1919.] BE-OEGANIZATION—DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE. 217 



11. No change was made in the system of accounting in consequence 

 of that recommendation except that St. Augustine Estate has since 

 then received substantial sums in rent from the Government Depart- 

 ments which use lands or buildings forming part of the estate. The 

 Department of Agriculture, for example, pays d£187 10 per annum as 

 rent of the Government Stock Farm, Valsayn, and £81 10 as rent of 

 the experimental plots of 25 acres. The Medical Department pays 

 JB125 per annum as rent for the Yaws Hospital. The Board of Manage- 

 ment of the Estate has no connection with the stock farm which is 

 under control of the Director of Agriculture assisted by an Advisory 

 Committee of the Board of Agriculture. The Manager of the St. 

 Augustine Estate is, however, also Manager of the Government Stock 

 Farm so that he has dual functions, two office establishments, and is 

 responsible to two authorities. 



12. As an example of the confusion and overlapping of authorities 

 existing under present conditions, it may be mentioned that at St. 

 Augustine Estate experiments in sugar cultivation are now carried on, 

 iinder the control of the Department of Agriculture, in some of the plots, 

 and in neighbouring plots under the control of the Board of Agriculture ; 

 while the Board of Management of the Estate also cultivates an area of 

 about 50 acres of canes with the object of obtaining infoimation as to 

 the yield per acre from different varieties of canes and the cost of 

 cultivation under estate conditions. Tkere are thus three independent 

 authorities engaged in the experimental cultivation of sugar canes on 

 St. Augustine Estate. 



13. Since the estate was acquired by Government about 2,000 acres 

 have been disposed of by sale on 999 years lease, including 1,000 acres 

 recently leased to Messrs. Nelson and Sons for the cultivation of 

 bamboos for the manufacture of paper pulp. 



The estimated expenditure on the estate for 1917 is i92,996 and the 

 estimated revenue ^3,163. The money advanced by Government for 

 the purchase of the estate has been repaid and it is estimated that 

 the surplus on the 31st December will be ^66,711 19 9, so that the 

 estate has proved to be a profitable investment. 



RIVER ESTATE. 



14. The Eiver Estate was purchased for ^64,629 in 1897 with the 

 object of improving the water supply of Port-of-Spain. The property 

 which has an area of about 1,500 acres is situated in the basin of the 

 Diego Martin Valley, seven miles from Port-of-Spain. A pumping 

 station belonging to the City Council by which water is drawn from 

 wells for the supply of Port-of-Spain is situated on the estate. Owing 

 to the estate being in the hands of Government the catchment area is 

 secured from serious pollution, but otherwise the River Estate is in no 

 way made use of for the water supply of Port-of Spain. 



In 1899 the River Estate was leased for a term of years at an annual 

 rental of £S15. This aiTangement was found unsatisfactory, and in 

 1903 the lease was determined and the management of the estate 

 entrusted to the Botanical Department. 



