65 



Department, be successful on a large scale, the crop would find a 

 ready sale and be profitable. 



Extension of the Industry by Small Settlers. There has been a 

 great demand lately for seed, and small settlers are experimenting 

 with tobacco in all parts of the island. It is an excellent product 

 for the small grower, but he should first satisfy himself that he 

 has the right soil and climate, that he can devote himself almost 

 exclusively to it during the months of cultivation and curing, that 

 he can afford to erect a proper curing house, and that he will have 

 a market for the cured product. 



BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Extracts from Proceedings. 



The usual monthly meeting of the Board of Agriculture was 

 held in the Committee Room, Headquarter House, on Wednesday, 

 15th January, 1908, at 2 p.m. Present: the Island Chemist, the 

 Acting Director Public Gardens, Messrs. D. Campbell, C. E. de 

 Mercado, E. W. Muirhead, Conrad Watson, and the Secretary, 

 John Barclay. 



The Chairman, Hon. Clarence Bourne, being engaged at a meet- 

 ing of the Legislative Council, Mr. de Mercado was asked to take 

 the chair. 



Cotton — The Secretary read letter (a) from the Colonial Secretary 

 acknowledging receipt of Mr. Watson's memorandum, the views 

 expressed in which the Board had accepted as their views. 



The Secretary asked leave to read a letter from Mr. Shore, 

 addressed to him as the Secretary of the Agricultural Society, 

 and which he submitted as the matter of cotton growing had been 

 dealt with more particularly by this Board. 



Mr. Shore protested against any arbitrary time being laid down 

 for planting cotton, and against Sea Island Cotton being forced 

 upon them, when in his experience, Egyptian Cotton had given 

 four times the yield and was not troubled by insect pests. The 

 Secretary was instructed to reply that only general instructions 

 had been given as to the time of planting which would suit most 

 of the districts suitable for cotton, viz. : — the same time as corn is 

 usually planted in the district, and that experience so far indicated 

 that Sea Island Cotton is the variety that it would be most ad- 

 visable to grow. 



2. The Secretary tabled cotton bolls affected by Black Boll. 

 Mr. Watson said that this trouble was common wherever cotton 

 was grown, that it was due to too much moisture when the bolls 

 were formed, and that there was no cure, but efficient drainage 

 would largely prevent it. This information was directed to be 

 brought to the attention of the Instructors. 



3. Arrowroot — The Secretary reported that the Superintending 

 Medical Officer had given permission to store barrels of native 

 arrowroot intended for the supply of Public Institutions in the 

 Island Medical Stores. 



Agricultural Conference — The Secretary read a letter from the 



