26l 



BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



The usual monthly meeting of the Board of Agriculture was 

 held at Headquarter House on Tuesday, 13th September, 1 904, at 

 II. 15 a.m. Present: His Excellency the Hon. Sydney Olivier, 

 Chairman, the Director of Public Gardens, the Chemist, His Grace, 

 the Archbishop, the Superintending Inspector of Schools, Hons' 

 H. Cork and J. V. Calder, Messrs C. A. T. Fursdon, J. W. Middleton 

 and the Secretary, John Barclay. 



Cattle disease. — As regards the cattle disease reported to exist in 

 St. Ann, the Secretary stated that Mr. Perkins of Walker's Wood, 

 had lately been losing mules and cattle and that their spleens were 

 found to be rotten. He had asked for a fuller account of the symp- 

 toms of illness and conditions of environment. 



Mr. Middleton suggested that the Board should call the attention 

 of the Government to the subject and suggest that in case of 

 infectious diseases in live stock there should be compulsory isola- 

 tion of the stock. 



Mr. Calder said he thought the trouble would turn out to be 

 anthrax which was more or less common in the island, but was 

 less prevalent than it was formerly. He thought samples of blood 

 should be sent to the Chemist for identification of the disease. The 

 only thing to be done was to rest the pastures, lime the spot where 

 the animals died and burn the carcases. 



Botany at Hope and Agriculture in Secondary Schools. — The report 

 of the Committee was read as follows : — 



The sub-committee of the Board of Agriculture appointed at the 

 last meeting of the Board to confer with regard to arrangments for 

 carrying on instruction in Botany to the students in agriculture at 

 Hope, met at the Government Laboratory on Friday, the 26th of 

 August. Present — His Excellency the Acting Governor, the 

 Director of Public Gardens and Plantations, the Island Chemist 

 and Mr. J. W. Middleton. 



After full discussion it was decided that in the coming term Mr. 

 Teversham should give a course of lectures on Elementary Botanic 

 Morphology under Mr. Fawcett's direction in order to prepare for 

 a more advanced course in Economic Botany which it was hoped 

 Mr. Fawcett would be able to give hereafter. 



The committee then, in conference with the Chairman of the 

 Jamaica Schools Commission considered the possibility of utilis- 

 ing the Jamaica College and other Secondary Schools as a means 

 of preparing and attracting youths towards the study of agricul- 

 ture. It was agreed that the Chemist should confer with the 

 Chairman of the Schools Commission and such other educational 

 authorities as it might be convenient to consult with a view to 

 enabling Secondary Schools so to adjust their curriculum as to 

 meet the requirements of the aim approved. 



The Chairman suggested that the Board might ask the Arch- 

 bishop, the Superintending Inspector of Schools, Mr. Cousins and 



