, 1876-03-29

~tSoI WALL OOuOGjCSS COuLlIluG 10 COI4pCbC
ad~vantageously against the beetroot.
Sugar always has been, and must continue
to be, the staple produce Of every thriving
West Indian island, and, with irrigation,
no spot is more adapted for it than the
neiyhbourhood which is to be irrigated
by the Rio Cobre, the development of
such a cultivation, and the resulting manu-
factories must depend on the resources
and the energy of the neighbouring land
owners, or the aid and protection the
Government may find itself induced to
give to agriculture in that district. to rem
der these works a more speedily remune-
ratlve enterprise. One thing is certain
no industry will expedite this more ra-
pidly than cane-cuItivation on lands which
are adapted for it and with the rural popu-
lation of Jamaica the only profitable
cane-cultivation that can be carried on is
that on the central factory system,
whether those establishments are con-
structed by private individuals, by com
panies, or at the expense of the Govern
nent. The erection of large and effective
sets of sugar works on the banks of the
main canals OF the irrigation which, with
very little more expense for forming
locks, may be made to serve the double
purpose for irrigation, and floating the
punts loaded with canes to the factory,
would soon connect a tract of many thou
sand acres Of wilderness to a furnishing
and thriving district. l am aware the
old bugbear would be started,-want of
population want Of energy among the
labouring classes! But my experience
teaches, that energy and population never
cease to flow towards those spots to which
they are encouraged. | am simply d
passer-by, tomorrow | return to the
Spanish Colonies. Circumstances have
detained me 10 Jamaica a sufficient time
to enable me to modify my first impress
sions; but not to eradicate those | then
formed on the utility and expediency
of establishing central sugar factories.
Sooner or later they must take precedence
Of the present system. The merchants,
tradesmen, aud artisans of Kingston and
its neighbourhood will have to recognize
the fact that such establishments in their
vicinity, orr n any district within easy rail-
way carriage Of Kingston, will tend more
60 the Development of commerce than
the realization OF any other project AS yet
mooted in the Island. For myself | ex-
press my conviction disinterestpdly; l
nave had frequent opportunities OF visit
ing the district likely to be irrigated
by the water Of the Rio Cobre, my past
experience impresses me with the utility
OF irrigation for cane cultivation, aud |
~foresee, as a certain result, that central
sugar factories must, and will, follow 10 its
wake. The amount which must be real
led to pay the yearly interest, and liqui-
date the debt ofthe irrigation works, will
only be attained after the establishment
of sugar works in this neighbourhood, for
there is 40 other cultivation, in the West
Indies, suitable to low lands which could
produce a crop, the net return of which
would justify a land owner in contracting
for such an expensive commodity as water
10 the form Of irrigation.
At q future time | shall endeavour to
explain how irrigation is effected accor-
ding to the nature of the soil, aud stage
Of growth OF the plant. This was SO
thoroughly understood and practised by
the Moors, that they left little room for
improvement on the mode they adopted,
and which is practised at the present day
in Spain and the Spanish Colonies. At
present, | shall simply state that the food
ing of lands without drainage does, 10 most
Insta more evil than good tn the cane