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THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



Septembee '23, 1916. 



•opinion and diffusing knowledge upon which sound 

 opinions might be formed. 



Dr. Watts then congratulated the .Society on the 



-success which had attended the various co-operative 



movements in Antigua, mentioning the good work 



• done b}' the Antigua Onion Growers' Association, and 

 " the influence that the Cotton Growers' Association and 



Lime Growers' Association might be expected to have 



■ on the industries involved. 



Continuing, he emphasized the tact that in fram- 



; ing sound policy for the immediate future, sound 



public opinion was essential: but that implied sound 



■ thinking on the part of leading men in the community: 

 no one, not even the most brilliant leader, acted 



■ entirely on his own initiative: he was the product of his 

 .surroundings: he was the man who had the courage 

 and the energy to give form and expression to what 

 many were feeling and thinking. Hence it followed 

 that to produce sound opinions, even in leaders, im- 



,,plied the inculcation of sound ideas in the community 

 from which the leader sprung. 



In agricultural matters, therefore it followed that 

 to have sound policy dictated, we must have sound 

 knowledge disseminated. This led the speaker at 

 once to a point that was worth pressing on the meet- 

 ing's attention — sound agriculture means sound instruc- 

 tion. It did not always follow that this instruction 

 must be formal: successful planters, successful leading 

 men, were constantly arising who had received little 

 formal instruction; but if one looked carefully at these 

 men, one would find that they had the ability to derive 

 and apply information gleaned from informal sources. 

 That did not however imply that they would not have 

 ■greatly benefited if the information they wanted could 

 •have been presented to them in a more readily available 

 form, but it did imply that many who might be able to 

 use the information and who, being informed, might help 

 to advance the welfare of the business in then- hands, 

 miss the opportunity for lack of help and well arranged 

 information. If therefore we wanted progress, we must 

 •see to it that we give instruction to those who in due 

 time will have the work of the conmiunity in iheir 

 hands. 



This, added Dr. Watts, led to a plea — which 



• should be a demand — for the providing of facilities for 

 proper teaching. 



The speaker then referred to the facilities existing 

 in Antigua for agricultural instruction. He alluded 

 to the Grammar School, the Botanic and Experiment 

 Station, and pleaded for further facilities for research 



work. He made reference to the n.'^^'^"^^"'' ''^'"^ ^^"^ 

 been inaugurated for the erection of . "" laboratory and 

 workshop at the Grammar School, and . ^P°^^, ^^ *^® 

 various experiments conducted by the A^^^Ticultural 

 Department. Mention was made of the 7-i"0'is 

 publications issued by the Imperial Departuteot P*. 

 Agriculture and the opportunity afiforded by these of 

 obtaining information of an educational and pracfcica,! 

 value. 



He did not think however, that the opportunities 

 existing in Antigua for obtaining information were 

 sufficiently appreciated, and utilized, and he indicated 

 how agricultural investigations might be used as 

 a means of providing material for instruction. 



Continuing, he said he would leave aside the ijues- 

 tion of agricultural teaching in all its forms, and turn 

 to the question of the moment — the framing of sound 

 policies for immediate and future application. For 



this it was essential that one thought about problems 



that we set aside the idea of just carrying on. 



Many things confronted those present, but the 

 speaker thought he might be allowed to indicate one 

 or two which seemed to him to be worth considering, 

 leaving untouched a long array of subjects which might 

 claim their attention. 



As regards the manufacture of their staple product, 

 sugar, much care and thought had been bestowed of 

 late years on the perfection of this, and they were 

 rapidly attaining to a sound position in this connexion. 

 The manufacture of sugar in respect to a large part of 

 the crop was carried on with a very high degree of 

 skill, and with the minimum of loss. Antigua was now 

 well informed on this point; it was realized from 

 experience and local demonstrations what could be done, 

 and it only remained to round off the story by complet- 

 ing such plans as would lead to all the sugar of the 

 island being properly manufactured. Sound policy and 

 sound public opinion had arisen in this respect, and 

 there was good gi-ound for thinking that things might 

 go well. 



But it was often remarked that where the manufac- 

 ture of sugar was well conducted.the growing of the sugar 

 was often imperfectly done. Dr. Watts was not at all 

 sure that in Antigua at the present moment, there might 

 not be some danger in this respect; it might be felo by 

 some that the development of the sugar industry was 

 ensured because marked progress had been made in 

 one a.spect of the industry. There might, however, be 

 lacking, a policy in respect to the other aspect, that of 

 growing. 



