Vol. IV. No. 74. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



39 



THE COLONIAL AND 



The plan criven below and the explanatory text 

 appeared in the West India Committee Circular of 

 October 25, 1904. We are indebted to the courtesy of 

 the Secretary of the West India Committee for the 

 privilege of reproducing this : — ■ 



The plan below is given to show the space which has 

 been provisionally allotted to the West India Committee for 

 the West Indian Court at the Colonial and Indian Exhibition 

 to be held at the Crystal Palace in 1905. It will be seen 

 that the space allotted is in a most advantageous position 

 immediately in front of the central entrance to the Palace 



INDIAN EXHIBITION. 1905. 



Court, occuiyiug an aggregate space of 2, -500 square feet. 

 The co-operation of Rhodesia and British Central Africa has 

 also been secured. 



The issue of the Circular for January 17, 1905, 

 has the following further flote in connexion with this 

 exhibition : — 



A meeting of the General Exhibition Sub Committee 

 was held on Wednesday 11. 



Correspondence with the various colonies was read, and 

 hope expressed that some definite decision might soon be 



Plan of Proposed Colonial and Indi.^n Exhibition, 1905. 

 [From the West India Cvmmiftee Circidar.] 



and adjacent to the centre transept. It is understood that 

 the corresponding space on the opposite side of the transept 

 will be allotted to Canada, which will, it is expected, take 

 a space of no less than 25,000 square feet. India is to be 

 represented, and the Australian coloines are taking separate 

 action. Victoria has contracted for 1,500 square feet, and 

 New South Wales and New Zealand are each arranging to 

 have 2,500 square feet, and the promoters have also had 

 hearty encouragement from Australia and Fiji. The West 

 African colonies will be immediately behind the West Indian 



arrived at in the jiarticipating islands as to the size and 

 nature of the resjjective exhibits, in order that there might 

 be no delay, which so often mars the effects of these displays. 

 A sub-committee was apjiointed to proceed with the allotment 

 of space, and w-ill get to work immediately, ileanwhile, it 

 is very desirable that the colonies should hasten on the 

 arrangements, as the sugar-canes, etc., for decorative purposes 

 must reach us not later than the third week in March, and 

 the exhibits themselves at the end of the second week ia 

 April. 



ROAD-SIDE PLANTING OF RUBBER 

 TREES. 



The following is an extract from a letter from the 

 Administrator, Dominica, to the Imperial Commissioner 

 of Agricullure, dated December 21, 1904 : — 



I have just been reading the last number of the A(/ri- 

 cultural A'eios. What an excellent paper it is. It seems to 

 improve with every number. In connexion with the article 

 on Road-side planting of Fruit Trees (Vol. Ill, p. 413) it may 

 interest you to know that we have followed out that idea 

 here for some time past. About fifteen months ago I caused 

 rubber plants of two varieties {Castilloa and Funtumia) to 

 be set out tor a distance of nine miles all along one side of 

 the Imperial road. The two varieties alternate the whole 

 way and number about 2,500. They start at an altitude of 

 1,500 feet, and as the road goes up to 1,800 feet and then 

 gradually down to 450 feet, we hope to have, in a few years, 

 a very clear illustration showing at what elevation and under 

 what conditions, as regards soil and exposure, rubber thrives 

 best in Dominica. Most of the plants are, already, of good 

 size and appear to be flourishing. Generally speaking, 

 Casfilloa seems to be best, as the Funtumia, though very 

 vigorous does not stand wind well. In nine or ten years time, 

 these trees will give the Imperial road a very handsome 

 appearance, and ought to yield sufKcient rubber to pay for 

 its up-keep. The cost of cultivating the plants is very small, 

 and in another two years, they will take care of themselves. 



AT 



AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION 

 BARBADOS. 



The following note has been forwarded by the 

 Rev. J. E. Reece, M.A., Inspector of Schools, Barbados: — • 



The lectures delivered by Dr. Longfield Smith at four 

 centres were attended by a large number of teachers and 

 assistants wdio were much interested and benefited, and were 

 thereby better equipped for giving lessons in their schools. 

 A grant has been made for the purpose of purchasing simple 

 apparatus so that during this year some of the teachers will 

 be able to give simple experiments and make their lessons 

 more interesting and instructive. At the beginning of 

 1904 the Education Board increased the premium grant 

 for a pass in the teaching of Agriculture so that now 

 a pass in this sul>ject, if practical work is shown, is of 

 equal value with the pass in Reading, Dictation, and 

 Arithmetic, and at many schools on the day of the Premium 

 Examination we have seen a fair show of ornamental and 

 economic plants grown in boxes and pots. The difficulty of 

 obtaining land has been a great obstacle in providing school 

 gardens, but in the few that exist it is pleasing to see the 

 care and attention bestowed upon the plants, and how much is 

 done with the small quantity of land available for this purpose. 



At the Show held at Lower Estate in January 1904 

 fewer exhibits were made than on former occasions, possibly 

 from local disadvantages, but the exhibits were distinctly 

 better than those shown at any previous Exhibition. 



