Page:The History of the Island of Dominica.djvu/93

 fogs, has a bad effect on canes; and though the lands on the ea-coat all lie on a declivity, yet the under tratum of the oil being either a tiff clay, or trong terrace, o much water is retained from the frequent rains, occaioned by the woods, as to chill the oil.

Thee coniderations eem to point out the neceity, in order to render Dominica a good ugar country, of clearing the extenive forets of trees in the interior parts of it. When this is done, and not till then, will this iland be ditinguihed for the number of its ugar plantations, and for the quantity of ugar it is abolutely capable of raiing.

There are above two hundred coffee plantations in Dominica; but the principal and mot productive of them belong to French proprietors, who raie great quantities of coffee, which they dipoe of to the Englih merchants, who export it to Europe. There are, however, everal