Vol. XIII. Xo. 306. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS 



23 



Survey of Grenada Soils. 



As was mentioned in the recently issued report on 

 the Agricultural Department of Grenada, an important 

 line of work that is being carried on in the Government 

 laboratory is a survey of the soil in the different 

 districts of the Colony. A very interesting preliminary 

 report on this work has recently been received from the 

 Superintendent of Agriculture (Mr. G. G. Auchinleck, 

 B.Sc), and the following points of interest are herewith 

 extracted. 



Samples were taken in seventeen different districts 

 of the island and examined physically. As regards the 

 soil of Good Hope estate, three interesting sections 

 were found to lie on the boundary line between the 

 extensive ash and gravel deposits which form the 

 whole coastal belt of the island and central red 

 larval soils. A point of interest in connexion with 

 the true red soils of this district is that here 

 and there occur numerous spherical particles, which 

 on examination appear to be composed of oxides 

 of alumina and iron with probably an admixture 

 of organic matter. In character they seem to re- 

 semble bog-iron-ore and they probably point to the 

 necessity of drainage and to the existence of an excess 

 of iron. On such soils an application of superphosphate 

 would probably be wasted unless preceiled by large 

 doses of lime. 



An interesting class of soil found in Grenada is the 

 black ash soil, which is for the most part composed of 

 fine compacted volcanic ash, and is by reputation 

 exceedingly difficult to work. .Mr. Auchinleck con- 

 siders that this bad reputation has been enhanced by 

 the severe annual droughts which they undergo and is 

 not due primarily to any abnormality in their physical 

 composition. 



The Teaching in a College of Tropical 



Agriculture. 



Since the University of the Philippines has for 

 some years possessed a College of Tropical Agriculture, 

 and since outside India this is the only one existing in 

 the Tropics, the Dean of the College, Dr. Copeland, is 

 obviously in a position to proffer valuable advice 

 and information which could otherwise be obtained 

 only as the result of costly experience. In a let- 

 ter to the Director of Agriculture, Ceylon (pub- 

 lished in the Tropical Agriculturist for November 

 1!U3), Dr Copeland, after pointing out the great 

 need for a college in the British Tropics, situated 

 preferably in Ceylon, proceeds to put forward interest- 

 ing and practical suggestions as to teaching and 

 teachers. T do not believe it is practically possible to 

 teach tropical crops in groups as is usually done with 

 the crops of temperate countries, that is as cereals, 

 fruits, trees, etc. The staple tropical crops, such 

 as sugar, tobacco, rice, coco-nut, coffee, cacao, etc., 

 are in every respect so distinct that they can surely 

 best be handled independently of one another.' 



The fibre plants, for instance, at the Philippine 



• College, are grouped to constitute a course, for 



•crops like cotton, jute and ramie have essentially 



nothing in common, and each can best be taken 



up and settled by itself. At Manila it has been 

 found further, that coco-nut and abaca are quite 

 enough to keep one lecturer very fully occupied. 

 Again, sugar machinery is a subject in itself, and the 

 Philippine College has sent a lecturer to America for 

 a year in order to specialize in this branch. The 

 opinion is expressed that, for teaching purposes, 

 chemistry and bacteriology should be combined. As 

 regards botany. Dr. Copeland strongly emphasizes the 

 great educational value of plant physiology as the 

 basic science in agricul&ure rather than mycology. 



Third International Congress of Tropical Agri- 

 culture. 



The following extracts are reproduced from the 

 Preliminary General Circular received from the Im- 

 perial Institute, in connexion with the above Congress 

 which will be held in June 1914, and may be repre- 

 sented by all countries interested in tropical agriculture 

 and forestry. The Association has requested the 

 committee of the British section, whose headquarters 

 are at the Imperial Institute, to make the necessary 

 arrangements for the meeting, in co-operation with the 

 Bureau of the International Association in Paris. 



The Congress will open on Tuesday, June 2:1, and 

 closs on Tuesday, June 30, 1914. As regards the order 

 of business, the morning sittings (10 a.m. to 1 p.m.) 

 will be reserved for papers and discussions on subjects 

 of general importance, each morning being devoted to 

 a single subject: the afternoon sittings (3 to 5 p.m.) 

 will be reserved for papers and discussions on special 

 S'lbjects. 



The following subjects are suggested for papers 

 and discussion at the morning meetings: technical 

 education and reseaicli in tropical agriculture: labour 

 organization and supply in tropical countries: scientific 

 problems of rubber production; methods of developing 

 cotton cultivation in new countries: problems of fibre 

 production; agricultural credit banks; agriculture in 

 arid regions; problems in tropical hygiene and preven- 

 tive medicine. 



Papers for the afternoon meetings are invited 

 on the following problems relating to tropical 

 agriculture and forestry: the cultivation and pro- 

 duction of rubber, cotton and fibres, cereals and 

 other foodstuffs, tobacco, tea, coco-nuts, other agricul- 

 tural products, forest products; and plant diseases and 

 pests affecting tropical agriculture. 



In connexion with the list just given the some- 

 what remarkable cii'cumstance may be commented 

 upon that sugar by some oversight has been altogether 

 omitted. 



The subscription for membership of the Congress 

 will be £1, entitling members to admission to all meet- 

 ings and receptions, and to receive the volume of 

 printed papers and discussions, on publication. 



All correspondence relating to the communication 

 of papers and the arrangements for the Congress should 

 be addressed to the Organizing Secretaries, Third 

 International Congress of Tropical Agriculture, Im- 

 perial Institute, London, S.W. 



