To). IV. No. 87. 



THE AG R [CULTURAL NEWS. 



2.51 



EDUCATIONAL 



Model School Gardens in Jamaica. 



Tho following is e.xtracted from the Annual 

 Report for the year 1904-5 of the Superintemling 

 In.spector of Schools in Jamaica : — 



The sum of £.50 was placed on the estimates of the 

 Department of Public Gardens and Plantations for model 

 school gardens in country districts, wliicli should be for the 

 guidance of neighbouring teachers, in the year 1903-4, and 

 this dei)artment was requested to recommend ten prominent 

 and accessible centres suitable for such gardens. One was to 

 be at Hope Gardens. The aim in view was to give special 

 attention to the agricultural capabilities of each district, and 

 the assistance of Agricultural Instructors was practically 

 ■assured. The grant for each garden was to be expended in 

 clearing the land, preparing and planting plots with various 

 crops, erecting a substantial fence to protect the garden 

 against trespassing by stock, and in purchasing seeds and 

 plants. 



At a meeting of the Board of Agriculture it was 

 decided, in view of the special and unforeseen e.xpenditure 

 entailed by the hurricane that passed over the island in 

 August 1903, not to incur any expenditure for model 

 school gardens in that year. 



A re-i rovision of the vote was made for the year 1904-5, 

 iiud it was considered by the Government that the full 

 responsibility for the construction, laying out, and fencing of 

 .such gardens should be thrown on the p)rincipal teacher of 

 each school to which a grant was made. An Instructor was 

 to visit the school and advise as to laying out the garden, and 

 to approve plans and estimates. 



Managers have been very willing to co-operate, and nine 

 model school gardens have been established cluring the year. 



The model school garden at Hope is carried on as 

 A part of the Experiment Station. It is near the tobacco 

 curing house, and all teachers would do well to inspect it 

 from time to time when they are able to do so. 



A model school garden begins its work under the most 

 favourable conditions. The principal teacher receives 

 €xpert advice and a grant is made for initial expenses and, 

 since it is in an easily accessible position, the teacher 

 ■continues frecpiently to receive advice and criticism from one 

 ■of the Instructors. 



Agricultural Education in British Guiana. 



The Science Leofcurer in British Guiana 

 {Jlr. E. W. F. English) has reported as follows on the 

 results of the science teaching at Queen's College, 

 ■at the Catliolic Grammar School, and to the primary 

 schoolmasters : — 



During the past year the science work at Queen's 

 College has been carried on on the lines laid down in 

 January 1904, when it became possible to include practical 

 ■chemistry in the school curriculum. The three upper forms 

 receive three hours' work each week in both theoretical and 

 practical chemistry, the junior forms two hours. 



Eleven boys took senior chemistry papers in the Cam- 

 ■bridge Local Examination, two of whom passed in theoretical 

 and two in practical chemistry. Of the twelve junior 

 candidates, two passed in both theoretical and practical 

 ■chemistry, and two in theoretical only. Two boys took the 

 preliminary papers, one of whom passed in both branches. 

 Considering these results with the fact that I have not 

 -thought it to be for the best interests of their work to adhere 



too closely to the examination syllabus, I think they are not 

 unpromising, though several boys proved very disappointing. 

 I notice amongst the junior boys several of very distinct 

 promise. 



The class at the Roman Catholic Grammar School has 

 been reduced in number at the desire of the Principal to 

 have the w-ork carried to a liigher standard, and to aid in 

 effecting this he has organized a preparatory class in the 

 elements of chemistry and phj'sics. This is an advance on 

 the previous arrangement. 



Courses of lectures to schoolmasters in the scientific 

 principles underlying the practice of agriculture have been 

 given in Georgetown, in Anna Regina for the county of 

 Easequibo, and in New Amsterdam for that of Berbice. 

 Considering the shorter course dehvered in the two latter 

 centres, the results obtained were more satisfactory than in 

 Georgetown, where the papers sent in at the examination 

 were not of as high a standard as those of the previous year, 

 there being a decided tendency to rely upon having commit- 

 ted to memory a series of facts, formulated in set terms, 

 while .shirking the discussion of the principles underlying 

 them, a condition least of all to be encouraged amongst those 

 intended to teach. 



Tlie demonstration-lectures appear to be appreciated, and 

 regrets have been expressed at the shortness of this course. 



In reference to this Professor Harrison says : — - 

 Judging from the results of the examination papers set 

 to the Queen's College boys at the end of the terms and to 

 the attendants at the lectures to schoolmasters, I am of 

 opinion that the study of natural science is slowly but surely 

 being extended in the colony. 



WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY. 



The following are extracts from a report on wire- 

 less telegraphy by Sir W. H. Preece, K.C.^B., published 

 by the Government of Trinidad as Council Paper 

 No. 70 of 1905:— 



The most valuable experiments in this direction [for war 

 purposes] have been made by the United States Army 

 Engineers under Major Sc[uier, which show that the most 

 serious obstacles are live trees and tropical vegetation. Every 

 tree is a leak. It absorbs energy from the electric waves. 

 A forest is thus much more an enemy to wireless telegraphy 

 than a mountain range. 



Wireless telegraphy is really still in its experimental 

 stage. Great progress has been made and will continue. 

 The sea is its domain. Here it is practical and even com- 

 mercial, but not reliable for continuous periods or for long 

 distances. It has not yet been proved cfi'ective over-land, 

 excepting for comparatively short distances where the earth 

 is moist. There are very few pjlaces where it can compete 

 financially with telegraphs and telephones. 



Finally, I desire to reiterate emphatically the opinion 

 that I have expressed from the first, that the home of 

 wireless telegraiihy is the sea, that its value is its unique 

 ability to maintain communication with moving masses like 

 ships at .sea and soldiers on the march. It is not reliable, 

 and it would be folly to employ it, for telegraphic purposes 

 where simple wires can be erected and telephones employed. 

 It is not even cheap, for though the capital expenditure is 

 smaller, the working expenses are greater and the speed of 

 working is less. The British Post Office has not found it 

 necessary to instal such a plant on any one of the 

 innumerable islands which stud our larger islands for 

 commercial telegraphy. 



