New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-11-14

the only tenants. and weeds and underwood have
oyergrown the Other
But this is not all. The Island abounds with
still more striking evidences Of general prostra.
ton. Since the date Of the British Slave Eman
cipation Act IN 1888, the real estate of The Island
has greatly diminished in value, while its pro-
ductiyenese has been constantly approaching its
present ruinous standard. Since 1892, more than
$50 sugar estatos out of 653 then in cultivation,
| have been totally abandoned. This has thrown
over 100000 acres Of rich land ont Of cultivation,
which, in 1882, yielded over 800 hogsheads, and
over 5000 puncheons of rum, giving employment
to about 80, 600 laborers. During the same time
! over 500 coffee plantations have been abandoned,
leaving 100000 acres of land which before requr-
cd the labor Of 10000 men. For the last three
years preceding the month Of October, ls48, the
Island exported less than half the sugar, rum and
giDger-less than one-third the cofiee-less than
ono tenth the molasses, and nearly two millions
| of pounds less of pimento than during the three
years which preceded the Emancipation Act
The depreciation of real estate is in proportion to
! the falling off Of the income. few instances
viii show the extent of this depreciation The
Spring Valley Estate in the Parish Of St. Marys,
was abandoned in SAP. and in l945 the freehold
including works, machinery, plantation utensils
and water-power was sold for Il COO The
| Tremalis estate, once worth ,9G9,000, has been
sold for not much over 49, and would not now
bring half that snm. Fair Prospect estate which
used TO yield 500 hogsheads Of sugar, and was
valued at $4,000, was sold in ls4l for $4,000 a
much larger sum than it would now bring. These
are but two Or three instances out Of a number
which might be adduced.
The full extent Of the depreciation Of property
will be more strihinSly displayed by view OF
THE PHYSICAL RESOURCES OF THE ISLAND
Jamaica embraces about 4, 100000 acres Of land.
OF which there are not, probably, any ten lying
adjacent to each other, which are not susceptible
of the highest cultivation, while not more than
50o,000 acres have ever been reclaimed, or even
appropriated.
be il lerred in part from what l have said OF its
exports Sugar retoons here, on most plantations,
three or four times. | myself picked some cotton
OF superior quality, which had been planted more
than ten years Very little of the soil has been
manured, or requires to be, and such thing as an
exhausted estate is hardly known. The negroes
sometimes exhaust the three or four acres OF
which they may have become proprletors, by Gov
e1ing the ground with every variety OF fruit and
vegetable and by planting anew, after every crop,
without giving the soil either rest or restoratiyes
But these exceptions are of triAng Importance.
Vegetation is not suspended here by the approach
of Winter, which averages temperature only
| ten or fifteen degrees lower than that OF Summer
Planting and harvesting go on throughout the year
The richness of the soil may be inferred from
usage which has existed since long previous to the
abolition Of slavery ofsettng apart to the negroes
one day in seven for the cultivation OF their own
little grounds from which they gather nearly their
entire support. On Saturdays, they are never ex-
pected to work for any one but themselves. They
devote that day to tiing their grounds and mar
keting their produce. This one day labor IN each
week is all they require to keep up to the highest
DOW r OF production from three to five, and sOme.
times ten acres of provision grounds.
The fruits Of the island are of infinite variety,
and most of them grow spontaneously, Or with
very little culture: each month having its own pc
culiar hettest. Among those fruits which grow
ngreat0st abundance and periection,are the pine
apple, shadduck, orange, Pomegranate, tig, creme
| dillo, cashew apple, banana star apple, chirimoya,
tamarnd, cocoa nut, olive, date, plantian, mulbcr
ry akee, jack fruit, and every variety OF melons,
grapes, pears, plums mangos DC.
Among Vegetables most easy OF cultivation, are |
potatoes vans, cassaya peas and beans OF every I
variety, all the common table vegetables OF the
United States Ochro, choco, calalue and & curious
variety OF salads Maize and Indian corn grow
here uxurently. The Guinea grass which is su
perlor for grass purposes to any other grows Wild
to the height Of five or six feet.
The island also abounds in dye stUis, drugs and
spices OF Sreotest value to these may be added
the aloe ginger, cochineal, spikenard, liquorice-
root castor oil nut, vanilla, peppers OF every va
riety, arrow root, ippccacuanha, jalap cassia'
SIENNA and many Others of which have no know
ledge. have already referred to the immense
crops OF plmeno which used to be 6atheseu l!et9'
and which in 948, in spite OF the general agrlcui-
tural depression upon the island amounted 10 oYc'
five millions of pounds. learned fact IN the ma
tural history of this spice winch was nc" - ,Io,
and may be new to many t o. ny ~ "oIore3 aente
mon 70 whose ACCOMPLISHMENTS in natural history
have already alluded. ..l,,.oro al
Tho island Of Jamaca furnishes nlne tehths o. ~
the pimento that is the subject OF c0i'ul tI3
here is not pinaento walk ON the island "nlch
nos bcer cultivated from seed planted oy human
hands. On the contrary all the SEED IS scattereo
about with the rejcctameata OF inc olrds an" "-ieu
it comes up, the bushes ana Sn!a0ogy frnr
il honDens to be surrounded are cut away rom
about it. and thus the pimento walk is lana out
The same thing, he said, was true OF tue SDeVa.
He minated mn Impression that aproper analysis
of the soil in which the seed terminated Wou!a
orobaby reveal the secret, hitherto lnVlolate, by
the aid of which the pimento could be cultivated
from it seed.
This statement becomes the more astonishing
| when the fact is considered that Jamaica has cx-
norted over three millions OF pounds OF this spice
The forests of Jamaica abound with the rGrest
cabinet woods, in wonderful variety. | was
shown beautiful box, the top Of which was in
laid with thirty different choice and rich ndj5en-
GUS specimens.
Among the trees Of most value IN various ways
may be mentioned the bread fruit tree which
takes a fine polish; the satin wood; the cedar.
which grows to an immense size the cottont tree,
the body OF which is cut out by the negroes ior
canoes the bamboo, ono Of The most useful trees
on the island the trumpet tree the bark OF watch
is used for cordage and the body for other puy-
poses the black and green ebony hgnumyitn
the palmetto, which sometimes grow 40 feet IN
height, and others, The mahogany is native to