THE HURRICANE SEASON.
163
all needful pills and potions, to a most worthy successor, Dr. Nicholls, a young Englishman, full of love for his profession and energy in the practice of its duties, and with the aged doctor's botanical predilections. These two gentlemen, then, active in everything pertaining to the welfare of the island, cultured and with scientific tastes, are of inestimable value to the inhabitants, and a blessing to strangers. Dr. Imrayis devoting all his time to the reintroduction of coffee into the island. Years ago it was cultivated to such an extent that it acquired a name and reputation ; in the latter part of the last century there were over two hundred coffee plantations, giving an annual yield of three hundred thousand pounds ; but with the abolition of slavery its culture languished, valuable coffee estates were abandoned, and at present the island does not produce sufficient for its own consumption. About forty years ago there appeared a blight upon the coffee-plant that ruined whole crops and aided in the abandonment of its culture. This was in the shape of a coccus, a scale insect that fixed itself upon the leaves and buds, causing them to shrivel. This undoubtedly came of neglect, and increased until it acquired the mastery over the entire island. In Guadeloupe they have the scale insect, but it has never gained ascendency over the planters, as more attention has been paid to the trees. Acting upon the theory that the leaf of the Mocha variety was too tender to resist the attacks of the insect, Dr. Imray has successfully introduced the Liberian variety, the epidermis of the leaves being thicker and tougher. At the time of my visit he had a little plantation of trees about three years old, some of which were in flower and bearing.