, 1875-12-01

changes in the cultivation OF the land aIfO-
gether regardless Of the formidable diff
culties that barred the road to success.
But Mr.. Russell the leader In so many
other enterprises having the prosperity of
the colony for their object, has now bold
Iy come forward as the champion of mix
ed cultivation, and has asked others to
Join him in pressing upon the attention of
his fel ow-colouists the risk of relying upon
the cultivation # the cane plant alone for
future prosperity. 1t does, indeed, seem
a strange anomaly that with a boundIess
extent OF fertile land, it has hitherto, at
least during the last half century, been
considered impossible to cultivate upon a
large SC lie any plant but that Of the cane.
Yet this has been the case, nor is it at all
likely that for a length of time to come
any different impression will be generally
received. Aud it is as impossible as it
would be unwise, to overlook the great
difficulties attendant upon any radical
change IN the principle OF cultivation here.
Such a change Of system can only be
br, u9ht about by slow and haItjng means,
and by practical proofs of he correctness of
the statements made by the advocates of
change.
Mr.. Russell SO fully recognizes this
most important ia t, he is so well aware
that men with capital at present invested
in sugar estates are not prepared 20 trans
fer it to other ard possibly more
hazardous kinds Of cultivation, aud that
other capitalists are not, at all events
at present, likely to consent to embark
money in the cultivation of the products
which with US are usually classed under
the heading of mixyd cultivation that in
his speech before the Agricultural Society
ON Thursday he mainly confined himself
to urging the necessity of inducing the
peasants to cultivate more extensively
provisions, rice, &c This advice is 10
doubt most wholesome, and it Is much to
be desired that it may be acted upon, but
Mr.. Russell must be well aware that even
if his suggestion in this direction were
carried Into effect there would sill mrC4l
remain to be Gone before the prosperity
of the colony could be assured. If it is
once granted that the cane plant ought
not to absorb the entire attention of our
agricuIturi>ts, it must follow that until
they, the men of capital aud intelligence,
!, co9uize the necessity of growing other
pIaltS beside, he cane all has not been
done that should be done. And yet we
cont SIS we have but little hope that under
existing circumstances any large amount
OF capital viii be diverted from the Sugar
Estates On a small scale, much even
now may be, and is being, done, but the
uncertainty OF a continued supply Of la
bour f|righleus many from farming estates
on the principle of Mixed Cultivation. To
cultivate cocoa, or rice, or tobacco, and
similar products proftably, q resident
peasantry, wiling to work and work con-
tinuot sly for fair wages, is absolutely re-
CURED, The complicated and expensive
system by which sugar planters obtain la
bour could not be adopted by men who
carried out the principle of Mixed Guilt
walton. 1t would net pay to adopt it, ex-
cept on a very large scale. In some dis
tricts Of the country there are indeed at
present small estates worked on the Mixed
Cultivation plan, ard worked to a profit,
but these estates are of very limited area,
and whilst their present modest demands
on the labour market are honored, larger
ones might be refused. 1t would not pay
them to import immigrants from India;
they have to remain dependent upon the
Creole population for labour; so that we
come 10 the conclusion that Mixed Gull