Vol. XV. No. 359. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



-41 



Novel Schemes of Instruction in Surinam. 



The Journal of the Boaril of Agrivultare of 

 British Guiana, for jVovember 1915, contains an 

 interesting article from which the following information 

 regarding agricultural instruction in Surinam i.s 

 gleaned. Unlike the system obtaining in many of the 

 British colonies, here agricultural instruction is totally 

 separated from primary education, and is put under the 

 .supervision of the Director of Agriculture, the aim of 

 the instruction being to give to }'ouog agriculturists a 

 theoretical knowledge of agriculture. Lessons are given 

 in agricultural chemistry, botany, zoology, phj'sics, 

 cattle-rearing and dairy work, the tilling of the soil and 

 the use of agricultural tools, and the principles of manur- 

 ing. A course for young farmers lasts two years of forty 

 school weeks each, and twelve holiday weeks. The first 

 year of the course is devoted to the inculcation of 

 theoretical knowledge in order that the pupils might 

 get an insight into .some of the problems of nature, such 

 as the life of plants and animals, the movement of water 

 in the soil, and the atmosphere; and to make them 

 familiar with words and expressions which they will 

 meet in after years, when the}^ read books and i)apers on 

 agricultural subjects. This is the object of the lessons 

 in chemistry, botany, zoology, and physics. The second 

 year is devoted to practical knowledge — the tilling of 

 the soil, tools, drainage, manuring, cattle-rearing, dairy 

 work, and the cultivation of agricultural plants. Those 

 plants which are cultivated on the farms of the 

 neighbourhood are treated more fully; so also is cattle- 

 rearing luUy gone into in cases where the place of 

 instruction is situated in a stock-raising district. Hence 

 the local circumstances fi.'c what branch of aofriculture 

 ■ will be treated the more fulh'. 



The minimum age at which pupils are admitted is 

 fifteen years: at that age they are supposed to have had 

 already some practical experience. No maximum age 

 is fixed, so that it is possible at times to have pupils of 

 forty and forty-five years of age — farmers who are at 

 the head of a business, or managers of plantations. 



School teachers who wish to take such a course 

 must have a certificate in agriculture. The teachers 

 cannot study by themselves: they nmst have guidance: 

 and to give them this a regular course of two years is 

 provided, forty weeks being utilized in each year. If 

 after having followed a course nf two years a school 

 teacher passes his examination, he gets a certificate with 

 S40 as a premium wherewith to pay his expenses in 

 buying books; and if he succeeds in gathering a number 

 of boys (minimum fifteen) of fifteen years of age and 

 ujJwards, in his native town or neighbourhood, he is 

 appointed 'headmaster' of a course de.scribed under the 

 name of Course for Farmers' Boys, his salary being 

 S220 if he lives in a country district, and ^140 in 

 Paramaribo. It might be mentioned that these courses 

 (primary and secondary) were started only in March 

 and May 1915, respectively, therefore it is only after 

 the expiration of two years, that is to say, not before 

 1917, can the time arrive to sjoeak of any success: but 

 it is pointed out that the agricultural courses in Holland 

 are given according to the same method, and with big 

 success. 



The Domestication of Fancy Plumage Birds. 



Dr .1. E. Duerden, Trofessor of /r.ology at Rhodes 

 University College, South Africa, and formerly Marine 

 Biologist in Jamaica, has recently written to this Office 

 concerning two articles which we published some 

 months ago on the use of birds, and on egret and heron 

 rearing, respectively. Dr. Duerden has sjx'cialized in 

 ostriches, and is specially interested in the production 

 of plumage. It is probably known to the reader 

 that South Africa is the chief centi-e of the ostrich 

 feather trade, and the enormous development in 

 production has only been rendered possible by 

 domestication of the bird, without which the ostrich 

 would by now have undoubtedly become extinct. 



The ostrich industry is at present under a cloud, 

 mainly due to the war: and this has led Dr. Duerden 

 to propose the domestication of other plumage birds 

 along similar lines to those employed with ostriches, 

 the produce of which is more in demand. Our note 

 on egret and heron rearing (in Madagascar) represents 

 the sort of work referred to. The birds are caught 

 and tamed, and then allowed to fly to the marshes 

 to feed in the da}-, returning to roost at night 

 time. The feathers are removed at certain specific 

 times, without anj' cruelty, and the birds are care- 

 ful \ ' '.ed after and treated after the manner of 

 pels. Dr. Deurden writes: T believe there are big 

 possibilities if the matter were taken up thoroughly, 

 but we (South Africa) coidd hardlj' keep the monopoly 

 as we have practically done with the ostrich. I 

 should think West Indian islands would be very 

 favourable for many kinds of plumage birds.' 



While discussing the subject of birds, the attention 

 of the reader maybe called to an interesting and useful 

 series of articles that has just begun in the Journal 

 of the Board of Agriculture of British Guiana. 

 (Vol. IX, Xo. 1). These articles, which describe the 

 birds of British Guiana, are by the Revd. C. B. Dawson, 

 S.J., M.A. (Oxon.), formerly of British Guiana, and 

 now a resident in Barbados. 



The St. Lucia Lime Juice Factory. 



Forty-one casks of concentrated lime juice were 

 shipped from the Government Lime Juice Factory in 

 St. Lucia up to December 1, and fifteen awaited ship- 

 ment, making a total of 59 casks against a total output 

 of 4:^ for last season. At the time this information was 

 received the bonuses due to vendors were being sent out. 

 Some trouble was experienced in getting the peasants 

 to come forward with their vouchers and receive the 

 sums due to them. As the principle of profit-sharing 

 becomes better known, this difficult}' amongst the 

 peasants will gi-adually disappear. It seems that there 

 is a certain amount of suspicion that the bonus is in 

 the nature of borrowed money, and will eventually 

 have to be repaid to the Government. It is under- 

 stood thi,t the parish Priests have been endeavouring 

 to enlighten the people on this point. It may be added 

 that ,;i.^ Lime Juice Factory has proved so successful 

 financially that it is intended to institute an extension. 

 This includes a large boiler and a Crossby oil engine... 



