Report Upon the Forests of Jamaica (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1888 Excerpt: ...ever changing field of operations, it naturally follows that the cultivator is not in the habit of owning the land he grows his crop upon. 80. Dating from emancipation the tendency has been for the increase of the landed proprietary by the breaking up cf the old established estates and their purchase in small allotments by negroes whose family history was bound up with them. In some instances the present owners are indebted for their landed property to the generosity of the original proprietor, who granted a small area of ground to certain faithful slaves at the time of manumission, others have not been so fortunate, but have managed by fraudulently squatting to acquire holdings, but by far the majority have bought their land, paying either eash for it, or working out the price in labour on the vendors' estate. 81. The result is that except on the large limestone areas, the island of Jamaica is becoming more and more dotted over with negro peasants, each owning a house surrounded by an acre or two acres of land, which may be generally described as one complete fruit tree garden, with an under-growth of coffee and annatto bushes growing in profusion along with bananas and plantains. 82. The possession of this little paradise has not as yet proved to be sufficient inducement to wean the owner from the custom he has inherited of growing his vegetables far away on forest soil, for this latter cultivation is apparently the only operation in which the negro cheerfully expends muscular exertion. In fact, the system is more freely indulged in than ever, and with even greater harm to the forests than formerly, when the population was more restricted, each man in those days looking to the estate for work and sustenance, besides there being then no export of provision...