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THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



February 19, 1910. 



THE RECENT CONFERENCE IN ANTIGUA 



CONCERNING AGRICULTURAL 



MATTERS. 



A report has just been issued by those who recently went 

 from Barbados to Antigua, in order to enquire into the work- 

 ing of central sugar factories and the system of inipleniental 

 tillage that is in vogue there, as well as to confer on other 

 agricultural matters. (See Ai/ricidtHm/ Ki'ws, Vol. IX, p. 7.) 

 This report has been employed in comiiiling the following 

 information. 



The members of the expedition were: — the Hon. Francis 

 Watts, C. M.G., D.Sc, the Imperial Commissioner of Agri- 

 culture for the West Inilies: the Hon. F..J.CIarke,C.M.G.,M-.A., 

 ]\I.G.P., President of the Agricultural Society and Speaker 

 of the House of. Assembly; Messrs. J. R. P.ovell, I.S.O., 

 F.L.S., F.C.S., Superintendent of Agriculture; S. S. Robinson, 

 M.C.P.;F. W. Greave.s, J.P.;E. L. Skeete, B.A.; Jos. Connell; 

 D. G. Simpson and Dr. E. G. Pilgrim. 



On Wednesday, January 5, the members of the exped- 

 ition embarked on board the SS. 'Dahome" en route for 

 Antigua, via St. Lucia and Dominica. St. Lucia was reached 

 at 7 a.m., on the morning of the 6th. On their arrival, the 

 members were met by Mr. J. C. iloore, the Agricultural 

 Superintendent. Directly afterwards, the Hon E. J. 

 Cameron, C.M.G., the Administrator of St. Lucia, very kindly 

 came on board to confer with the Commissioner of Agriculture 

 as to the plans for the day, so as to facilitate as far as 

 possible the arrangements for this. The members visited 

 the Botanic Station, and then were taken by means of 

 the Government launch, placed at their disposal by the 

 Hon. E. J. Cameron, to the Cul-de-Sac sugar factory, to which 

 they were accompanied by ISIessrs. G. Graf and J. Devoeux, 

 Directors, being subsequently met by the Hon. E. G. Bennett, 

 K.C., Managing Director, and Mr. L. Springer, manager of 

 the estate. After inspecting the factory and cultivation, they 

 embarked on the SS. 'Dahome', which, through the courtesy 

 of Captain Gorst, had come to meet them. 



Dominica was reached at daylight on Friday, January 7. 

 Here they were met by Mr. Joseph Jones, the Curator of the 

 Botanic Station, and j\Ir. Lambert Bell. The members visited 

 the Botanic Garden, Plsperiment Station and Agricultural 

 School; the Bath lime e.state, through the courtesy of Mr. H. A. 

 Frampton; and lime and cacao cultivations in the Roseau 

 Valley. On their arrival at Antigua, the members of the 

 party were met by the Reception Committee that had been 

 appointed by the Agricultural and Commercial Society to 

 receive them. That afternoon, the members of the expedi- 

 tion were received by his Excellency the Governor and Lady 

 Sweot-Escott, and afetrwards they visited the Botanic Garden, 

 and the sugar-cane, cotton, and other plots at the Experi- 

 ment Station at Skerretts. On this day, Messrs. F. 1!. 

 Shepherd, A. D. C. Adamson, and A. Davis, who had been 

 appointed by the Agricultural Society of St. Kitts to visit 

 Antigua, arrived l;>y the ll.il.S. ' Esk ' from that island. 



After breakfast on jMonday, January 1 0, the members 

 were taken by rail to (iunthorpes Central Factory where they 

 were met by ih. and ilrs. E. Moody Stuart, a number of 

 the local planters, and others. After inspecting the factory, 

 the members of the expedition were entertained at luncheon 

 by Mr. IMoody Stuart, assisted by the staff. After luncheon, 

 they visited the reservoir that had recently been made 

 for storing water for the use of the factory, and from 

 there they went to Fitches Creek, an estate on which imple- 

 mental cultivation based on the Louisiana system is carried 

 out. From Fitches Creek they proceeded to Millars estate, 

 the property of the Hon. J. J. Camacho, where they were 



kindly and hospitably entertained by Mrs. Camacho. 



