, although
plausible enough in theory, was hardly susceptible of being
carried into practice. The parties are, therefore, pretty
much " as they were ;" and their present position is certainly
calculated to divide the liberal interest, and to enhance the
chances of success on which the Conservative candidate, Mr.
Duff, confidently, and we believe, justly reckons.—Aber-
deen Journal.

SECOND EDITION.

Standard Office, Three o'clock.

LIVERPOOL CORN EXCHANGE,—This DAY

In addition to the arrivals, alluded to on Friday, we have
no supplies of consequenee to notice beyond a few parcels of
Wheat, unexpectedly from Ireland, and of Flour from the
United States, increasing the latter since Tuesday last to
14,554 barrels.

Upon a favourable change in the weather, and having a
slender attendance of buyers to-day, the operations in fo-
reign Wheats were upon a moderate scale only ; and although
fine red Baltic samples were held at comparatively high
prices, the general runs hardly supported the advance of
Friday, and English as well as Irish scarcely exceeded our
quotations of this day se'nnight.
Of bonded Wheats a few parcels have been taken since
Friday within the range of the subjoined currency, but no
furiher sales have transpired to-day ; in Flour under lock
also, the transactions have been limited this morning, the
buyers refusing to pay the advance required ; free Flour,
however, continued in tolerable demand, at 6d. per barrel
over the rates of this day se'nnight.
Barley, attended with a fair inquiry for grinding, was 3d.
to 4d. per bushel dearer. In Malt, Beans, and Peas we have
no change to note.
Fine Oats, although ssarce, were not dearer, and other de-
scriptions were difficult of sale at former prices.—Oatmeal,
likewise, excited very little notice, and scarcely sustained its
previous value.

ARRIVALS OF CORN,
From the 23rd to the 29th June, 1840, inelusive

DESCRIPTION. I , IRE- COAST- I UNITED £O. :
iLAND. WISE. ,STATES. REIGN. 1 TOTAL,-
--- 1
Wheat Qrs. I 1686 628 1719 5265 929 S
Barley Qrs.. 55 . - 628 683
Malt Qrs.
Oats
Rye Qrs.
Beans Qrs. 180 I 12 192
Pease . Qrs. 190 190
Shelled Barley . Qrs.
Indian Corn
Rapeseed Qrs. ' -.
Oatmeal .... Loads 5;5 ' 2 577
Flour
Ditto . Brls.l 1 14554 14554

EXPORTS.—Foreign. Barley, 10 qrs. ; Oats, 803 qrs. ; Rye,
qrs. ; Pease, 70 qrs. ; Oatmeal, 11 loads; Flour, 543 brls.—lre-
land. Wheat, 1;28 qrs.; Barley, 150 qrs. • Rye, qrs.; Indian
Corn, 226 qrs. ; Oatmeal, 60 loads ; Flour, do sacks.—Coast-
wise. Wheat, 524 qrs:; Barley, 418 qrs.; Malt, 100 qrs. ; Oats, 15
qrs. ; Rye, qrs.; Beans, 15 qrs. ; Pease, 53 qrs. ; Oat-
meal, 110 loads; Flour, 532 sacks, 2170 brls.
Average prices of Grain, for the week ending June 19, 1840.
Wheat 675. 4d. I Barley.. 355. 10d. I Oats.. 28s. 4d. I Rye.. 365. Bd.
Beans.. 455. Od. Pease, 434. Id.
Aggregate average of the six weeks.

Wheat— 675. gd-.1 Rarley:.36s..-yd. 1 Oats.. 275. 7d.
.I Rye.. 375. sd:

Beans .. 445. 10d: I Pease 425. 10d.
Duty on Foreign Grain, &c. this week

WheatlBs. Bd. Barley7s. idd. Oats ....... 6s. 3d. Rye .. 14s. Od
Beans, 3s. 6d. I Pease 6s. 6d. I Indian Corn7s. 10d. I Flourlls. 2id
Liverpool Averages, week ending 23rd June, 1840.
Wheat. Barley. 1 Oats. Beans. Pease.
QrS•• • • • 1513 114 467
Prices.. 675. Bd. Os. Od. 1 245. sd. 475. Bd. Os. od.