File:Narrative of the expedition of an American squadron to the China seas and Japan (1857) (14782213134).jpg

Identifier: narrativeofexped05perr (find matches)
Title: Narrative of the expedition of an American squadron to the China seas and Japan
Year: 1857 (1850s)
Authors: Perry, Matthew Calbraith, 1794-1858 Hawks, Francis L. (Francis Lister), 1798-1866
Subjects: United States Naval Expedition to Japan (1852-1854)
Publisher: New York, D. Appleton and company (etc., etc.)
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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ctions from the centre ; these, however, are filled with water in the rainyseason only, and then they form numerous cascades and cataracts. In thedry season the water rapidly evaporates. The island was once well wooded, and a considerable part of the nativeforest still remains. The cocoa-nut palm, and sago, are common, as are alsotamarind trees, mangroves, and bamboos. Yams, cassava, Indian corn,plantains, bananas, and melons are all cultivated as articles of food, as wellas some of our vegetables, as spinach, asparagus, artichokes, cabbage, andpeas. Wheat and rice are also produced, but in small quantities. Of fruitsthere are mangoes, shaddocks, and pine apples; but oranges, grapes, peaches,and apples are inferior. The French introduced the spice trees of the In-dian islands; none, however, succeeded but the clove. The chief article ofcultivation, since the British obtained possession, is sugar; not more, how-ever, than three-eighths of the island is cultivated at all. The sugar cane
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AGRICULTURE OF MAURITIUS. 133 is planted in the usual manner, tliough the fields present one peculiarity.The surface of the ground, in its original state, was covered with loose rocksand stones. These have been formed into parallel ridges about three or fourfeet apart, and between these the cane is planted. The cultivators are ofopinion that these ridges, instead of being injurious to the cane, are ratheradvantageous; they retard the growth of weeds, shade and protect theyoung cane from violent winds, and retain moisture which reaches the rootsof the cane. Before the introduction of guano as a fertilizer, the product was from2,000 to 2,500 French pounds of sugar to the arpent or French acre; butthe increase since the application of the guano has been so extraordinary asto be scarcely credible. In ordinary seasons the product has been from sixto seven thousand pounds, and, under peculiarly favorable circumstances, ithas even reached eight thousand pounds to the acre. Official returns s

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