A FORTNIGHTLY REVIEW J-'««^ 



NEW YO( 



BOTANIC 



IMPERIAL DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOR THE WEST INDIES. a^*oe^ 



Vol. VIII. No. 179. 



BARBADOS, MARCH 6, 1909. 



Prick Id, 



CONTENTS. 



Departments of Agricultare and 

 Their Functions. 



^ HE functions of Departments of Agriculture 

 are numerous and varied; it is desirable, 

 therefore, from time to time, to review 

 §them in order to ensure that all are properly e.xercised. 

 ^ Some of the chief functions of a Department of 



J Agriculture are to collect the results of experimental 

 Q-work that is in progress at the stations under its 

 Q-control, to keep in touch with in\estigations carried on 



elsewhere, and to include in its organization suitable 

 means for diffusing the knowledge thus accuuiulated. 



The last named point is most important in agri- 

 cultural work, and more esriecially in regaid to tropical 

 agriculture. The great diversity of the whole sul)ject, 

 and the fact that a good deal of knowledge has beeii. 

 placed on record which, however, is net yet acces.sible in. 

 te.xt-book form, but is scattered in dift'ereul journals and 

 other publications, together with the further fart that 

 the fund of information is constantly being added to, 

 all combine to make the collection and diffusion of 

 results a very prominent part of the work of an Agii- 

 cultural Department. It is not enough that the knowl- 

 edge e.xists : it must be made available to those whom 

 it most concerns, and every effort made to adapt it to 

 local conditions. The men most interested — planters 

 and farmers — are frequently too busy or unable to hunt 

 up requiied information from out-of-the-way sources, 

 hence the value of a central agricultural office, with 

 its orofanized sub-stations and staff of officers, which 

 recognizes as a chief part of its duty the necessity to 

 indicate where facts needed are to be found, and to 

 make them easy of access to all. 



A planter working alone encounters many difficul- 

 ties and stumbles upon many problems interesting or 

 perplexing : he may e.xpend much time, thought and 

 energy upon these ; he may even experiment and alter 

 his methods of working as the result of these efforts. 

 All this is time-consuming and the results are uncer- 

 tain. If he is in touch with a well-equipped Depart- 

 ment, he can ;.t the outsot explain his difficulties or 

 views; he can then learn whether these points have 

 already received attention, either in iiis own neighbour- 

 hood or elsewhere, and his line of action can be 

 directid by ilie information thus made aNadable 



