o 



The supposition that the soil changes plants may possibly have 

 arisen from the natural variation which occurs among plants raised from 

 seed, a fact which has been insufficiently noticed, or regarded by the 

 general cultivator, and even if noticed, has been wrongly attributed 

 to the influence of the soil. Reproduction from seed is clearly the 

 best method of securing new varieties, but unless combined with 

 careful selection, it gives rise to sets of plants showing a mixture of 

 both good and bad qualities, the latter being generally the more 

 numerous. It is therefore evident that a process of raising seedling 

 plants without selection must inevitably tend to the deterioration of 

 any class of plant so raised. 



Once found, however, a special quality can certainly be perpetu- 

 ated. This brings up our second proposition, namely : Are the 

 special qualities of plants sufficiently regarded ? 



It is a well known fact that among progressive agriculturists 

 these qualities are considered of the highest importance, and as such, 

 are being eai-nestly sought. So much is this the case, that it has 

 formed a fully sufficient raison d'etre for the establishment of modern 

 experiment stations in most countries where agricultural work gives 

 employment to a large proportion of the population. The duty of 

 such stations is to search out and perpetuate the newest and best 

 varieties, to test such, and to bring them into cultivation. 



Hitherto such work has not been sufficiently regarded, but I am 

 glad to be able to say that, among the planters of Trinidad, there are 

 those who now take the greatest interest in it ; but still there is a 

 large number of planters who do not as yet realise the vast 

 importance of having under cultivation the highest class of plant 

 which it is possible to secure. 



I have but briefly opened the two propositions submitted for the 

 consideration of the Conference, and it will be noticed that I have 

 not said as much for the influence of the soil as I have for other 

 influences. It must be remembered, however, that I have merely 

 touched upon the subject, and have not attempted to exhaust it, for or 

 against, either proposition. Personally, I believe the subject to be 

 of the very highest importance, and that the special qualities of 

 plants should be much more widely considered than they are to-day, 

 especially among cultivators who have had no opportunity for 

 practical training or careful study in the theory and practice of 

 agriculture. 



I now offer the subject for discussion, pointing out that the main 

 object of the paper is to bring prominently to view the immense 

 importance of selecting and growing pure strains of high-class plants, 

 and of propagating these by vegetative reproduction. The common 

 and untrustworthy method of using unselected seedlings is a practice 

 which is fraught with danger to the prosperity of the country 

 in which it is pursued, while, if the qualities of individual 

 plants are sufficiently regarded, and the methods I have suggested 

 adopted, I believe it will result in raising the value of the produce 

 grown, to the benefit of the cultivator, and of the country in which 

 he lives. — (West Indian Btdletin. Vol. VI, No. 2.) 



