130 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



April 25, 1914. 



in the West Indies a more or less continuous course 

 of instruction in agriculture, from the lowest standards 

 in the primary schools up to the time when the 

 student is actually earning his living on the estate 

 as an overseer. As regards the material benefit 

 resulting from this study, it is only necessary to refer 

 to cases which have been cited in this journal, and in 

 the Reports of the Local Agricultural Departments, 

 where successful students have obtained promotion on 

 estates, and received appointments in the Agricultural 

 Service, in Central Factories and similar establishments. 

 Considering that the whole system depends upon 

 organization and advisory control, and lacks that 

 personal contact and supervision of a special education 

 department which is generally recognized as essential 

 for the execution of an educational policy, there is 

 every cause Tor the West Indies to feel satisfied with 

 results as far as they have gone at present. 



Intimately associated during the past ten years 

 with the development of the state of affairs outlined 

 above, the Imperial Department continues to give 

 particular attention to the furtherance of agricultural 

 education in these Colonies. During the last year or 

 two it is interesting to place on record the fact that 

 the educational value of the Department itself (in 

 contradistinction to its educational influence) has 

 been prominently demon.strated. During this period 

 there have been attached to the Head (Jffice se\ eral 

 students interested in various lines of study involved in 

 the Department's work. Two of these students have come 

 out direct from English Universities. In considering 

 the advantages attending this study, the experience 

 obtained in regard to the administrative side of 



tropical agricultural work must not be forgotten 



experience which cannot be obtained at any existing 

 institution of a purely educational kind. As well as 

 arrivals who have come for academical work, official 

 visitors from- the great developing possessions in 

 West Africa have chosen to survey the Department's 

 activities; and these have been impressed with the 

 •wonderful diversity and contrast existing within a space 

 of some few hundred miles, by the geographical and 

 social conditions in the West Indies, and with what can 

 be done in tropical agriculture by the application of 

 science and proper organization, even in spite of the 

 great handicap through the separation of the numerous 

 establishments by the sea. 



There is one educational influence of the Depart- 

 ment not yet referred to on which favourable comment 

 Is often expressed by those in other tropical countries 



who are without the same advantages, that is, the 

 publication work. It may be explained thao many 

 other agricultural departments and institutions confine 

 themselves to the publication of scientific papers and 

 reports. This Department endeavours to supply litera- 

 ture of four classes and primarily for, though not by 

 any means restricted to. four classes of readers: scien- 

 tific and philosophical ]iapers in the West Indian 

 Bulletin, which are principally studied by workers in 

 agricultural science, though valuable for reference to 

 the general reader: jiractical instruction in the 

 Pamphlets for the cultivator; records of local progress 

 in the Botanic Station Reports for the local readers- 

 and in this journal, a popular review of the above 

 information, and a digest of what is happening in 

 tropical agriculture and research all over the world for 

 the general reader, whether he be student, planter, 

 scientist, teacher or merchant. In the future it will be 

 the policy of the Department to give more than usual 

 care to the grading of the literature which it issues, in 

 order that the different demands referred to above may 

 be met more definitely. 



But however satisfactorily the Government, with 

 the limited amount of funds available for the purpose, 

 may be considered to provide for agricultural educa- 

 tion in the West Indies, it must not be forgotten that 

 credit for success which has been achieved is also due 

 to students who have taken initiative and profited 

 by the opportunities afforded. It cannot be too often 

 repeated that there are two parties to],be considered in 

 any educational programme — the teachers and the 

 learners. In the West Indies, where unfortunately no 

 central educational institution is yet in existence 

 ambition on the part of the rising generation is 

 an essential factor for future progress. Appreciation 

 of such educational facilities as exist has, as already 

 stated, been frequently demonstrated by the agri- 

 cultural communities; but the opinion may be 

 expressed that there is still room for a keener request 

 for agricultural knowledge, and it is hoped that 

 this short review of the Department's attitude and 

 power may do something to engender a more widespread 

 desire amongst the younger generation, to make the 

 most of what is at present gratuitously available for 

 their personal advancement. 



An important bulletin (No. .36 of the Agricultural 

 Research Institute, Pusa) has just been received, containing 

 a note on the M'Fadyean Staining Reaction for anthrax 

 bacilli, by Major .1. E. E. Holmes, Imperial Bacteriologist, 

 India. This publication will be of great interest to veterin- 

 ary surgeons concerned with tropical medicine. 



