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Subject: Breadfruit in St Vincent - the real story
Date: Thu, 07 Nov 2002 16:49:52 +0800

I quote from my copy of "An Account of the Botanic Garden in the Island
of St Vincent" by Rev. Lansdown Guilding, B.A. published in 1825,
starting on page 13:

"In December, 1792, Captain Bligh touched at St Helena on his return,
and in January, 1793, attended by Captain Portlock of the assistant
brig, landed the best portion of his valuable cargo, about 530 plants,
on the shores of St Vincent. The young trees which were as vigorous as
if they had only travelled from our mountains, instead of having crossed
a wide and troubled ocean, were instantly planted out, and after a
proper interval distributed among the colonies. Having performed this
duty, Captain Bligh proceeded to Jamaica where another portion was
delivered, and with the remainder (destined for his Majesty's gardens at
Kew) set sail for Europe. The total number of plants delivered amounted
to 1,217; besides, there were 700 reserved for Kew. In 1794 the
bread-fruit began to bear."

In an Appendix there is a letter, dated June 9, 1806 from Alexander
Anderson (a surgeon, who was appointed Superintendent of the St Vincent
Botanic Garden) to C. Taylor, M.D. Secretary of the Society of Arts.
(The book notes that the Botanic Garden owes its origin to certain
advertisements in The Transactions of the Society of Arts in 1762.)
In this letter Anderson states:
"The bread-fruit although one of the most valuable productions yet sent
them, is neglected and despised, unless by a few persons (Note - the
word "them" here refers to planters in different islands). They say that
negroes do not like it, and will not eat it, if they can get anything
else; but this is not really the case, as I know, and can declare from
experience, that the very reverse is the fact, when once they are a
little accustomed to it. The fact is the planters hate giving it a place
on their estates, as they regard it as an intruder on their cane land,
and dislike any other object but canes."

The book also makes reference to more than one type of bread-fruit - one
with prickles and one without.

My father-in-law, John Manning (Jackie) Cave, an agricultural consultant
in various islands, who died some years ago used to narrate a tale about
a visit from Princess Margaret to St Vincent in the late 1950's. She was
wished to see a bread-fruit. It wasn't the season, but somehow they
managed to procure a few and tied them onto one of the trees. He didn't
think she was fooled, but she was too polite to make any comments.

Lastly, if anybody has read this far, a question. There was a tree in
the St Vincent Botanic Garden, from memory and surely with incorrect
spelling, called the "spakea perforata". There was only one tree and no
other to polinate from. It was growing opposite the Agricultural
Superintendent's house. I believe it had been found on the slopes of
Soufriere and had been transplanted. Does anyone know if it still exists
and if a partner was ever found?

Neil Lewis

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