Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-13
JAMAICA's OPPORTUNITIES.
The Possibilities of Winter Vegetable
Growing.
Julian Hawthorne in Collior.c Wooklv

Growing.
Julian Hawthorne in Golfers Weekly.
| When / lived in the Island of Jamaica, a
British possession. was greatly impressed
with the commercial possibilities of the
winter vegetable growing Industry. Dur
ing those months when winter fruit and
vegetables are practically ar impossbility
in the markets of our northern and semi
northern cities. they flourish best in ia
maica-and, of course, in the other islands
Of the archipelago as well. Jamaica is
about 40 miles Icing and from twenty to
| fifty miles wide; its surface is mountain
Gus. with many valleys and a few plains of
moderate extent Oranges and coffee are
the chief products of the mountainous
parts, sugar and bananas of the lower
levels and valleys. Vegetables are scarce
~ cultivated at ali; the negro population
numbering over 100000, is lazy and worth
less, and cannot be depended on as labor
ers; they grow a few vans on their little
clearings and are then content to lie in the
shade OF their cocoas and mangoes and let
the year go by. The coffee industry lam
guishes: there is hardly any sugar-makinp
worth talking of now going on; there IS NOT
IN the whole island a single orange grove
recognizable as such by an American cult
vator; all Jamaican oranges are practically
wild, and of numerous varieties, some poor
some the best in the world. but all alike
Jumbled together for export: so that Ia
maica oranges have bad name There is
an American company In control of the
banana trade, and the export is as large as
the consumption warrants; but no vegeta-
hles are exported at all. The steady work
on the plantations is done by coolies
brought under contract from India and re-
garded with disfavor by the negroes
NOW, II l0,O0O acres only were set apart
tor the cultivation of vegetables during the
months from December to April and the
produce placed for sale in our seaboard
cities. the profits, over and avove all ex-
penses and accidents, would be so enor-
nous that / shall not state them: the hal
ance sheet has been carefully worked out
and revised; they would amount to MANY
millions of dollars each season. Why has
the enterprise never been attempted? Be
cause the cost of the plant required rem
derS it impossible for any ordinary indi-
vidual or aggregation of individuals to un-
dertake 1t. You must have in the first
place, ieet of six or eight freight steam
ers which will make the trip to New York
inside OF three days Ohe distance is a lit
tie over 1000 miles,. Then you must have
WharNeS and warehouses in the principal
citleS % receive the cargoes. and men to
handle them promptly and skillfully; and
shops in the cities where the best of the
produce can be sold directly to private buy-
ers Meanwhile, in Jamaica. there must be
large and trained force of cultiyators and
overseers, with farm tools and buildings
OF all kinds, and an abundance of facilities
Tor transporting the produce swiftly from
the fields to the ports.
Altogether the preliminary and working
expenses would be very large, but the re-
turns would be SO large that in two average
years the outlay would have been repaid
and clear annual gain of millions could
be depended on. I often discussed this
matter with the governor of Jamaica, Sir
Henry Blake. and he saw as much in 1t as
l did. and proffered the good Offices of the
government in case a company were or
ganized to work the industry. Jamaica is
at present. the best of the islands for the
purpose. simply because 1t is under English
government, and you are assured of peace
and quiet. But when Cuba achieves her
independence ard has quieted down she
will serve better than Jamaica, because
she is so much larger and more than a
hundred miles nearer us.