ToL. V. No. 119. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



367 



EDUCATIONAL 



Agricultural Teaching in Trinidad. 



In his annual Report for 1905-6, the Inspector of 

 .Schools in Trinidad (Mr. J. H. Collens) makes the 

 following reference to the teaching of practical agri- 

 culture in elementary schools : — 



During the year 1905-6, 195 schools were examined in 

 practical agriculture, and of these, sixty succeeded in obtain- 

 ing the highest award ' very good.' In the previous year, of 

 190 schools examined, fifty-four obtained the coveted award. 

 The Assistant Inspectors are unanimous in their opinion that 

 the work in this direction is of a progressive nature. That 

 the youth of the present day are being taught to cultivate 

 vegetables and flowers is in itself something, but it is not all. 

 In many schools useful experiments are made, results noted, 

 and habits of observation thereby formed which cannot fail 

 to have an influence for good in after-life. The dominant 

 idea in up-to-date education is to teach children to observe 

 and to think, to be practical and useful — not mere automata. 

 There is no sacrificing of old traditions in this; the 'three lis' 

 have still, and must continue to hold first place in our school 

 curriculum, but to quote the English code, ihe main purpose 

 of the public elementary school is ' to form and strengthen 

 the character and to develop the children entrusted to it, and 

 to make the best use of the school years available in assisting 

 both boys and girls according to their different needs to fit 

 themselves practically as well as intelligently for the work of 

 life.' 



Not a little of the success which has attended the 

 teaching of practical agriculture in our primary schools is 

 due to the useful expert advice given to teachers by the 

 Agricultural Instructors when making their round of visits to 

 the various districts, and in connexion with this I can only 

 repeat my last year's wish that it were possible for these 

 officers to devote more time to the schools. 



The chemistry class, conducted at Tranquility Training 

 School since 1 903 for the students of that in.stitution and of 

 Nelson Street Roman Catholic Training School, is now held 

 at the Government Laboratory, and during the year under 

 notice, in addition to the students, several teachers of primary 

 schools took advantage of the privilege afforded them of 

 attending these lectures. As usual, copies of the Agri- 

 ■cultural A''e/('s, the Bulletin of the Botanical Dqiartment, and 

 the ' Proceedings of the Agricultural Society ' have been 

 gratuitously distributed to head teachers of schools with 

 gardens, to each of whom also a small selection of English 

 seeds was given. 



Mr. Cradwick for no. 1 district, St. Catherine, St. Mary, 

 and Portland, with present salary and allowance. 



Mr. Briscoe for no. 2 district, St. Andrew and St. Thomas, 

 with present salary and allowance. 



Mr. Palache for no. 3 district, St. Elizabeth, Manchester, 

 and Lower Clarendon. Salar}-, £250. 



Mr. Arnett for no. 4 district, St. Ann, Trelawny, 

 Eastern St. .lames, and North Clarendon. Salary, £300. 



An Instructor to be obtained for no. 5 district, Hanover, 

 Westmoreland, and Western St. James. Salary not to exceed 

 £250. 



Agricultural Instructors in Jamaica. 



In lieu of the former arrangement by which 

 Messrs. Elder, Dempster & Co. were required to 

 maintain a staff of instructors in connexion with the 

 fruit industry in Jamaica, proposals have been agreed 

 to by which the company now jjays over to the Govern- 

 ment the sum of £500 per annum towards the salaries 

 and expenses of the agricultural instructors appointed 

 by the Agricultural Society. In addition there are two 

 instructors under the Board of Agriculture. 



At a recent conference between the Board and the 

 Instructors Committee of the Agricultural Society, the 

 following recommendations were made, which have since 

 received the approval of the Government: — 



Agricultural Instruction in Barbados. 



The Annual Report of the Barbados Education 

 Board for 1905 contains the following reference to 

 agricultural instruction : — 



The standard of work in agricultural instruction was 

 maintained during the year, and in connexion with this 

 subject the Board are able to report that school gardens are 

 better managed now than at any time since the addition of 

 this subject to the curriculum. Through the kindness of 

 Sir Daniel Morris, a grant of £10 was made from the funds 

 at the disposal of the Imperial Department of Agriculture 

 for the West Indies for the purchase of boxes, pots, etc., in 

 which to grow seedlings and cuttings where suitable spots 

 for school gardens could not be obtained. 



The Board have expended this year the £20, granted 

 them by the Legislature for the purchase of agricultural 

 apparatu.s, in implements for school garden.s, such as hoes, 

 forks, buckets, etc. Enclosures of me.sh wire have also been 

 provided from the grant. 



BRITISH GUI^.NA RICE INDUSTRY. 



Several references have been made in previous 

 issues of the Agricultural News to the very encourag- 

 ing development that has been taking place in 

 connexion with the rice industry of British Guiana. 

 Its position was recently reviewed on p. 193 of this 

 volume. 



In their market report, dated November 10, 

 Messrs. Wieting & Ritcher make the following reference 

 to the prospects of the industry :^ 



We are in the midst of crop operations. The weather 

 has been unusually favourable for the growth of the paddy, 

 and is now just as favourable for reaj^mg the crop. As 

 expected from the increased acreage empoldered, say, over 

 20,000 acres, of which the bulk had been planted up with 

 paddy, it was expected that the yield would be about 400,000 

 bags or 600,000 maunds paddy — milling about 150,000 'oags 

 rice of the usual weight — but it is quite impossible at the 

 present time to say if this re-sidt will be obtained, as 

 statistics from the various and remote country districts are " 

 both unreliable and difficult to get. 



Town agents and shop keepers in the country are now 

 buying up all the produce obtainable, milled and unmillod, 

 at prices under present market value, for present and future 

 use, and very little has so far come to town ; there will be no 

 quantity of rice going forward for export e.xcept small parcels 

 in order to keep our new staple before the island people and 

 have a ready market there in future when our crops shall be 

 larger. The rice industry may now be considered as firmly 

 established in the colony. 



