340 THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD [April 1, 1913. 



are practically no plantations on a large scale, and advocates of a tropical agricultural college to new ef- 



trained plantation managers are seldom to be found forts, and it certainly is to be hoped that these eii'orts 



there." may soon materialize. Such a college should, as a 



The lack of trained experts which Dr. Huber men- matter of fact, not only train men for the pursuit of 

 tions as the chief obstacle in the way of successful agriculture in the tropical bell, and train them so 

 rubber plantations in South America is also noticeable broadly that after leaving its doors they would be at 

 everywhere in the rubber field where plantations have home in any tropical country — whether the West In- 

 been started. To be sure, in the Far East, now that dies, South America, Africa, or the Far East — but it 

 plantation enterprises have been under way for a num- should go beyond such training and engage in research 

 ber of \'ears, there is quite a body of men who have work of a character that would he of benefit to the tropics 

 secured a practical training through their experience generally. It should not only train men in a thorough 

 on the plantations, and there are in various parts of understanding of tropical climates and soils and in 

 the tropical world experimental stations where a few the sciences of entomology, mycology, botany and 

 men, under government auspices, are trying to solve chemistry, but it should take up the great number of 

 some of the many problems to which tropical agricul- jiroblems coming under these various classifications 

 ture has given rise; but nowhere in the world is there that have not yet been solved, but must be solved, if 

 a tropical agricultural college where men may be tropical agriculture is to reach its best estate. Such 

 trained quickly, and without waste of time and effort, an institution, giving both practical training and en- 

 in the science of tropical agriculture — whether relat- gaging in advanced research work would in reality be 

 ing to the production of rubber, sugar, cacao, or a university rather than a college, 

 tropical fruits; and the pressing need of such an in- In regard to the best location for such an institution, 

 stitution has long been felt by intelligent observers. "The Times" expresses the belief that the West In- 

 It has been dwelt upt)n in the agricultural and tropical dies are best adapted for this purpose, as they are 

 papers ; it has come up for discussion in the confer- within the tropical belt and yet readily accessible to 

 ences of those who are interested in tropical products, students from England, and admirably situated as a 

 and it was particularly emphasized in the West starting point from which the graduates could go out 

 Indian Agricultural Conference held in Trinidad last — either to South America, to Africa, or to the East, 

 year. "The Times" does not designate any particular island, 



A new impetus has been given to the subject by an but to anyone who has traveled extensively through 

 article which appeared in a recent issue of "The Lon- the West Indies, Trinidad will immediately suggest 

 don Times," calling attention in an emphatic manner itself as an ideal location for such an institution. It 

 to the need of a tropical agricultural university if the certainly presents true tropical conditions, being only 

 British colonial possessions in the tropics are to reach ten degrees from the equator, and wliile it is one of 

 their proper development. It called attention to the the West Indies, it is so close to the South American 

 extreme wastefulness of the haphazard methods that shore as to be to all intents and purposes a part of 

 at present obtain in agriculture in these colonies, be- that continent. The great Orinoco River draining 

 ing in fact practicalh' the same methods in vogue half thousands of miles of tropical country, including for- 

 a centurv ago. The fact was dwelt upon that nature had ests of rubber, empties almost at its door. Those who 

 been looked to to do practically all the work, on the gathered there for instruction would pursue their 

 hypothesis that nature produced enough and to spare, studies under ideal tropical conditions. The founda- 

 and required little assistance from man. But the con- tion for such a university has already been laid in the 

 ditions have changed materially in fifty years, and in Imperial Department of Agriculture for the West In- 

 order to meet competition from the other parts of the dies, which under the executive management of Com- 

 tropical world, and in order to enable the British col- missioner W'atts has done so much to train men in 

 onies to attain to anything like their proper develop- tropical agricultural knowledge, and has been of such 

 ment, the time has come for supplying those colonies assistance in supplying experts to both government 

 with a body of men specially trained to meet their g.nd private enterprises, 

 requirements. Moreover, it is readily accessible, not only to the 



This editorial in "The Times" has encouraged the English, but to Canadians and to the United States; 



