41 



The United States Division of Soils sends us their publications, and 

 I have closely followed the work of Professor "Whitney and his staff. 

 Their last report and soil maps have just been received. The objects aimed 

 at in the American Soil Survey are quite different from those forced upon 

 us here by the special conditions of the Agriculture of the Island. The 

 American survey aims at a broad, general survey and classification of 

 soils on the lines of a practical land valuer, based primarily on local ex- 

 perience and records and other geological and mechanical data rather than 

 on crop returns and chemical analyses. It is instructive to note that the 

 area surveyed in 190ij was equal to that of Jamaica at an average cost of 

 8/ per square mile. This work i^ of necessity superficial and general, and 

 would have little critical bearing on the more pressing problems of culti- 

 vation in Jamaica, 



I have acted on the conviction that the first object to aim at in a study of 

 Jamaica soils is that of arriving at the physical and chemical properties 

 affecting fertility and by the use of manurial experiments on the growing 

 crops to arrive at a basis for the practical interpretation of the results of 

 analysis. The report on the "Bauana Soils" which appeared in the first 

 number of this Bulletin represents the first fruits of this work. It has been 

 demonstrated that the chief Banana Soils in Jamaica are not in present 

 need of fertilisers and that the immediate problems of the industry are 

 those of general cultivation and not of manuring. T fail to see how 

 the American system of soil survey could have established this economic 

 fact. 



The methods of analysis employed at the Government Laboratory are, 

 as regards conventions of sampling and solution, those of the Association 

 of British Agricultural Chemists. The methods of analysis are those of 

 the American Association, primarily based on the methods of Professor E. 

 W. Hilgard. 



Over ninety analyses of Jamaica Soils have been completed during the 

 past year and a half, of which 30 are related to manurial experiments. 



When the fundamental facts underlying the fertility of our chief agri- 

 cultural areas have been established and the planters placed in possession 

 of this information, it would undoubtedly be most advantageous to have 

 a soil survey for the preparation of such soil maps as are being prepared in 

 the United States by the Division of Soils. 



I think it could be carried out at a cost of about £5,000 and would oc- 

 cupy 3 years. 



BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Report op Mketing. 



The usual monthly meeting of the Board was held at Heid Quarter 

 House on Tuesday, loth January, at 9 o'clock . 



Present : — The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Chairman, the Hon. the 

 Director of Public Gardens and Plantations, the Government Chemist, His 

 Grace the Archbishop, the Hon. Henry Cork and Mr. C. A. Fursdon. 



The Secretary read the Minutes of the last meeting which were con- 

 firmed. 



The Chairman read minutes by Mr. Shore and Mr. Cousins on the repn-t 

 upon coco-nut disease, and also ,i circular which was t) be sent t) plan- 

 ters. After some discussion it was a;^reed to enlarge the circul ir up >u the 

 lines suggested by Mr. Cousins. The Director of Public Gardens was re- 



