Vol. XVII. No. 427. 



THE AGRICULTURAL, iVEWb, 



m 



As stated above, exhibits have already been for- 

 warded from several of the colonies, and it is under- 

 stood that others are in preparation: these exhibits can 

 be forwarded as they accumulate, and it is hoped that 

 they will now go forward in a steady stream, until the 

 resources of each colony are adequately made apparent. 

 It is gratifying to be able to record that the Royal 

 Mail Steam Packet Company has signified its willing- 

 ness to convey, free of cost, exhibits intended for this 

 Museum and forwarded through duly recognized 

 channels. 



In addition to exhibits of raw materials it will add 

 greatly to the attractiveness of the Museum's galleries, 

 and to the instructiveness of the exhibits, if good dis- 

 plays of photographs and other forms of illustration 

 can be included. These maj- show the manner in 

 which the various commodities are grown or prepared 

 for export, and also the nature of the country in which 

 thev are produced. Anything which tends accurately 

 to inform those with whom business relations are to be 

 established and maintained is calculated to facilitate 

 the exchange of ideas, and to put matters on a sounder 

 footing. Photographs, illustrations, models, and similar 

 objects are desirable, and should be acquired for the 

 Museum, whenever possible. 



It is quite probable that Hirangements may also 

 be made in connexion with this Museum, as has been 

 done at the Imperial Institute, tn inaugurate series of 

 lectures for the information of commercial men, explan- 

 atory of the products and industries of the several 

 countries represented. It is quite possible too, that 

 some similar use may be made of this institution 

 for educational purposes in connexion with Universities 

 and Colleges. 



Mention should also be made of the similar per- 

 nian.-ut exhibition in the Colonial Galleries of the 

 Imperial Institute in London. The foregoing remarks 

 'app y equally to this: it is felt that the best interests 

 i)f these colonies will be served by ensuring that these 

 exhibits in London are maintained in a proper condi- 

 tion to illustrate with reasonable accuracy the resources 

 of these colonies. 



THE PLACE OF GEOGRAPHY IN 

 EDUCATION. 



The Geographical Joiiniai. -Inly 191.^, publishes tie 

 address delivered at the Anniversary < ieneral Meeting of the 

 Royal Geographical Society, held on May 27, 191S, by the 

 President, Colonel Sir Thomas Holdich. In the course of 

 this address, the President made the following interesting 

 remarks concerning a more general recognition of the 

 cliims of geography in the field of education than has 

 hitherto been accorded to it. He said: 'We, as you 



know, have taken an active interest in advocating a more 

 general recognition of the claims of geography in the 

 field of education than has hitherto been accorded to 

 it The opportunity at present before us of pressing 

 these claims is perhaps exceptional. All the world whick 

 gets its political and war news from the pages of the 

 daily papers must by this time have learned the value of 

 such education in map-reading, as may enable them to under- 

 stand the topography of the countries which are the theatre 

 of military operations, and to appreciate, to some extent at 

 least, the advantages of position on either side to which the 

 belligerents may attain. Geography must take its due place 

 with other natural sciences in the school curriculum, and 

 here, no doubt, we touch on he chief ditficulty which besets 

 the subject. The time is limited which can be devoted to 

 education, and it must be matter for most earnest considera- 

 tion with our education authorities to partition it fairly 

 amongst the many subjects which make up general instruc- 

 tion. But unnecessarily short rations in geography have 

 certainly hitherto been dealt out in schools, and schools haye 

 influenced examinations, and the examiners have been hard 

 to convince of the necessity of more liberal distribution. At 

 present the matter can only be described as being in a state 

 of (lux. That is to say, that it is under consideration by the 

 constituted educational authorities; but we can truly say that 

 it is a sympathetic consideration which is being accorded to 

 it, and we may fairly hope for good results. A great impetus 

 to geographical study of the higher class will be given by 

 the example of the I'niversities of Oxford and Cambridge, 

 if they decree, as is now proposed, in both universities, that 

 geography shall be included in the subjects for a degree in 

 honours: and I trust that those of our Fellows who are 

 members of Convocation or, of the Senate, will exert their 

 intluence in the universities on behalf of the science for 

 whose advancement this Society was founded. If England 

 is Jto hold her own in the future markets of the world, 

 the study of cominercial geography must be inculcated 

 to an extent that is quite unrecognized at present in this 

 country, although it is apparently well enough, under- 

 stood elsewhere* It is indeed astonishing how little the 

 subject of commercial geography attracts students, for it 

 cannot fail to be of the greatest practical importance la 

 a commercial career. One reason may be that the great 

 majority of students are not .seeking a cummercial career. 

 Another miy be the peculiarly technical character of the 

 subject, as well as its infinite capacity for change in its 

 objective from year to year — even from month to month. 

 Clearly it demands special schools and specialized instruc- 

 tion. It should not be neglected or ignored, for it may be 

 doubted whether practically it is not as important a branch 

 of geographical teaching aS that which touches political or 

 military issues. In this connexion I trust that all the 

 accumulated information of the War Trades Intelligence 

 Department miy be nude available for public use when the 

 war is over.' 



DEPARTMENT NEWS. 



Mr. VV. Nowell, D.I C, Mycologist on the staff of the 

 Imperial Department of Agriculture has left Barbados 

 for I)ominica with the object of in\estigating certain 

 points which have arisen in connexion with root disease^ 

 ilr. NowelL will afterwards proceed to Montserrat to 

 continue the study of cotton boll disea.ses/^,^He,..is 

 expected to- return to Barbados about the middle. of 

 October. .. ■.■ • , . . 



