The Sugar-Cane. A Poem

Grainger, James (Author)

First Edition - London, England : Printed for R. and J. Dodsley, in Pall-mall, 1764

English

James Grainger's The Sugar-Cane was first published in 1764 in London by R. and J. Dodsley. In the Poem's preface, James Grainger calls The Sugar Cane a "West-India Georgic." Organized into four books of blank verse, each section's prose presents an argument on the subject. The first book describes the conditions most favorable for planting and cultivating sugar cane, focusing on the landscape, soil, wildlife, and climate in St. Christopher. In the second book (dedicated to William Shenstone), Grainger details the various natural threats to the growth and health of the sugar-cane crop, specifically the vermin, weeds, insects, and natural disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes. The third book describes the harvest of the sugar-cane and the sugar-boiling process. In the fourth book, Grainger describes the slave culture on the sugar plantations of St. Christopher and suggests arguments in favor of slavery and the slave trade. It is a noteworthy text as he briefly offers an account of Columbus landing in Jamaica.

Poetry
Obeah Narratives
Columbus, Christopher
St. Christopher
Jamaica
Oxford University Library

[ca. 1764]

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Grainger, James. The Sugar-Cane: A Poem. London: R. and J. Dodsley. 1764