Vol. X. No. 240. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



223 



ADVERTISEMENT IN AGRIOULTURE. 



The main ideas and illu.strations in thi.s article, which 

 treats of adverti-seinent in agi-icultvire, are taken from a paper 

 prepared by Mr. W. R. Dunlop, Agricultural and Science 

 Master at the St. Kitts Grammar School. In this, it is point- 

 ed out, first, tliat there are many matters in connexion with 

 the general appearance of an estate and those responsible for 

 its working which serve to indicate whether its produce is 

 likely to be of au acceptable nature, and secondly to form 

 a means of attraction, or otherwise, for those by whom it may 

 be visited. Among these matters are included the state of the 

 cultivation in regard to regularity and freedom from weeds, 

 the condition and .state of repair of the buildings, the appear- 

 ance of the working animals, and even that of those who 

 are resiwnsible for the work on the estate. 



It is pointed out that the prosperity of an estate depends 

 mainly upon its locality, its soil, its management and its 

 labour. The existence of good management is often indicat- 

 ed by the extent to which new and improved methods of 

 agricultural practice are being tried, although some of these 

 may not be sufhciently well known to be regarded as of 

 general application. In relation to this matter, the employ- 

 ment of observation and experiment, in an organized way, 

 on an estate, may not only lead to direct financial gain, 

 but will also be useful in that it attracts favourably the 

 attention to that estate of those interested in its 

 produce. This consideration has particular reference to 

 the keeping of records, both in regard to the stock, 

 implements and produce of the estate, and to the financial 

 side of its working. A provident attitude toward the future 

 serves also to increase the confidence of the owner or mana- 

 ger and of those who are in a position to criticize his 

 methods and work; this attitude should be extended to a knowl- 

 edge of the market in which he has to dispo.se of his products, 

 in order that he may possibly, in the case of quickly growing 

 crops, be able to foreshadow a shortened general su[)ply of the 

 particular commodities, which will have its natural results in the 

 raising of prices owing to the difficulty of supplying the 

 demand. With reference to all these matters, it may be that 

 no direct financial gain will result for some time, but the 

 adoption of a progressive attitude on the part of the planter 

 will eventually lead to this, provided that his operations are 

 conducted with the proper amount of caution. 



Such a progressive attitude will, in many cases, lead the 

 planter to undertake trials and experiments in co-operation 

 with those whose duty it is to advise him on all matters of 

 agricultural interest. Where the planter has an inclination 

 toward writing, he will be able to assist progress and to 

 increase his agricultural acquaintance by the contribution of 

 letters or articles on subjects concerning which his experiments 

 and observations have led him to possess particular knowledge, 

 aa well as by the preparation of papers to be read before the 

 local Agricultural Society. 



The sending of good exhibits to agricultural shows and 

 exhibitions should benefit both the planter and the small 

 holder; it has its special usefulness in relation to the latter, 



in that it provides a means of ascertaining the nature 

 and extent of the local demand for the products in which he 

 is interested. The small holder also possesses sources for 

 encouragement and advertisement in the prize holdings 

 competitions that are held in several of the islands in the 

 West Indies. 



The employment of the pages of newspapers and other 

 periodicals for the purposes of advertising is restricted in the 

 case of the West Indian planter; there is, however, no doubt 

 that this means of bringing his estate and his produce before 

 those interested in them might well be adopted more often. 

 For this purpose, further, the preparation of advertisement 

 leaflets, distributed through the stores or by other suitable 

 means, is often useful. In any case, whether the advertise- 

 ment is intended only to apply locally or on a much larger 

 scale, a matter of the greatest importance where future orders 

 are expected, is the proper grading of the produce for 

 disposal, so that this is even, in the same or in separate 

 shipments, and dependence can be placed by the buyer on the 

 marks of the estate. 



Proper advertisement on the part of an estate is bound 

 to lead to that of all others, in a general way, in the same 

 colony. In this wider .sense of advertisement, however, 

 assistance is often given by the Government, and the fact of 

 the existence of Permanent Exhibition Committees is very 

 helpful in relation to representation at large exhibitions, such 

 as those held in England and Canada. 



So far, consideration has been given to the way in which 

 conditions on estates reflect upon the general attractivene.ss, 

 or otherwise, of a country. Much importance attaches to the 

 other view of the matter, namely, the way in which the 

 general conditions of the country serve to make it easy, or 

 more diflicult, as the case may be, for the estates in it to effect 

 improvements, and to bring about the increase of outside 

 interest in them. Among such matters are the state of the 

 circumstances which govern the keeping of health in the 

 country, the supply and efficiency of labour, particularly in 

 regard to that which is required for the handling of cargo 

 for steamship companies, and the attractiveness, both natural 

 and artificial, of the place to those who may intend merely 

 to visit it, as well as to those who are thinking of making 

 it the land of their permanent abode. The reputation of 

 a country in regard to these circumstances is of the greate.st 

 importance, and has much to do in assisting or retarding the 

 efforts of those who are attempting to bring about both 

 a general and individual amelioration of the conditions in 

 that country. 



The Secretary of the Agricultural Society of Trinidad 

 and Tobago stated rt.'cently that he was requested by 

 Mr. A. L. Smith, a fruit expert from .Jamaica, now in the 

 Colony, to announce that he was under contract to supply 500 

 dozen Avocado pears weekly to the United States; and that 

 that contract could be immediately increased to 2,000 dozen 

 but for the fact that there was no cold storage available. 

 The only steamers trading between Trinidad and New York 

 with cold storage were those of the Royal Dutch Line and 

 they were only able to spare 140 cubic feet, the remainder 

 being under engagement by the United Fruit Company. 

 Mr. Smith respectfully requested that the Society would 

 make representations to the Government in the matter, so 

 that full opportunity would be given for the development of 

 the fruit trade of the colony. (From the Proceedinijs of the 

 Agricultural Society of I'rinidad and Tohdgo, May 1911, 

 p. 280.) 



