263 



and A. J. Webb of St. Ann for one of the hand gins to be placed 

 in that parish, and if this was granted, Mr. J. H. Levy of the Jamaica 

 Products Co., had promised to take charge of it ; that instead of 

 shipping the cotton grown at the Prison Farm and that grown by 

 the settlers on the Pedro Plains to Liverpool he had offered to 

 dispose of it to Mr. Sharp at the highest market price, so as to 

 save trouble and delay ; that he had visited the experimental plot 

 at Shortwood and found it in excellent condition ; that he had 

 arranged with the acting principal to receive the seed cotton and 

 have it ginned : that he had asked for reports from all the experi- 

 mental plots, but had only received two so far, both reporting 

 failure, but that the cotton on the other plots was nearly all ready 

 to be picked, and he would get complete reports by the end of the 

 month. 



Tobacco — The Director of Public Gardens submitted further 

 information on tobacco growing under shade in Connecticut and 

 Florida and submitted sketches of the tobacco houses in use there 

 for curing. 



The Chairman read a minute from the Chemist on the subject 

 suggesting that a capable officer of the Department should be sent 

 to Florida to get information about Sumatra tobacco there. 



The Chairman said they had no funds availnbleto send any one 

 to Florida ; the rest of the Board concurred. 



After discussion it was decided that they should go on with 

 another experiment in growing Sumatra tobacco on the same lines 

 as last year, but that the Director should find out all that was being 

 done in Cuba and Florida and remedy as far as possible the defects 

 in the system of curing. 



A letter from the Colonial Secretary was submitted stating that 

 on the suggestion of the Commissioner of the Imperial Department 

 of Agriculture for the West Indies, Mr. F. V. Chalmers of Liver- 

 pool, a tobacco expert, proposed visiting Jamaica, and that the 

 Board might make such arrangements as they thought useful in 

 connection with his visit. 



Locked still at Denbigh — The Secretary submitted replies of the 

 members of the Board to the Chemist's minute to the Chairman. 



Mr. Calder, Mr. Middleton, Mr. Shore and Mr. Cork objected to 

 the expenditure on Denbigh estate. 



After considerable discussion on the subject Mr. Calder moved 

 that the Board should postpone decision until detailed plans and 

 specifications and full data of cost were submitted. Mr. Cork 

 seconded, and this was agreed to. 



Water Buffalo— Mr. Cork stated that he had seen the Indian Water 

 Buffalo being used in parts of thesouthern United States, introduced 

 there from the Philippine Islands, and he would suggest that they 

 might be imported here to be used in the swamps of Westmoreland 

 and St. Elizabeth. 



Rice — Mr. Cork asked that endeavours might be made to get the 

 people to plant rice in St. Elizabeth. 



