98 AI^GERIA - MiSCELIvANEOUS 



Sometimes, success under these conditions may have its drawbacks ; 

 the success obtained in certain crops by a man of experience or one specially 

 favoured by chance in his empirical investigations, may lead, in an en\'iron- 

 ment where the struggle is hard and doubtful, to an irresistible enthusiasm 

 and an extravagant infatuation for this crop. It extends at once rapidly, 

 often even at the expense of other crops it would be possible to grow at a 

 profit. The countr}^ is then exposed to all the risks due to the cultivation 

 of a single crop which may disturb its financial and economic balance. 



These considerations have led the Government of Algeria to be- 

 stow on the colony an information service and to organize a centre of agri- 

 cultural study, research and experiment. For this purpose, it proposes the 

 creation of separate technical departments as so many instruments suited 

 for special work, in order to apply them respectively to each branch of 

 the problem which may thus be solved in all its parts. 



There will be four groups of these departments : 



1st. The meteorological group will consist of a meteorological depart- 

 ment to study the relation of the meteorological phenomena to agricul- 

 ture, a matter of great importance in a country where the crop depends 

 chiefly on the rainfall ; 



2nd. The soils group, which wiU consist of a geological department, 

 occupied with the ph3'sical formation of the soil and the search for under- 

 ground water and an agronomical department concerning itself with 

 everything relating to the preparation of the soil and the implements 

 required for the purpose. 



3rd. The plants group, which will include a botanical department for 

 discovery, collection and study of all the varieties of plants that may be of 

 importance for Algeria, a phytopathological department to deal with the 

 subject of cryptogamic diseases of cultivated plants and an entomolog- 

 ical department for the search for means for the destruction of noxious 

 insects and the utilisation of useful insects. 



4th. The animals group, which will include a livestock improvement 

 department to study the manifold matters connected with the improve- 

 ment and development of animal production, a Pasteur Institute for the 

 study of infectious cattle diseases and the means of combating them, and 

 a technical sea fisheries and agricultural department to seek out means 

 for the proper exploitation of the Algerian coast. 



Experimental farms will be founded in various parts of the colony to 

 study the means for utiHzing for practical Algerian farming and thus placing 

 at the disposal of the colonists, either the discoveries made in the labor- 

 atories of these technical departments oi the results already obtaine4, 

 in other countries. The Department of Agriculture is already providing for 

 the establishment of such experimental farms at Sidi-bel- Abbes, Setif , Ser- 

 su and Batna for extensive cultivation and for cattle foods, at Orleansville 

 for the cultivation of olives and in Kabylia for that of the fig and olive tree. 



Side by vside with the technical departments, there will be one for eco- 

 nomic and social institutions, which will have an important part to play. It 

 will study everything relating to the organization of short term mutual credit. 



