Vol. XU No. 282. 



THE AGRICULTURAL SEWS. 



GRENADA .- GEN EN A L A DMINISTRA TION 

 hEPOUT ON THE AGlilCULTUHA I. DEt'ARTMENT, 

 lUlll.'. 



Shortly before the publication of the lleport for 

 I'JiO 11, the Agricultural Department in Grenada had passed 

 tlirougli a period of re organization. 'J'his led to the Depart 

 luent being brought under tlie control of an Agricultural 

 Ijoard, composed of two otHcial members and six members of 

 the Grenada Agricultural an<l Commercial Society, the latter 

 being appointed by the Governor for ;i term of two years 

 In the course ot this development, the lu-partment has made 

 special provision for its attilialon wiili the Imperial Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture for the West Indies; and the Ini|ierial 

 Commissioner <jf Agriculture, when pres nt in the Colony, 

 cfiiciates as a member of the Hoard. 



As a result of this re organization the various lines of 

 activity have been very clearly defined, »\v\ the apportion- 

 ment of work to the members of the stall aeeuis to indicate, 

 under existing conditions, a wise division of labour and 

 responsibilities. As is stated in the lieport, the present 

 arrangements help to centralize the Department's work, 

 afford elasticity, and allow for expansion in the future 



The publication under review is really comiirised of 

 five different rejiiirts arranged in the following manner: 

 (l)a CJeneral Administration Iteport, by the Superintendent of 

 Agriculture, reviewing the general working of the entire 

 Department: (2) a report on the Laboratory of the Depart 

 ment; (.3) a report on work in the Botanio Gardens; — 

 both by the Superintendent of Agriculture, in his capacity as 

 Officer- in-charge of these divisions; (4) a report on peasant 

 itstruction, by the Agricultural Instructor; and (5) a report 

 on the Cirenada Land Settlement Scheme, by the Land Officer. 

 This arrangement of matter serves to indicate shortly the 

 general administration and lines of activity of the Depart- 

 ment, The last four reports are treated as appendages to the 

 General Administration lieport. 



As regards those matters of general administration 

 referred to in the first part of the publication, reference 

 should be made to the progressive policy in connexion with 

 peasant instruction. The various prize holdings schemes and 

 tiie practical assistance rendered in the improvement of 

 fieasant agriculture together constitute one of the most 

 iniijortant and characteristic features of the activities of the 

 Department. The educational influence of the Department is 

 further evinced by its support of the cadet .system, which 

 affords a training in agriculture to boys who have received 

 a secondary school education (see Wtst Indian Bulletin, 

 Vols XI, p. 41.3; XII, p. 20). It may be stated, without 

 detracting from their specific usefulness for experiment and 

 research, that the possession of a reference library and 

 a well equipped laboratory, should engender in the Colony 

 a much wider appreciation of methods that are exact and 

 deliberate. 



Experiments that have so far been initiated by the 

 I'epartment can be classed as plot experiments and analytical 

 ■work. A considerable amount of observation work on plant 

 diseases has also been conducted. The plot experiments are 



of two kindsi; (a) internal, or those carried out on Department 

 land, and (b) external, or cooperative. An example of the 

 f<irmer kind is the .\lorne IJouge experiment plot where trials 

 are being made with limes, sugar-cane varieties and cotton; 

 an illustration of the latter class is the extensive series of 

 cacao manurial exi)eriments in which I -acre plots are situated 

 on four different estates. 



For an account of the various analytical investigations 

 the reader is referred to the next report, on the Department 

 Laboratory. Here results are recorded of water and .soil 

 analyses, and examinations of rum, sugar and rubber, but there 

 seems to be a tendency to extend the functions of the 

 laboratory in the direction of the chemical control of imports, 

 and in the direction of legal work. Such work, though 

 benefiting the general [lublic, does not come strictly within 

 the scope of an agricultural laboratory, and under existing 

 conditions, is likely to limit its usefulne.ss as regards agri- 

 cultural research, unless adequate provision is made to enable 

 it to fulfil its extended duties. 



Following the report on the Laboratory is a detailed 

 account of work carried out in the Botanic Gardens. Dis- 

 tinction is drawn between the ornamental or educational 

 function of the Gardens, and their utilitarian or economic 

 value. Several improvements of frontage and entrances- 

 have been carried out in the former connexion, whilst 

 the extent of the economic work is made evident by 

 the lists of fruit trees, seeds, cuttings and fodder that have 

 been sold during the year under review. Agricultural activ- 

 ity in Grenada is generally considered as being confined to the 

 production of cacao, and to a certain extent to nutmegs; but 

 a perusal of these lists will show the diverse nature of the 

 subsidiary cidtivations which are rapidly being extended. 

 Particular attention is being paid to the planting of Hevea 

 rubber and coco-nuts, in Grenada, and to cotton and limes, 

 in Carriacou. Efforts havj been made to establish a cotton 

 industry in Grenada. Success in this direction has been 

 somewhat checked by the prevalence of a boll disease. 



The last two reports, on Peasant Instruction and the 

 Land Settlement Scheme, in Grenada, have already been 

 referred to in a general manner, and in continuation, space 

 will permit only a few concluding remarks on the progress 

 attained in these different directions. 



The reports of the judges on the cacao Prize-holdings 

 Competition indicate that the work of the peasants has, on the 

 whole, been disappointing. Various remedial suggestions are 

 put forward, which if adopted, will check the growing tendency, 

 on the part of some, to cea.se to compete. 



The notes on peasant agriculture in the same report also 

 njerit attention. 



The report on the Land Settlement Scheme provides 

 a considerable amount of statistical information. The notes 

 on the improvements of roads, on water supply and experiment 

 plots are concerned with important constructive details in the 

 scheme; and of particular interest is the extension of a prize- 

 holdings scheme to the Settlements, and the employment, in 

 these areas, of crops of a diversified nature. 



DEPARTMENT NEWS. 



The Iiiipena! Conmiissioner of Atfriculture, left 

 Barbados on February lo, by the S.S. 'Ocamo', for the 

 parjMJSc; of paying an official visit to Antigua. 



The Secretary of State for the Colonies has 

 apjiroveil of tlie ajipointment, as Assistant Master at 

 the St. Kitt,s Grammar School, of Mr. J. A. Robotham, 

 N.D.A., who has arrived to take up his duties, including 

 those of Agricultural and 'Science Master. 



