ABSTRACT
The difficulty of forming any really satisfactory idea of the state and progress of agriculture and commerce in Jamaica, in former years, is considerable. One of the highest authorities on such matters2 has stated that “the blue books of Jamaica are the worst returns in the colonial office;” and he adds that the registrargeneral of shipping had stated that a similar negligence prevailed in his returns. Mr. Martin has, however, done not a little to reduce the imperfect returns to order; and sundry proceedings on the part of the legislature also help still further to illustrate the commercial condition of the island.
