, 1876-06-14
THE RESTORATION OF COFFEE Gull
TIVATION IN DOMINICA.
The Journal Of Applied Science.

island, we have been favoured with a copy of
the report made by Mr.. H, Prestoe, the coloni-
al botanist Of Trinidad, who was officially en-
gagged to examine and report on the several
leading products Of the island. A visit Of
about two months to the different localities
and estates enabled him to present a very val
liable report, reviewing not only the causes of
decline in the coffee cultivation in the island,
but suggesting remedies, and touching also on
other staple products, existing or prospective,
such as sugar, cacao, lime juice, the coconut
palm, spices, tobacco, c~inchona, and fruits and
vegetables for export. First, as to coffee,
Mr.. Prestoe does not consider the coffee-blight,
or ravages of the coffee insect, as the immedi-
ate cause of the abandonment of the culture.
He assigns as the inducing causes the unset
tied and turbulent character of the proprietary
body at the end Of the last and the beginning
of the present centuries, the reckless clearing
Of forests from 1850 to the present time, but
especially up to 1880, the high price of sugar,
the sudden abolition of slavery, the acquisition
Of land, chiefly in coffee, by persons without
means, and without a knowledge of agriculture,
or of the coffee cultivation as it was carried on
formerly, and extensive sQuatting on Crown
lands and abandoned, or partly-abandoned,
estates. The remedial measures which he sug-
gests are, attracting to the island persons Of
lltuuS NtStLtNc On tliOtEAluE III any uIUICu
Of tropical agriculture, but especially coffee
and cac&o by careful publication of its grea5
agricultural capabilities and other advantages
assisting under Government auspices or digeo-
tion deserving small proprietors in the island
by q system Of advances on their properties, and
by verbal and printed instructions as to their Gull
~tivations measures TO educate the peasantry
and the numerous class of s~quatters to a sense
Of the use and value Of money, and to a know
ledge in common things, such az a rigid suppress
sion Of s~Quatting of all kinds, and misappropri-
alton Of the forests; compulsory education in
schools, and special provision for promoting the
expOrta ion o. fruit and vegetables. In 1888. Just
before the final emancipation, 1,6I2,52 pounds
Of coffee were exported from Dominica, but
after 1885, the decline was enormous, the ship.
ments FOR 1886 being only l86,426 pounds, and
now they have dropped down to l2,ll7 pounds.
After emancipation, when lQOOur was not TO
be had, there was a general abandonment of
coffee cultivation by the owners under whose
care and energy they had hitherto been such
brilliant mines Of wealth, At the close Of the
last century, there were 292 coffee estates In
the island, covering an area of nearly 10000
acres. Passing by, for the present, the vaIua-
LIe information furnished on the other tropical
cultures, we quote the following directions
given by Mr.. Prestoe as likely to be useful in
other quarters.
"Considcring the Disadvantages under which
the cultivation is carried on, [ consider the
present yield-so much less than it was in
former years-evidence of o wonderful vitality,
a. is the great longevity apparent in The ma
jority Of existing trees. Judging from appear
ances Of trees | ascertaiued to be at least fifty
years old, I do not hesitate to say that there
are many trees in the island seventy years
old, and still vigorous and fruitful. / may add,
as further evidence Of the great vigour Of the
cofee-tr,o in Dominica, that on some hills of
the character / have described as being most
favourable for the coffee, ] found trees Of
similar extreme age turned completely over,
and their original roots exposed by the wasting
away or shifting Of the surface. They have
again rooted and refurnished themselves with
stems and branches as massive as before.
Such being tbs vigorous nature of the coffee
trees, | consider that the renovation of existing
plantations may be effected quickly, and with
mere nominal expense. I am Of opinion that
with the existing trees judici1uslg pruncd and
relieved of bush and weeds and their obnoxious
neighbours, the plantains, vans, &c, the
present yield Of coffee in tho island may be
doubled the first year, and qu2drupled the
second year following.
"Tbe process Of cleaning must DO by grub
biDg up all weeds and bush by the roots, but
care must be taken not to iDjure the coffee.
roots. All plantains must be removed which
stand within four feet of a cofee-tree. All
other provisions must be removed IN toto.
Should the bush have grown so LARGE as to