Vol. X. No. 236. 



THE AGKICULTUEAL NEWS. 



1.53 



the work of the Institute in this connexion. The 

 statement is made that this committee will include, 

 among; others: Sir J. Bevan Edwards, K.C.M.G., 

 .Sir Daniel Morris, K.C.MCJ. (late Imperial Commis- 

 sioner of Agriculture for the West Indies), the Hon. 

 Sir Cornthwaite Rason, Mr. Henry Birchenough, C.M.G., 

 Mr. Richard Jebb, Mr. Ben H. Morgan, Colonel John 

 Denny, Major Archer Shee, M.P., Mr. Hugo Hirst 

 (Chairman, Manufacturers' Association), Mr. Stanley 

 Machin (Chairman, London Chamber of Commerce), 

 Mr. Edw.ard Manviile (Chairman, Society of Motor 

 Manufacturers and Traders), and Sir Godfrey Y. Lag- 

 den, K.C.M.G. 



The article concludes by stating: ' The work of the 

 committee at the outset will include the arranging of 

 industrial conferences with a view to resrulating and co- 

 ordinating empire trade conditions and, by means of 

 lectures at the Institute itself and before the chambers 

 of commerce and other trade bodies and institutions 

 throughout the coiintr}', to make more widely known 

 the opportunities that exist in the overseas Dominions 

 for British trade and capital; and, on the other hand, to 

 place the Briiish merchant and manufacturer in touch 

 ■with the Sources that are available within the Empire 

 for the supply of raw materials and other products. 

 It is hoped in this way to find an increased market for 

 British goods in the Colonies, and, on the other hand, to 

 increase the demand in Great Britain for Empire 

 products. British manufacturers, merchants, shippers, 

 brokers, and others interested in the work of this 

 committee are invited to communicato with the Secre- 

 tary of the Institute at Northumberland Avenue, W.C 



The Jippi Jappa Hat Industry in Jamaica. 



In order to obtain information as to the state of 

 the Jijipi japjia hat industry in Jamaica, letters have 

 been sent out bj' the Jamaica Agricultural Society to 

 the various hat-making centres. The replies to these 

 have been received and investigated by a committee of 

 the Society, the report of which appears in the Journal 

 of the Jamaica Agricultural Society, for February 

 1911, p. 46. 



The report shows that the demand for the hats 

 fluctuates very much, and that the prices received for 

 them are consequently subject to large variations. In 

 the Above Rocks district, however, the industry has been 

 organized by two exporters from Kingston, so that the 

 prices paid there for hats arc even and regular. In this 

 district, the hat-making industry did much to ameli- 

 orate the conditions after the Hood of November 1907; 

 the results obtained are much more satisfactory than 

 in other parts of the island, where the efforts have been 

 more spasmodic in nature. In regard to the latter, 

 £30 or £40 has been spent in the teaching of hat- 

 making to some 4(j0 girls, with little success, except 

 that one or two of the learners are continuing the work, 

 and manage to earn a fair living. Notwithstanding the 

 untoward conditions in these instances, the committee 

 is of opinion that the work has been worth the doing, 

 though not to the extent that was hoped for, and that 

 generally, the encouragement of the hat industry by the 

 society has effected considerable good to the island. 



An Interesting Plant in St. Vincent. 



The Botanic Gardens of St. Vincent contain the 

 only specimen known at present of Spacliea 'perforata, 

 Juss. This is in the nature of a large tree, estimated 

 to be at least 100 years old. The species was first 

 recorded by the Rev. Landsdowne Guilding, by whom 

 specimens were probably collected in St. Vincent, in 

 the early part of last centur}-. 



The description in Grisebach's Flora of the British 

 West Indian Islands shows that the leaves of the plant 

 are lance-shaped, while the flowers are borne in 

 terminal racemes, each flower containing small rosy 

 petals, and stamens which are all fertile: the fruits are 

 small. 



In forwarding information concerning the plant, 

 Mr. W. N. Sands, Agricultural Superintendent, states 

 that the flowers, though small, are distinct and attrac- 

 tive, and are produced in great profusion; the tree is 

 largely visited by bees and other nectar-loving insects. 

 Mr. Sands pijints out, further, that Spachea perforata, 

 besides being of much interest to botanists in that the 

 species is not known to occur elsewhere than in 

 St. Vincent, is of considerable value as a tree, from 

 a decorative point of view. 



Prize-holclinCTs Competition in St. Lucia. 



A report received from the Agricultural Super- 

 intendent of St. Lucia states that a meeting, attended 

 by a fair number of peasant proprietors, and several of 

 the principal jiersons interested in agriculture, in the 

 district, was held in the Soufnere Court House on 

 March 2.5, 1911, for the purpose of the distribution of 

 the prizes awarded in the recent prize-holdings com- 

 petition. The successful competitors were: Class I — 

 A. Clement, First Prize, £4; R. Medouze, Third Prize, 

 £2. Class II— A. H. Victor, Second Prize, £2. 



The prizes were distributed by Mr. A. F. Palmer, 

 Magistrate of the District, who presided, and several of 

 the principals among those interested in agriculture in 

 that part of the island showed their interest in the 

 scheme by addressing the meeting, and urging the 

 importance of the adoption of better methods of cultiva- 

 tion, at the same time drawing attention to the useful- 

 ness of the competitions. 



Another feature of the meeting was a review of 

 the work done on the holdings during the past year, 

 by the Agricultural Superintendent, who explained the 

 objects of the competition, and in\ited entries for the 

 year 1911-12. 



The advisability of the continuation of the com- 

 |ietition for another year was indicated in a minute by 

 Mr. Palmer to His Honour the Administrator, in which 

 the views were expressed that a very favourable im- 

 pression had been made on the recent occasion, and 

 that the next competition will be taken uj) keenly. It 

 is owing to the satisfactory nature of this report that 

 it has been decided that such a continuation shall be 

 made, and a notice to this effect appears in the current 

 number of the St. Lucia Gazette. 



