, 1891-03-28
u g A WIS.
Striatia1stea 81. GRIM.
Saturday, 28th March, 1891.

dulged a good deal in the contemplation or
schemes for the enrichment of this island,
which our readers for the most part must re-
gard as visionary. we shall scarcely run any
great risk if we continue in the same vein to-
day. In our own view, however, the success
Of the industries which we have lately been
urging, is by no means impossible while we
are willing to admit, that what we intend
now to speak of is apparently unattainable.
But IN these times, when facts in regard to our
agriculture are so gloomy, it may perhaps be
permitted to turn to fiction for a little relief.
There is one thing that we think must be
perfectly plain to observant people who really
know anything of those smaller West Indian
islands, which, like our own, are comparative
ly flat, and that is, that the sugar cane is the
most profitable object Of cultivation which can
be raised in them. The more mountainous
islands may abandon sugar for coffee, cocoa and
spices but we can only do that on a very IL
mlted scale. A few corners may be suited to
those products, but the bulk of our land is not
suited to them, while it is in every way suited
for the production of sugar cane, and for the
carrying on of the labour in connexion there
with. That the sugar cultivation has been
kept up in the smaller and lower islands,
while other objects Of cultivation, where for
merly established, have been abandoned to the
larger and more mountainous islands or to
other countries, is alone strong evidence that
it the most profitable cultivation. Even the
recent depression in prices, which threatens to
be permanent, only modifies, but does not do
away with, this position for it has been found
that the introduction Of economies in the in
dustrY can to a great degree make up for this
misfortune.
1t this view is correct it is then good policy
to do all we can not only to prevent the fur
Their contraction of the sugar growing area,
but to recover even, if possible, some of the
ground that has in recent years been lost. The
dairy farming and fruit growing, which we
have been advocating, should mainly be reserv-
ed for those places where there is no hope of
restoring sugar cultivation but if there is an
area where it can be restored an effort should
be made to restore it. If it be asked whether
IN Santa Cruz there is any such area, we do
not find it difficult to answer. We believe it
to be especially that half of the East End
which lies nearest to Christiansted and a lit
tie cane cultivation near to the east side of the
town gives us q hint of how the cane cultivation
in this district might be restored. There we
see a few acres redeemed from bush and plant
ed to a small extent with provisions, but to
a much larger extent with canes. We know
that it is the Central Factory that has produced
that limited amelioration in thu condition Of
affairs east of the town and when we ask
why it is that the narrow band of cultivation
does not widen eastwards, we know it is be-
cause the carriage through the town to the facto-
ry is too serious a matter already to allow of
any lengthening Of the line of road to be trav-
elIed. This appears to lead us at once to our
old suggestion of erecting a Central Factory
station in the district in question; but apart
from the question of the money required, there
appears to be the serious objection that in a
good season the Factory has already as much
work as it can get through, and the erection of
another station and consequent addition of a
new area of supply might therefore possibly
involve the necessity of additions to the
central works themselves, q consideration of Sc
rious import. Probably then the Central Fac
tory cannot undertake the work. Can it be
done in any other way? Is it possible to get
up a local company for erecting a small indie
pendent Central Factory in that district, a
factory capable of making say 1900 hhds. of
sugar annually? We suppose there is only
one answer to be given to that question. But
we cannot help wishingi it were otherwise. The
addition say of540,000 or $4,000 annually to
the traffic Of Christiansted would be no mean
item, and the occupation Of SO much land by
sugar would remove the danger of over-crowd-
ing the market with stock, which might be the
result of turning the East End estates into
stock estates really worthy Of the name. In