31 



In conclusion. Sir Daniel Morris referred to the future of the 

 Imperial Department of Agriculture and the decision arrived at 

 by the Home Government to continue the grant to a moderate 

 extent for a further period of five years. Progressive contribu- 

 tions by the colonies would be necessary if it was proposed to 

 continue the work on the present lines ; further, an understanding 

 might be arrived at as to the practicability of establishing a 

 central authority in agriculture for the whole of the West Indies. 



A vote of thanks to the President for his address was proposed 

 by his Grace the Archbishop of the West Indies, who expressed 

 his gratification at the change that had taken place in the mental 

 attitude towards agriculture in these colonies. The Imperial 

 Department of Agriculture had, he said, brought about an identity 

 of feeling as regards the value of improvement and the necessity 

 of promoting industries by dealing with them in a manner at once 

 practical and scientific. The resolution was seconded by the 

 Hon. B. Howell Jones (British Guiana), who stated that the 

 Imperial Department of Agriculture had grown into an organiza- 

 tion of vast importance and of great necessity to these colonies. 

 In acknowledging the vote of thanks, Sir Daniel Morris referred 

 to the valuable and loyal services rendered by Dr. Francis Watts, 

 C.M.G., Mr. J. R. Bovell, F.L.S., and the other officers of the 

 Department. The programme* it was proposed to follow was 

 explained, and an adjournment took place for luncheon. 



On re-assembling at 2.45, an address of Loyalty to fhe Throne 

 was moved by the Hon. F. J. Clarke and seconded by Hon. B. 

 Howell Jones. An address to Lord Elgin, the Secretary of State 

 for the Colonies, expressing thanks for the extension of the grant 

 to the Department of Agriculture, was also passed. 



Mr. H. H. Cousins then read a paper on the sugar cane seedlings 

 in Jamaica. He stated that D. 95 had been found very suitable for 

 light soils where there was irrigation. B. 147 had not given the 

 results expected from it, but in Trelawny, where they were subject 

 to droughts, it had proved a valuable drought-resisting cane. B. 

 208 had given excellent results, and planters were much pleased 

 with it. 



Dr. Watts read a paper on the results of recent experiments with 

 seedling and other canes in the Leeward Islands. The introduc- 

 tion of varieties, he said, was consequent on the disease attacking 

 the Bourbon so that the crop fell from an average of 17,000 tons 

 to 7,500. Other varieties than Bourbon were planted now, and 

 diseases caused no anxiety, which he somewhat regretted, as, unless 

 there was watchfulness, disease might come upon them unawares. 

 The interest in the varieties now gravitated towards the production 

 of the richest sugar yielding plant. The new varieties had, in a 

 general way, been completely substituted for the Bourbon in the 

 Leeward Islands. But there were still 190 acres planted in Bourbon 

 out of a total 9,000 acres. White Transparent was regarded as a 

 .new variety when first introduced, but in a few years that too 



* The remainder of this article is re printed from the " Barbados Advocate." 