On the morning of Tuesday, January 11, the members- 

 of the expedition first visited Belmont estate, where they were 

 shown over the buildings by Messrs. E. and J, Dew, one of 

 whom is the manager and the other the engineer. At this 

 estate, there is installed what is known as the Santa Cruz 

 .system of sugar manufacture, owing to its having been first 

 adopted in that island. From Belmont, the party pro- 

 ceeded, at the invitation of Mr. A. St. G. Spooner, to 

 Bendals to inspect the factory and cultivation on that 

 estate. After, going over the factory and the stock- 

 pen.s, where fine imported donkeys, a jack and a jenn)', and 

 native-bred mules were seen, the members were kindly enter- 

 tained at luilclieon by Mrs. Spooner. After luncheon, the 

 party was taken to inspect the cultivation on the estate. 

 From Bendals, the members went to the Blubber Valley estate 

 where they were met by Mr. T. E. Peters, the [iroprictor, and 

 Mr. S. B. Smith, the manager. On this estate, the Santa 

 Cruz .system of sugar manufacture has also been installed. 

 After inspecting the factory, the members were taken up the 

 C'hristian Valley to view the scenery. On their return, they 

 were hospitably entertained by Mr. Peters, at Jolly Hill. 



On Wednesday, January 12, the members of the expe- 

 dition from Barbados and St. Kitts- Nevis, met in conference- 

 in the Council Chamber at the Court House, a number of the 

 members of the Agricultural and Commercial Society of 

 Antigua. The memliers present at the Conference, in. 

 addition to those from Barbados, mentioned above, were : 

 from St. Kitts, Messrs. F. R. Shepherd, A. D. C. Adamson 

 and A. Davis ; from Antigua, Hon. J. J. Camacho, Hon. 

 R. L. Warneford, Messrs. A. St. George Spooner, H. A. 

 Tempany, T. E. Peters, R. Bryson, N. Scott Johnson, R. S. 

 D. Goodwin, Joseph T. Dew, Ernest Dew, J. C. Walrond, 

 L. S. Cranstoun, J. D. Harper, !N[ajor W. H. Ledeatt, Messrs. 

 I. E. Dyett, J. J. Roden, H. J. Hall, A. H. Stamers, Robert 

 Goodwin, C. (iriflin, J. B. Smith, Stephen R. Mendes, Robert 

 W. Dobson, L. I. Henzell, W. G. Richardson, G. A.. 

 Macandrew, D. N. Rannie and E. Moody Stuart, withi 

 Messrs. J. D. Wall and R. H. Malone as Honorary Secretaries, 



The Conference was opened by his Excellency the 

 Governor, Sir E. Bickham Sweet-Escott, K.C.M.G., who 

 extended a hearty welcome to the visitors from Barbados oa 

 behalf of the several Presidencies of the colony. He would, 

 however, before they proceed to business, like, he said, to- 

 emphasize the distinctly unofficial character of the gathering, 

 and he was sure his friends from Barbados would be at 

 one with him in the view that they had no authority 

 from the Barbados Government to discuss matters of 

 common interest, and although he, as Governor, was very 

 glad to be present and welcome them, it did not imply any 

 official character in the proceedings of the Conference itself. 

 After mentioning the subjects of central factories, trade 

 reciprocity with Canada, and the work of the Royal Com- 

 mission at present holding sessions in connexion with the 

 latter, his Excellency once more extended, on behalf of the 

 Presidencies of Antigua and St. Kitts-Nevis, a most hearty 

 welcome to their friends from Barbados, and expressed the 

 hope that the result of their visit to the island would be the 

 establishment of closer relations of all kinds between the two 

 ancient possessions of the Crown. 



Dr. Watts replied, thanking his Excellency, on behalf 

 of those who had accompanied him from Barbados, and of 

 those who had joined him in Antigua, for the welcome 

 extended to them, and emphasizing the unofficial nature of 

 the meeting. He also thanked the Antigua Reception 

 Committee, in the same way, as well as the planters who had 

 enabled the visitors to view the work, etc., on their estates, 



