Vol. XII. No. 283. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS 



69 



PROBLEMS OF THE ANTILLES. By Norman 

 Lainont. SimpLin, Marshull^ Hunnltun, Knit >{■ Co. Ltd., 

 Li'iidnii.' 2.'i (dd. net. 



The contents of this book are described shortly in the 

 suli-litle, which is: A Collection of Speeches and Writings on 

 West Indian Questions, Some of the writings have ajipeared 

 already in the Contempomrt/ Rnuen' and the Em/iin Eeriew, 

 and are reproduced by permission of the editors of those 

 magazines; while others among them are letters on West 

 Indian subjects that have been written hy the author to 

 various journals. 



Of the first two chapters, that of the most general 

 interest gives a memorandum prepaied by Mr. Lament for 

 the West Indian Royal Commission of 1S97. Like many 

 other parts of the book, this now possesses its chief interest 

 and use in that it provides some assistance in obtaining an 

 idea of the agricultural progress made by a West Indian 

 island — Trinidad in this case — during the past fifteen or 

 sixteen years. Chapter lY, The Weslt Indies: A Warning 

 and a Way, was written originally for the Eiiq,ire 

 lit'vivu; in 1902. It deals with sugge.stions for improved 

 sugar production, both in the field and the factory; 

 labour problems— particularly in Tricidad; and the need 

 for the better training of those in charge of the work 

 on estates, with encouragement of the local men. This 

 constitutes the AVarning. In the years since it was given, 

 ^>rogress has been made, in some directions, which makes 

 part of the criticism of the methods of sugar production no 

 longer deserved to the same extent. It is the part called the 

 Way that will engage the most interested attention at the 

 present time, for it deals with the alliinportant subject of 

 a university of tropical agriculture for the West Indies 

 It is natural that the lap.se of time since tlie article was 

 vrittcn, and the greater consideration that the matter has 

 received, should have caused some of the suggestions to be- 

 come out-ofdate, as for instance that such an institution 

 should necessarily be situated in Barbados: Mr. Lamont has 

 recently expressed his disagreement with this, as a necessity 

 In a more general way, it is projwsed that some of the 

 special courses should be taken in ditierent islands; whereas 

 the later leaning now seems to be to the idea of a university 

 as self-contained as possible, in an island where the diversity 

 of crop subjects (not to .«ay of pests and diseases) would 

 provide educational material close at hand. This arrange- 

 ment would not preclude the use of travelling scholarships, 

 and would tend to the development and continuation of that 

 'university spirit' whose importance seems likely to be 

 forgotten in the consideration of the more directly utilitarian 

 aspects of the project. The reviewer is tempted liy the 

 present prominence of this subject to the further discussion 

 of many of the points raised, but it must be sufficient here 

 to recommend the perusal of the article itself. 



Chapters V and YI, which succeed, have relation to 

 matters that are more distinctly politicajj while the next 



three chapters, and chapters XII, XIII, XV and XVI, have 

 their special interest in Trinidad. In chapter XI there is 

 presented matter that may well be read with the other 

 writings that have been put forward lately, in connexion with 

 West Indian Ftderation. Chapter XIV deals in an interest- 

 ing and lively manner with a proposal to surrender the West 

 Indies to the United Slates in return for the Philippines. 

 Chapter .WII, an address on Thoroughness, to the I'ort of 

 S|iain Brotherhood, adds to the variety of the subjects in the 

 book; while chapters XVIII and XIX conclude the work by 

 giving attention respectively to the improvement that has 

 taken |Oace in West Indian agricultural and commercial 

 conditions, and to the decisitm of tlie Briti-h Government to 

 withdraw from the Sugar Convention. 



Enough has been said to indicate that the matter in the 

 book is both interesting and varied. Its appeal is naturally 

 greatest to those who know and appreciate the West Indies, 

 and who sympathize with Mr. Lamont and others like him, 

 who can find time to devote their energy in a public way to 

 the furtherance of the interests of these Colonies. It has been 

 indicated that part of the value of the book is in the fact that 

 the author has dared to include material presented in former 

 years. If he had done this alons, its publication would have 

 been justified, as an attempt to le.^sen the prevalent tendency 

 to try to gauge progress from the present appearance of 

 things, instead of making comparison with the past. 



DEPARTMENT NEWS. 



The Imperial Commissioner of Agriculture is 

 exjjected to return to Barbados on March 3, by the 

 SS. '8t. Thomas', from an official visit to Antigua. 



Cotton in the Philippines.— One of the principal 

 lines of the activity of the fibre office during the fiscal year 

 1913 will be to carry on an extensive line of experiment work 

 in cotton. This will include native species and types of 

 cotton as well as others imported from the United States and. 



A systematic study and investigational work with cotton 

 has not yet been made; but from the preliminary investigation 

 made during the past year, certain native types of cotton were 

 fcund to exhibit such encouraging results that it was deemed, 

 not only advisable, but also necessary, that a more detailed 

 and more systematic investigation be carried on. 



Through the co-operation of the demonstration and exten- 

 sion division, this division has been able to secure samples of 

 lint and seed from the principal native species of cotton in 

 Panay and Cebu, and also tentative descriptions and 

 information about these species. The sample of seed and lint 

 of the above mentioned, and other species secured by the 

 fibre expert, have been sent to the United States Department 

 of Agriculture at their request. Their tests and experiments, 

 combined with the results which we hope to arrive at here, 

 promise very interesting and important information about the 

 cotton industry in general. 



The object of the cotton investigation is to encourage 

 the production of this crop in sufficient quantities to supply 

 the local demand for raw cotton and yarn, and for the local 

 manufacture of cheaj) cotton goods. The larger part of the 

 impr^rtations of the first two classes and a large part of the 

 third come from China and other eastern countries. (Annual 

 Report, Philippine Agricultural Department, 1911-12; in the 

 I'hilippinc Agricultural Re>iei'\yo\.y, 'So. 13.) 



