, 1896-09-05
A IN TRINIDAD.

htable new Industry for encouragement III
The Island, we have felt that the cultivation
Oh tobacco has strong claims on oar interest
and deser, Is our most careful e0nsIGeral ION.
Prompted hy this feeling, we I'VE ehdea-
yOurtd 70 ascertain what Steps ave been
taken in the British " est Indian Colonies III
recent leaIs TO develop the culture Of this
plant, Tut, as viii presently appear, our eff
iolts have been rewarded by meagre results
owing IT, he fact that ~olm1t OF tins ma
tune is OF easy of access. DR.. II a. AItold
Nichols IN lis textbook on Tropical Aerlcul-
turo sayo-"WAeu tie West Indian Islands
we're FIRST colonized by Europeans, tobacco
became an important cultivation IN nearly
all Of them hut now, unfortunately, ITS
culture is almost wholly conht ed to the
Spanish Islands" According 10 Linn@us
'iobacco was brought to England from To-
bago in the West Indies, or Tobasco IN
Mexico, by Ralph onc n 1856; but only
the herb for smoking"
Of couls SO the practice OF smoking tobacco
was introduced into England by Sir Walter
Raleigh. 1t is Of peculiar y teIest to recall
heIe that Pere Labst says THAT carly in the
eighteenth century Glenadn was a large plo-
Queer of a quality SO good that it realized n
much higher price than that gown III the
neehbouring islands. Whatever may have
DtGI VII I'HN' AAFNCAJ VI NV NA'' 49, -
tobacco in tie West Indies, there can be no
doubt that it is now assuming Il prominent
position as as important minor industry III these
colonies. and in Jamaica more especially. In
1act it's cultivation has reached such q stage
of development III Jamaica that she is now
capable Of exporting thousands OF pounds
of cigals to Europe as well as to all the West
Indian Islands, where Jamaican cigals are
rapidly supplanting Havana cigars. One finn
of cigar manufacturers alone lAIcSsrs. Maclla-
do & Coz make 1900 ci&als Il day. The
extent II the development rs also shown by
the great reduction that has taken place in
the quantity of tobacco now being imported
as compared with what used to be imported
into Jamaica. In 1898, III ,943 lbs of leaf
tobacco we're imported in Jamaica; III 1894
the amount imported fell to ll6,ASG lbs,
and it is confidently anticipated fIot the
growers Of tobacco III Jamaica VIII IN Il short
time be able to SUI ply Tie eItile quantity
required fol- local consumption, III addition to
what may be required for the increasing ex-
port trade. 1t has been proved TO demon
stratiom that tobacco Of the best quality can
be grown aud cured, and ciGals Of excellent
favour manufactured in Januisa. 1t il true
hat none Of HE best cigars manufactured in
Jamaica is made entirely from tobacco grown
there, it being admitted that Inc wrappers
used for the finer cigars, such as 'conchas
especiales" are genciul>y made from leaves
imported from SumAtIa, Cuba. on Virginia,
the reason being that the colour oftl . jana
can wrappers is too dark to stat the liking of
the English market, where a light cigar is
preferred. But this docs not apply to The
common Jamaica cigalS, which are made in
large numbers entirely nom tobacco grown
in that island.
Tho aytnTiaupa IF t0lpppo Qualifications -,
Trinidad has been neither SO extensive nor
so successful as in jamaica. Under the aus
pioes of Sir William Robinson a determined
effort was made to ascertain definitely whe-
Their tobacco of good quality can be grown in
Trinidad, aud a fulm situated at the outskirts
of the village of Siparia was The scene chosen
for the necessary experiments. SuIctly speak
ing, the scheme originated in 1887. but owing
TO two OF three misclances no practical steps
were taken until 1889, when some tobacco was
planted at Siparia by Mr.. I. S. Wangu, inert,
an expert peasant cultivator Of tobacco, who
was engaged y Sn William Robinson through
the good Offices of the British Consul at
Havana. In 1891 this expert cured a crop
of 1,IOS lbs. of tobacco which he
grew OH a little over two acres of
arenaceouS lard. The authorities at Kew
obtained from a London broker the following
opinion on some Of this tobacco THE
tobacco is a fairly good looking leaf, but its
favour and burning qualities are not good.
If these pOintsc could be remedied it would