The gazette., 1901-04-06

There is no island in this group OF
islands known as the Greater or
Lesser Antilles that presents in itself
all the advantages to the people or
our race that this one possesses. No
island of this group has as fertile
soil, more delightful climate or IS
more healthful than this is. The fer
tility of this soil is most wonderful.
AS a slight proof of this, sugar cane,
1 am informed, needs to be planted
but once in ten years; coffee, but once
in five years; cotton, which here
grows to trees, once in 20 years.
These trees yield abundantly. There
are three varieties of this cotton, one
white, in which the fibre is similar to
that of the Sea Island cotton; anoth-
er, in which the fibre is yellow; and
the third, in which the fibre is pink. L
believe the last two are unknown i'm
the states. Again, corn is so easily
cultivated, all that is done is simply
to make a hole in the earth, place
the seed therein and leave nature to
do the rest; in six or eight weeks. the
ears are ready for the table.
The opportunity for fruit cultiva-
tion is simply immense. What
mean by fruit culture, is the cultiva-
ton of the banana, the orange, the
lemon, the lime, the pine apple and
the cOcoanut There are other varie-
ties that could be cultivated, that
would yield large results and quick
returns, but those named are the
ones the people of the states are &C
| quainted with. To return to the class
of fruits mentioned, the banana
! needs to be planted but once, and
| within two years from the time OF
| planting the fruit is ready for mar
ket and continues in an increasing
ratio each year The orange, lime
and lemon require a much longer
| time, but at no time are the trees
subject to the blasting effects of
| frost, as in Florida or even in Cali
| fornia, as the thermometer never
| falls below 70 degrees, nor rises
above 90 degrees in midsummer.
Coffee, cocoa, logwood and mahOg-
any are the principle staples. The
export of the first two yields yearly
to the national treasury over $3,0OO,-
| 600 All of this cultivation to which
1 have referred is done with the crud-
est of farming utensils. l do not
| think that there are dozen plows on
| the island, or any labor-saving farm
| ing utensils that would alleviate the
J labor of the agriculturist. / have
| dwelt upon these facts, in order that
your readers may fully comprehend
| the fertility of this soil, and that it
could yield thrice that which it now
| does, if this cultivation was reduced
| tC that which we are accustomed in
the states.
Another feature that is worth mem
| tioning is, there are no manufactur-
ers here. There is wide field for
this class of enterprise, especially
cotton mills, as the principal articles
| of clothing of all classes are of this
| material.
What Hayti needs is a class of ag-
| riculturists who will take the initia-
tive to cultivate the soil on 4 differ
ent principle than has been done
| heretofore and introduce therein
such farming utensils as are common
on any farm or plantation, in the
states. By this means the soil would
| yield more abundantly than now and
the resources of the republic be
vastly increased.
| OuT ledulnR men VI the race, Uf1e
| Bishops of the two branches of the
| Methodist church, in our country,
owe it to the race, to direct the at
tention of our people to this island,
and to assist this people in the great
struggle of life. We fail to remem-
Der one great truth, that Hayti in
the family of nations stands today,
as she stood from the day she
achieved her Independence, like our
| people in the states, isolated, with no
helping hand stretched forth to as
sist, to advise or to help her. Other
people, not of our race, have come
and are daily coming to enrich them
selves at her expense, leaving her
poor when they leave; and, what is
still stranger, they have no good
word to utter in her behalf, but de-
sire to bleed her again and again.
Efforts have been repeatedly made to
direct emigration to the western
shores of Africa, where the climate
is pernicious to our people, but they
fail TO call attention to an island
peopled by our race, with progress
sive and independent government of
it's own and near to our shores.
| We also fail to remember, that IL
| (CoD+;Duad nm CAcopd PaUe