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In a paper read al the Conference oi L899 (published in the 

 West Indian Bulletin, Vol. I. pp. 12.'!-.';.';), I discussed 'Improve- 

 ment in Agricultural Methods, and pointed oul the means by which 

 product' might be improved by the acquirement of varieties ol plants 

 by careful selection of the must suitable from the numerous varieties 

 obtained by seminal reproduction. 



In not a few instances I have tnel with positive statements, urging 

 that changes in the special or inherent qualities of plants and produc i 

 are, in a large measure, due to the influence of the soil; and the 

 makers of such statements appear to understand thai the soil alone is 

 able to induce such changes. 



If I may be allowed to change the form of my first proposition 

 and put it in the form of a question, the point may, I think, be made 

 clearer for discussion : Can the characters or special qualities of 

 produce afforded by plants of one kind be materially or permanently 

 changed or altered, by the influence of the soil ? 



In using the words " one kind' I do not intend them to cover the 

 numberless varieties produced from seed, as these are well known to 

 be subject to wide variation, but only those plants which are [ ro- 

 pagated in pure strains, by budding and grafting, or, as it is some- 

 times termed, ' vegetative reproduction.' 



It will, I think, be obvious to most of us that the two conditions 

 are essentially different as it is fairly clear that either degradation or 

 improvement may follow when plants are raised from seed, while, on 

 the other hand, special qualities or characters can be indefinitely 

 secured, by means of vegetative reproduction. 



It may, however, be truly asserted, that produce can, and often 

 is, improved by cultivation on a good soil, and that the measure of 

 improvement mainly depends upon the amount of plant food present, 

 and the methods of cultivation used to render it available. 



It can also be shown that quality may be improved by manipula- 

 tion in preparation of produce ; as in the fermentation and drying of 

 cacao, etc. Changes effected by manipulation are, however, somewhat 

 limited, and it would be next to impossible to make inferior material 

 into first-class produce by such means, although it certainly may be 

 considerably improved. As an illustration, I would point out that 

 Calabacillo cacao, prepared by the very best method, can never be 

 compared with the finest strains of Criollo or Forastero, similarly 

 prepared. It is evident that Calabacillo must always remain inferior, 

 because, in special qualities, it is originally inferior. We cannot in 

 fact, to use a common expression, ' make a silk purse out of a 

 sow's ear.' 



Changes of this class are, I consider, minor improvements, but 

 cannot be regarded as referring to special qualities. The latter may 

 be defined as the factors which separate inferior from first-class 

 produce. 



It becomes evident, therefore, that, where first-class kinds are 

 planted, the produce can be confidently relied upon, provided of 

 course, that it is properly grown and handled. Even if handled 

 without care, such produce is often far superior to that which belongs 

 to an inferior class. 



