203 



Mr. Joseph Jones, who was trained at Kew. He arrived in the 

 island in March, 1892. Mr. Jones immediately took up the duties 

 of his office with energy and enthusiasm and he has proved an 

 excellent Curator. It is stated in evidence that he has rendered 

 'services universally acknowledged by the planters of the island.' 

 Mr. Jones has held this position up to the present time. 



" The chief object of the garden -has been to raise and distribute 

 at moderate rates plants of an economic character and this work 

 is steadily developing. 



" In 1892, 17,000 plants were distributed, whilst in 1906-07 the 

 number had risen to 83,000. 



" Mr - G - J- Branch was appointed Agricultural Instructor in 

 January 1900, and transferred to Grenada in July 1905, where he 

 now holds a similar position. Since Mr. Branch left Dominica, 

 the post of Agricultural Instructor has not been filled. 



"On the establishment of the Agricultural School at Morne Bruce 

 ni December 1900, Mr. D. Tannock, who had been appointed from 

 Kew to the Agricultural Department, Dominica, became Officer- 

 in-charge. In April 1903, Mr. Tannock resigned to take up an 

 appointment in New Zealand. He was succeeded by Mr. A J 



/a^ 8 ' W ^ a i! Tived fr ° m Kew in June 1903 > t0 tak * «P *e duties 

 ot Omcer-in-charge. He has continued in that capacity until the 

 present time. 



Mi- 



December 



" In 1898, a foreman was appointed to the Botanic Station, and 



this post has been maintained continuously up to the present 

 time. 



Montserrat Botanic Station.-The following account of this 

 station is taken from the Report for 1906-07. 



"The work of the Imperial Department of Agriculture in 

 Montserrat was begun by the appointment of the late Mr. A. J. 

 Jordan, in 1899, as Agricultural Instructor, and the establishment, 

 in 1901, of three Experiment Stations. These stations were 

 situated at the Grove estate, at Harris' Village, and at Olveston 

 respectively, and have been maintained from the time of their 

 establishment up to the present. Grove Station, which is h a mile 

 from the town of Plymouth, has been the headquarters" of the 

 Agricultural Instructor in Montserrat, and has combined with its 

 work as an experiment station, the functions of a Botanic Station, 

 while the Harris and Ovelston Stations have been maintained 

 solely for the purpose of carrying out agricultural experiments. 



" In 1899, Montserrat experienced a disastrous hurricane, owing 

 to the effects of which, agricultural matters were in a very 

 depressed condition at the time when the Imperial Department of 

 Agriculture began its work in this island. 



"During the two subsequent years, attention was particularly 

 directed to aiding the peasants by means of the introduction of 

 good varieties of yams, sweet potatoes, sugar-cane cuttings, and 

 other food crops. 



