YoL. III. No. 47. 



THE AGRICULTUEAL NEWS. 



43 



AGRICULTURAL SHOWS. 



EDUCATIONAL. 



Agricultural Teaching in Jamaica. 



At a meeting of the Board of Agriculture of .Jamaica 

 held on November 10 last, on the invitation of the Chairman 

 (the Hon. Sydney Olivier, C.M.G.,), Sir Daniel Morris, 

 K.C.M.G., .sjioke in reference to teaching elementary science 

 and agriculture in the jirimary scliool.s in the colony. He 

 suggested that greater imiiortance should be given to these 

 subjects in the Code by allotting to them the same number 

 of marks on inspection as is given for other i)rimary 



• subjects. He stated that in Trinidad and elsewliere in the 

 yr West Indies there were already numerous school gardens 



established, and that, probably, the reason for the small 

 number in Jamaica was that the regulations were too severe, 



♦ i.e., that the ground must be at least | acre in e.Ktent 

 and that it must be fenced and tools provided before- 

 hand. He also suggested that at all Agricultural Shows 

 lield in the island there should be a s[iecial section for .school 

 children, where they might exhibit plants grown by 

 themselves in pots. The question of inspection was then 

 discussed, and it apiieared to the Board that if tlie number 

 of the Agricultural Instructors were increased, say by four, 

 the Education Department might invite their assistance to 

 supervise and assist the working of school gardens and to 

 reiiort on theni for the Dei)artment. The Board after 

 discussion of Sir Daniel Morris' criticism recorded its opinion 

 that the progress made in the develoimient of agricultural 

 elementary education during the five years, to which attention 

 liad been directed to it, was not so satisfactory as could be 

 desired. It was resolved to recommend to the Governor 

 that the Sui)erintending Inspector of Schools should be 

 placed on the Board of Agriculture in order to afford him an 

 oppoitunity of keei>ing in closer touch with agricultural 

 development in the colony. [Ihtlhtln of the Dc'iiavtmoit of 

 Agrlctdture, Juiiiiiica, December 1903.) 



Lectures to Teachers in Jamaica. 



We luarn fVoni Jamaica papers that tlie aniuial 

 course of lectures to elementary school teachers 

 commenceil on Monday, January 4, and was to 

 continue till Friday, January 2!j. The e;eneral 

 }irograuimo of the course, which is similar to those of 

 former years, except that it has been arranged for a 

 portion of the practical instruction to be given at the 

 Mice Training College, where the teachers are being 

 lodged, is given as follows in the Jamaica Times of 

 January 2 : — 



7 — 9. .'50 a.m. Practical Work and Demonstrations at tlie 

 Mico, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays ; at Hope 

 Gardens on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. 

 11.30— 2. .30 Agricultural Science Course by Mr. Tever- 



shani. 

 Afternoon, three each week, Tuesdays, Thursdays and 

 Fridays. Addresses on special subjects at the Mico, 

 commencing at 4.30 p.m., open to the public. 

 Evening, Messrs. Peet and Skyers liold classes in 

 Manual Work by the Code. 



Barbados Local Exliibition. 



As stated in our last issue, the fourth Local 

 Agricultural Exhibiti<jn and Show of Stock for Peasant 

 Proprietors was held under the auspices of the 

 lujperial Department of Agriculture at Lower Estate, 

 St. Michael, on Tuesday, January 12. 



The show was in every sense a success, the fine 

 weather which prevailed throughout the day permitting 

 a large attendance. Tlie number of entries was not 

 as large as at previous shows, but there was an undoubted 

 improvement in the quality of the exhibits. There 

 were distinct signs of greater care being bestowed upon 

 the growth and preparation of the products, and the 

 one hundred exhibits sent in by pupils from the 

 Primarj' Schools were of distinct merit. 



The vegetables shown in Class II were particularly 

 numerous and of fine quality. The starches, meals 

 and other prepared products in Class IV, though not 

 as numerous as hitherto, were of a high order and 

 formed one of the most encouraging signs of the 

 in)provoment that is being steadily brought about by 

 these shows. 



The exhibition was visited by his Excellency the 

 Governor who made a careful inspection of all the 

 exhibits. After distributing the prizes. Sir Frederic 

 Hodgson briefly addressed the gathering. He had 

 been struck with the unmistakable advance on previous 

 years, and thought they had learnt the lesson that an 

 expenditure of time, labour and skill resulted in products 

 of great value and more easily marketable. He advised 

 the cultivation of vegetables, the rearing of poultry 

 and production of eggs, by means of which they might 

 materially increase their earnings. In conclusion 

 he congratulated the Imperial Commissioner and 

 Mr. Bovell on the success of the exhibition. 



Sir Daniel Morris thanked his Excellenc}- for his 

 presence and for distributing the prizes, which, he 

 remarked, showed tlie deep concern taken by him in 

 everything connected with the interests of the people 

 of Barbados. The better quality of the exhibits 

 and the better style in which they were presented 

 showed that they were advancing step bj' step in 

 improving the treatment of the soil and in deriving 

 greater profit from their labours. Their thanks were 

 due to Mr. G. L. Pile, M.C.P., for kindly permitting the 

 use of the buildings in which to hold the exhibition ; to 

 Mr. Baj'ne, the manager ; to Mr. Bo veil and to the judges 

 and other gentlemen who had so largely contributed to 

 the success of the show. 



In reference to this exhibition, the Barbados 

 AfjrlcidtiLrid Reporter of January 10, has the 

 following : — 



On visiting this exhibition, we were again reminded of 

 the value of the Imperial Deiiartment of Agriculture to this 

 island, not only in the efforts it has put fortli to assist our 

 principal industries, but in the development of the energies 

 of our industrious i>easantry on their small Jioldings, and in 

 giving assistance to the practical education of the children 

 in our elementary schools. 



