Vol. V. No. 100. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



53 



EDUCATIONAL 



AGRICULTURAL SHOWS. 



Agricultural Scholarships. 



The following notice, relative to the local Agri- 

 cultural Scholarships offered at Barbados, is published 

 for general information :— 



Notice is hereby given of one or more vacancies among 

 the Agricultural Exhibitions granted by the Imperial Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, tenable at Harrison College, and open 

 for comi'etition by boys who intend to make agriculture 

 their life's work, and whose parents are in receipt of an 

 annual income of not more than £"200. 



For further information, api>ly to the Secretary of the 

 Education Board, Barbados. 



Dominica Agricultural School. 



The following is the half-yearly report of the 

 examiner (Mr. F. A. Stockdale, B.A.) on the examina- 

 tion of the Agricultural School in Dominica: — 



Eighteen pupils sat for the examination and all took 

 the papers set for the junior class. The work through- 

 out is very uniform, and of a very satisfactory nature. 

 A. T. Pinard has continued his steady progress, and has 

 come first, having obtained 7 1 per cent, of the total mark;'. 

 Cuffy and Augustine also sent in very good' papers, 

 and obtained nearly 70 per cent, of the total marks. 

 Considering that these three boys have maintained the high 

 positions they obtained in the last examination, they might 

 proceed with the syllabus for the 'seniors,' but particular 

 care must be taken over their chemistry. Six other boys 

 obtained over 60 per cent, of the total marks, while only 

 four obtained less than -50 per cent. These four were 

 Devin, Bruney, Lawrence, and Peltier. Peltier and 

 Lawrence occupied the same position in the last examination. 

 The most marked improvement shown by any individual is 

 that of G. N. Pinard, who has risen from 16th. to lUth. on 

 the list. 



The arithmetic is again the best of the more important 

 papers, several of the pupils obtaining nearly full marks. 

 The botany is also very good. The chemistry papers sent 

 in were decidedly weak, the preparation of Bordeaux 

 mixture being little known. As this is a question of 

 economic importance in agriculture, more attention should 

 be paid to the preparation of this fungicide. There 

 seems to be a tendency amongst all the boys to learn 

 off the notes of lessons by heart. They should be taught 

 to think and reason for themselves. Great care .should be 

 taken with the experiments performed, and the class should 

 be asked to make observations for themselves. A little more 

 practice in writing essays on subjects not directly dealt with 

 in their notes would possibly induce a little originality of 

 thought. 



DEPARTMENT NEWS. 



The Imperial Commissioner of Agriculture left 

 Barbados by the S.S. ' Oruro ' on February 6, on a visit 

 to St. Vincent and St. Lucia. 



It is probable, if steamer facilities admit, that he 

 will also proceed to Dominica, and return to Barbados 

 in the course of this week. 



Forthcoming Agricultural Shows. 



The fixtures for agricultural shows in the West 

 Indies during 1906 are as follows : — 



Antigua, February 22 ; Dominica, February 23 and '2i ; 

 St. Vincent, March 7. It is proposed to hold on the first 

 !Monday in August a cottagers' show at Harris' Village in 

 Montserrat, under the auspices of the Agricultural Society 

 of that district. 



The Virgin Islands' agricultural show was held at 

 Tortola, September 13, 1905. An account of this show has 

 alreadj' been given in the Agricultural A'eins (Vol. IV, 

 p. 365). 



An agricultural show was held in Nevis on January 

 18 last, an account of which appears on this page. 



The cottagers' show at Carriacou was held on January 

 2G, as mentioned in the Agricultural News (Vol. V, p. 24). 

 An account of this show will appear later. 



was 

 last 

 the 

 far 



Agricultural Show at Nevis. 



The Hon. C. Arthur Shand, Resident Magistrate, 

 Nevis, in a letter to the Imperial Commissioner of 

 Agriculture, writes as follows: — 



The Agricultural Show held on the ItSth. instant 

 a far more successful atfair than I anticipated when 

 writing. Although there was a marked falling off in 

 number of exhibits, the quality of those shown was 

 superior in many instances to those of 1905. In the nine 

 classes there were 405 entries. Cla.ss I, Live Stock, in which 

 there were sixty-four exhibits, was excellent, and the 

 arrangements this year admitted of greater facilities for 

 examining the animals which were displayed to their utmost 

 advantage. The chief prize for horses was won by a black 

 stallion under three years, entered by a man named Charles 

 ilarriner. Sir Robert Bromley who very generously presented 

 X5 for the purpose of special prizes expressed a wish 

 that this money should be awarded to the best cared for 

 animals at the show. 



Sir Robert himself decided the awards without any 

 outside assistance, and I need hardly say that his decision 

 gave universal satisfaction. The arrangement of getting in 

 the imperishable exhibits on the day preceding the show 

 worked, on the whole, satisfactorilj', and resulted in a much 

 more pleasing distribution of the articles shown. The 

 exhibits in industries were better than last year, as were also 

 the meals, for which latter I arranged with Mr. Hollings 

 to make a special table, divided into compartments, into 

 which tissue paper of various colours was inserted and thus 

 each exhibit presented a uniform appearance. The vegetables- 

 were vevy good, though fewer than last year. The chief 

 falling oti' was in canes, fruits, plants and preserves ; but the 

 almost entire neglect of the first-named was atoned fur by 

 the abnormal prominence given to the new rival ' cotton, ' of 

 which you will receive samples through Mr. HoUings by this 

 opportunity. There were actually thirty-six entries ia 

 seed-cotton and Hnt. 



The new ginnery recently erected by Mr. Huggins in 



Charlestown was started on the day of the show, when it was 



visited by Sir Robert Bromley and Dr. Watts. 



There were many more visitors from St. Kitt's than on 



the last occasion, and they not only expressed approval, but 



gave practical illustration of it by making sundry purchases- 



of poultry, etc. 



