1919.] RE-ORGANIZATION— DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE. '219 



PUBLIC PASTURES. 



19. The Government pastures at Port-of-Spain are in the charge of an 

 officer called the Superintendent of Pastures for whom a salary of ^50' 

 is provided in the Estimates. 



Provision is made for the custody of the pastures under a separate 

 head of the estimates which includes expenditure on the hire from the 

 Department of Agriculture of bulls for the service of cows belonging to 

 the public which graze on the pastures. 



The office of Superintendent of Pastures is held by the Warden of 

 St. Ann's who does not necessarily possess any knowledge of either 

 stock or agriculture. 



Except that he has charge of the trees growing on them the Director 

 of Agriculture is not concerned with the care and management of the 

 public pastures. 



GOVERNMENT VETERINARY SURGEON. 



20. The Government Veterinary Surgeon receives a salary of dE30O 

 and an allowance of ^100 as Superintendent of the Quarantine Station 

 for Animals, and is entitled to private practice. He is required to attend 

 Government animals of every description and his duties include the 

 inspection of animals imported into the Colony, with a view to 

 ascertaining that they are free from infectious or contagious diseases, 

 and the control of preventive measures under the Contagious Diseases 

 (Animals) Ordinance. The Veterinary Surgeon has no relations with 

 the Department or Board of Agriculture. His functions are practically 

 confined to the prevention of spread of disease ; and little use is made 

 of his knowledge and experience for the improving of the stock of the 

 Colony. 



FROGHOPPER INVESTIGATION. 



21. By arrangement approved in Mr. Bonar Law's despatch No. 75 

 of February 12, 1916, an Entomologist was engaged for a period of two 

 years to conduct a special investigation into the froghopper pest of the 

 sugar cane. 



Half the cost of this investigation is paid by the Government and 

 half by the sugar planters. The Entomologist works under the control 

 of a Committee composed of the Governor, the Director of Agriculture 

 and a member of the planting community. During the past year inves- 

 tigations have been made by him in British Guiana, Venezuela, Central 

 America and some of the West Indian Islands with a view to the 

 discovery of an enemy of the froghopper, but no positive results have 

 yet been obtained. 



The two years engagement of the Entomologist employed on this 

 work terminates on March 31, 1918. 



AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



22. The Agricultural Society of Trinidad and Tobago was established 

 in 1894, and is now incorporated under Ordinance No. 28 of 1906. Its 

 objects are the dissemination of agricultural knowledge and the 

 consideration, encouragement and advancement of all branches of 

 agriculture in the colony. The Governor is ex-officio President of the 



