Bica da Cana

On the plateau of the Paul da Serra (‘upland marsh’), about 10 kilometres from Rabaçal and 4 from the Lombo do Mouro shelter (Casa de Abrigo do Lombo do Mouro), lies the locality (sítio) of Bica da Cana (‘reed spout’). Here, around 1914, the now defunct Junta Agrícola da Madeira (Madeira Agricultural Board) set up an Experimental Agricultural Station and carried out trials of various crops, on which large sums were spent without appreciable results.

The station established there lay abandoned for some years, but the District General Council (Junta Geral do Distrito), through its agricultural department, has devoted its solicitous attention to it. Important work has been done on the upkeep and repair of the buildings, the fencing of the arable land, various agricultural experiments, etc. Nevertheless, it must be admitted that the success of this work does not match the expense and effort put into it. The unfavourable climatic conditions, the altitude of the region, the frequent gales that break out there and the complete lack of shelter to which the crops are exposed are enough to explain the failure of the experiments carried out there. Only with the indispensable hedges, formed of dense stands of trees – which would take many years to achieve – might a somewhat worthwhile result perhaps be obtained, but never a richly rewarding one, as was once claimed in an official document.