, 1880-01-14

over SlOO. Ihe 1910 hhdS. with addltlOn-
al produce gave consequently an income
of 100000 beyond the average profit,
which divided over scarcely 80 estates,
shews, that our +" barren spot' las the wri.
ter calls it is not such a very contemplate
n after all and this surplus would have
gone far to cover the deficits of4severals sue
ceeding years, if these had been confined
within reasonable limits. I will here add,
that the treasury of the island had at that
period a balance in cash of 100000. But
then cam the mlsfOrtunes, which accord
to MI. A amount to nothing but either
''rain, or drought or some other accidental
circumstance" (the negroes FRANKS are not
worth mentioning and the insignifcance of
which he demonstrates by the vigorous SEN
tence "but that does not move me the
least"; the more painfully has it ON the
other hand moved ST. Croix. [ shall now
produce some more OF my dry facts. The
crops OF 1872 did not reach over 6.751. the
one of 1873 6,614; the one of 1874 3113:
in 1S75it rose to 1905, only to fall in 1876
to 5,122 hhds. The result of these five
years was thus 81, 500 hhds, instead: Of ca,
$4,000, consequently $500 hhds. less than
what ought to have been. IF we now,
taking into consideration the. fall of
prices, estimate a hid sugar with addition
al produce at $50, we arrive at a loss Of
Sl,4OO,OOO, which in those five years has
struck Onr so estates, and as neither
1 nor probably any one else compe-
tent to give an opinion, is aware of
any other particular cause of this terrible
dnnlnutlOn, we are satisfied with looking
for an explanation to the only cause we
know OF viz: the want of rain, of which
more presently how A. can explain that
''the bad cultivation and the plundering
mode OF treating the soil has in 1871 allow
ed the crop to reach 16,500 hhds., but only
BIB in 1874, must be his business.
Let us now glance at the little accidental
circumstance, the drought, of which SO
much fuss is made, and to which people
ascribe the cause of the u~nfayourable results
instead OF acknowledging that the bad cul-
tlVatlon is the one and sole cause of the
ruin OF st. Croix. According to a specified
statement communicated to the Colonial
Council by the President, the average rain.
tall III the Il years from 1S5O--61 included,
had been $50 lines, and in the 5 years
from 1871 to 1875 only $50 lines lin 1876 it
came to 2S5 lines). In 1874, which gave
the crop of 1875 Q0,O75 hhds.) the rain
came to 3S5 hnes). If anyone, who has tho
opportunity OF looking at the Reports of
the Colonial Council OF 1876, will take the
trouble OF comparing attentively the par
tlculars OF the statement alluded to, he
will find, that with almost mathematical
certainty the quantity of rain fallen in any
one year of the period from 1S5O--75 cores
ponds to The crop of the next year.
l shall next beg leave to touch the two,
in the opinion of Mr.. A. and several others,
true causes of our distress bad cultivation
and the disgraceful system of bureau loans.
When misfortune arrives, without being
the consequence Of some isolated natural
event, the first thing people are apt to do
is to find out somebody or other, upon
whom to fix the blame, and it is therefore
not to be wondered at, that they have
pounced upon those who direct the manage
ment of the Estates; and without denying
that the cultivation has it's grave defects, /
believe that the complaints on this subject
are greatly exaggerated. The article with
which I am occupied, accuses, in it's usual
free and easy manner, the planters of "put-
ting themselves obstinately against every
change in the existing system, and of being
unwilling to etc. etc. / consider myself
however able to show the exaggeration and
in part even the falsehOod of the state
ment.
Until the abolition of slavery in 184S the
use of the plough was almost unknown
here; a few years later not only the common
plough, but also weeding-machines were
everywhere at work. Both at the time
mentioned and for years afterwards there
were few among the planters, who cared
about manure, now there is not one but
does what he can to procure as much ssman-
ure as possible; and when the large crop