87 



Highgate ; W. Westmoreland, Highgate ; E. Hope Dyer, High- 

 gate ; T. M. Gray, Clonmel. With the exception of Mr. Dyer, who 

 was the correspondent of the " Daily Telegraph" who had raised 

 the scare, and Mr. Lockett who was losing young cocoa trees, the 

 general opinion was that some cocoa trees were dying through the 

 after effects of the hurricane when the cocoa trees had not got 

 proper attention in pruning back, relieving them of their pods and 

 in moulding up the roots, but there was no general dying out of trees. 

 He had sent copies of the letters to Mr. Cradwick who was en- 

 gaged making enquiries in St. Mary and would soon make a re- 

 port to the Director of Public Gardens. 



A letter from the Managing Commissioner of Kingston General 

 Commissioners with regard to the utilization of blood at the 

 Slaughter House was submitted. It was thought that the cost of 

 fitting up an apparatus to deal with the blood would cost more than 

 the resulting fertiliser would warrant, and the whole matter was 

 referred to the Chemist for a report to be made. 



A letter from the Colonial Secretary was submitted notifying 

 that the Inspector of Police for Hanover in reporting on that pa- 

 rish for the quarter ending 31st December, 1904, had called atten- 

 tion to a disease among coco-nut trees there which had destroyed 

 a number of them. 



The Secretary reported that Mr. Cradwick and Professor Earle 

 had already made an investigation on the coco-nut trees in Hano- 

 ver and reports had been made to the Board. A memorandum 

 from the Director of Public Gardens on the subject was submitted 

 and the Secretary was directed to send this to the Colonial Secre- 

 tary, and to ask Mr. Fawcett to direct Mr. Cradwick's attention to 

 the particular coco-nut trees referred to. 



A letter was read from the Colonial Secretary with copy of 

 letter from the Secretary of State for the Colonies saying that Ar- 

 menians in Russian Caucasus, agriculturists and chiefly growers 

 of tobacco, were being expelled and asking if any of these would 

 be useful as immigrants in Jamaica. The Secretary was instructed 

 to reply that more information appeared to be necessary, (i) As 

 to whether these Armenians would be of a class that would devote 

 themselves to general agricultural labour. (2) Whether they would 

 be likely to continue long working on estates, or would desire to 

 settle on their own land. (3) If the Government satisfied them- 

 selves on these and other points, a small number might be invited 

 here to see how they would adapt themselves to our conditions. 

 (4) If the Government decided to invite them to come, it should 

 be prepared to allot crown lands. 



A letter from the Colonial Secretary with enclosed letter from 

 Sir Daniel Morris was submitted, saying that a suggestion had 

 been made to hold the next Agricultural Conference in Jamaica 

 and the Board was asked for its views. It was resolved to recom- 

 mend to the Government that the Agricultural Conference should 

 be held here in 1906. 



